Hoof abcess?

[jaytori220]

I have a gelding that came up little off last weekend. Not too bad but favored in the front end. During this week he had been laying down in The morning which is not normal for him. Today I noticed it was defiantly his left front. When he stands he holds that leg out to the side with the weight on the right front. I have looked at the hoof and I don't see anything pysically wrong. But tapping hard on the sole between the point of his frog and the toe he is tender and pulls away. So I suspected an abcess. I have polticed it with epsom salt paste. Using a plastic bag vet wrap and duct tape. But we have had so much rain and we are under water and I have no way to keep him stalled because I have stalls. But I may be able to do something today to keep him locked up and out of the water. Does this sound like an abcess? I have only dealt with one abcess ever and it blew the same day the horse went lame. Anyways does anyone have any ideas for a better homemade rubber hoof boot or what has worked for you? Or any ideas that can help me in this situation?

 

[Riverrose28]

I've not encountered an abcess with my minis, but did have a large mare get one many years back. The vet drilled a hole in the bottom of the hoof, for drainage and I then had to put betidine in the hole twick daily, and the hoof was just wrapped with duck tape around guaze over the hole.

Are you sure it is an abcess and not founder? One of my minis did come up sore on a front hoof and I was advised by the vet to keep her on a bed of soft sawdust, the hoof was padded with foam and wrapped with tape.

 

[Carolyn R]

Neighbor/ friends horse has come up off this past week. Sounds much like yours, she had a local vet check her out (nice, but he is a small animal vet first and foremost, great for vaccines, fecal exams and coggins, the rest has a bit to be desired). Anyhow, he suggested thrush, that was a big negative in my book, little to no smell, frog was solid, no sludge in the crevices.....She is having the vet I use come to check her out on Monday. I am guessing either founder from too much grass or an abcess since she has one spot on the underside of her hoof at the toe that seems to be a bit leathery, ....hard but it seems to give just the slightest bit and sounds a little off when tapping on it with a hoof pick. I'll be sure to update/ compare notes when the vet is out. I am the stand in caregiver for the horse when the owner is out of town, we always compare notes and info on our horses.

 

[jaytori220]

I don't think its laminitis. Its only one hoof. And we have had so much rain this past week that everyone here in Florida is flooded. He seems to pull back at the white line area. No heat in the hoof And no pounding digital pulse. He does not have the founder stance nor the navicular stance. He is just keeping weight off the one.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Your farrier can take a look see and trim a bit off the bottom and hopefully make an outlet for the absess if there is one.

Probably old school, but I used to put some clay drawing poultice on my horse into a baby diaper and duct tape it to the foot. Provides soft footing in case it is just a bruise and can give relief and help draw out an abscess so you win on all counts. You can also give banamine along with using the poultice to relieve some pain. best wishes that you find out what is going on with your baby.

 

[circlesinthesand]

Are you sure it's in the hoof? Could he have twisted in the mud?

Abscesses are usually acute, with a strong pronounced lameness. Rarely do you see them 'a little' off unless something external like a stone bruise happens, then causes the abscess days later. Abscess are quick to pop up. They'll be fine one day then they're lame. Thrush can cause abscesses but rarely does it cause lameness unless it's in the frog and the frog has gone soft and the ground is really hard. You'll usually notice thrush before it goes to lameness. Founder stance happens when they're full out foundering, but doesn't necessarily happen with just laminitis. They are two different situations. Founder is the rotation, laminitis is the swelling of the laminae (sp? my spell check is saying I'm spelling those words wrong

sorry if they actually are.)

Either or in all cases, including tendon and ligament damage, soaking with epsom salt can help. It will draw infection, if you're suspecting laminits or tendon damage do it with cold water vs hot. The cold water is not as effective for drawing an abscess but it will still draw enough. I can't tell you how many abscesses I had to soak in cold water (because hot simply wasn't available) and they all popped within the same amount of days, usually 3. If you're soaking and it doesn't pop in 3 days, I'd suspect something different.

 

[Mareish Mom]

I have had horses with abscesses take awhile to pop. I'd keep soaking, and give bute or banamine for pain and swelling. If it's an abscess you want him to keep moving around, which will help it to burst, so relieving some of his discomfort is helpful. And yes, your farrier can trim him up and usually find where it's trying to drain.

 

[jaytori220]

Went out and took the poultice off and got him moving to see how he was. Much better then the other day. He actually would trot around. He is defiantly showing improvement. Although i didn't see any abscess or anything.

 

[Carolyn R]

just for reference, the vet was out for the friends horse I mentioned. While it was prevalent in one leg when observing, it was laminitis. So yes, it can be visible in one leg and not so much in the other when observing them walk, but still affect both front feet. It isn't severe, she is wearing styrofoam shoes and is to be stalled in a large matted stall for two weeks. There was little to no heat in her feet, so that isn't always a great indicator.

 

[Cricket8]

I will tell you the easiest way to draw and abcess down. Icthammal rub it on the hoof up to the cornet band. Put some in the hoof with a gauze pad over that. Then plastic wrap and then you can use either vet wrap or duct tape. I have a standardbred who races who has very flat feet and gets abcesses at least a few times a year.

 

[Cricket8]

And could very well be one. He would come up lame in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes throwing a temp beforehand. But, Standardbreds especially racing standardbreds tend to be a little tougher than the average horse.