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Lonnie Copeland (Lonnie)
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 11:32 pm: |   |
My 12 year old quarter horse gelding has had 2 abcesses in 10 months time, his first and only, both in his left back hoof. The last one was severe, the worst my farrier had ever seen. The hole it left was about 1 1/2 inches. Needless to say, he was in extreme pain for several days before it finally came out. We had radiographs taken, and he had foundered at some point, probably with the first abcess. It was in June, and we wonder if lush pasture might have been the culprit. There is a slight rotation of the coffin bone. His blood test for thyroid problems came back borderline. Our vet recommended thyroxine powder--he is overweight and cresty. After reading your articles, I'm wondering if we're helping or harming. A strange thing is happening to his coat color. He is getting white spots on his chest and rump. They look like the spots they get sometimes after a shot, but there are a couple dozen spots that came up almost overnight. Could this possibly be an effect of the medicine? He has always had a few slight gray hairs mingled in his sorrel color, and we thought he probably came from a gray, but these are definite spots that look like shot or fly bite scars, it's weird looking--he's beginning to look like a dalmatian. Also, the inside corners of his eyes are red, which could just be spring alergies, but he's never had that before either. He doesn't have any trouble seeing and doesn't appear to have any eye discomfort, they're just really red. We want to do everything we can to prevent future abcesses or founder, of course, but I'm wondering if we're on the wrong track with thyroxine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 10:28 am: | |
Well you have read the article so you know what I think. I am unsure your problems are caused by the thyroxine at least to the exrtent that using it keeps you from addressing the problem with his weight with proper management. Increase greying as they age in normal and you give other plausible reasons for redness.
When abscesses are not promptly treated with drainage from the bottom by paring it open they leave damaged areas behind that take time to grow out. I could see this damaged area just reaching the bottom of the foot at 10 months and leaving a weak area at the white line that was prone to infection. But this is just conjecture. Until they do the foot is prone to more abscessation. See Abscesses for more on this.
DrO |
