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Discussion on How can you tell if your horse has an abscess? | |
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Member: Quatro |
Posted on Friday, Sep 24, 2004 - 11:34 am: Dr. O or anyone? Levi had a new farrier come to put shoes on his feet 3 weeks ago today. This guy was recommended because he "takes his time" It took him 4 hours to shoe 2 horses. When he got to Levi, he put the shoe on, nailed it, took it off, put it back on, nailed it, took it off, put it on nailed it and then finally said this isn't the right size. I finally told him to knock it off and go away. Levi was limping the next day. Unfortunately, I got called away out of state, my mom was in intensive care. I had him at the trainers while I was gone. The trainer became concerned because pieces of hoof started to chip off, and he was lame. She called her vet who said it was not laminitis, but to put hoof oil on and suggested an x-ray be done. I finally returned and took him to my vet. She did a hoof tester thingy on his foot. At a certain point on the sole and white line, he went through the roof with pain. She said he has an abscess, and told me to take him home for a few days, soak his foot and then come back in for her to pare out a hole to find the abscess. Is this typical of an abscess, and why did she want me to take him home to soak his foot for a few days before digging in his foot? She said he is tender footed and we have had him on biotin for about 6 weeks now. She did not do an x-ray. Is that something that needs to be done, or if you know what you are doing are you able to diagnose an abscess without an x-ray?Again , something new with my youngster! Thanks suz |
Member: Annes |
Posted on Friday, Sep 24, 2004 - 4:58 pm: I've had two horses with abscesses this year and hoof testers to locate the pain is how they are checked. X-rays are not done to diagnose an abscess and it is very important to soak in warm water to try and bring the abscess to a point where it is ready to pop. It will be easier for the vet to pare it out then and also the easier it is to find, the smaller hole has to be dug out. It will become more painful to your horse as the abscess gets ready to burst and you may need to give him some bute for the pain. My vet says it needs to "cook" for a while first and be ready to pare out. DrO has a great article on abscesses. It is very important to soak and wrap afterwards to make sure all infection has drained out and to keep it clean until healed. Also, it can burst open at the heel or top of hoof. Hope this helps. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 25, 2004 - 7:45 am: I have heard before of this idea to wait a few days. I presume it is to be sure it won't resolve on its own and that it is a bit larger so easier to find. I personally think it is just a few more days of discomfort for the horse and I cut them right away.DrO |
Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Tuesday, Sep 28, 2004 - 8:10 am: Another horror story to make me appriciate my farrier.I dont know about horses but I had an abscess cut out Sat. They had me keep hot compressess on it Friday to help draw the stuff out. "soaking" did make it more sore, but made it easier to get everything out. I feel sorry for Levi. I hope he gets something for pain because my experience hurt! |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Thursday, Nov 18, 2004 - 11:41 am: Dr. O, I have been dealing with a bad foot for quite some time. I have commented on this site about this problem. But I guess I need reassured. Levi had a toe crack for about a year. His previous farrier would put a scratch mark on it to keep it from growing. Finally we put shoes on his front. This seemed to help. He was rarely lame. then after a new farrier/idiot tried to shoe him, nailing the shoe, taking it off, nailing the shoe, taking it off, cut his feet too short. He went to the trainer very lame.(my mom was in ICU in the hospital out of town, so she was just horsey-sitting, not working him) He then started to have hoof wall separation, chunks of hoof falling off. She had a vet check him for laminitis, he said no. Recommended hoof oil. When I returned I took him to my horse vet, she thought he might have an abscess, told to go home and soak for a few days. Came back and she said he did not have a clear track to an abscess, so thought it was a sole bruise. I had my old farrier, one we used when Levi was younger, come by and he said he thought it was probably an old abscess that is just finally growing out, that is why he is missing hoof wall. He also said that the other farrrier trimmed him too long in the toe, which contributed to the crack. He put shoes on his front, bevelled them on the inside to not put pressure on the foot. He is doing much better as far as a normal walking around. He runs and plays like a banshee, but when I work him he has a definate limp on both sides at a trot. It is more on the left foot(problem foot), but a bit on the right, like he is trying to shift his weight. When I turn him to lead on his left foot it is more noticable. When I try to ride him, when I ask for a trot, he pins his ears back, and kind of hops into the trot. I have only worked him 3 or 4 times in the 2 months since he has been home.I guess my question after all this is, because it take forever for new hoof to grow, is this just a result of the old injury/abscess, and will resting him all winter be all I need to do, Or should I keep taking him to different people to see if there is something else going on? I would assume the vet and farrier did navicular tests on him, since the held his foot back on one test and did not mention navicular. I just hate to waste the rest time of winter, if I need to look at something else. But if it takes a long time for these things to heal, then so be it. The farrier says not to worry. Time will heal, and he is landing flat at a walk. Sorry for the long story, but I don't know where else to turn. suz |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Friday, Nov 19, 2004 - 6:34 am: Without knowing what is wrong Susan I do not know if this will resolve as the foot grows out but this should only takes several months not really forever. I also suggest that you not ride the horse until he comes a bit more sound.Before going elsewhere it sounds like you need to have a clear conversation with your current vet to find out what is known and unknown, what the list of possibilities are, and from there you can make a better decision about what your next step should be. DrO |
Member: Frances |
Posted on Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 - 10:54 am: Hi Susan - have you considered seedy toe as a possible culprit? I just wondered, as I've had a rather similar experience recently with my mare. For a year or so before, the farrier had been excising a small area of both front toes but, when I asked him if it was seedy toe, he'd said no, just some "black stuff" coming down from the coronet (?).Then she became slightly lame in the left fore the day after being shod two months ago. We thought it was because the farrier had come two weeks late and then cut a lot off - dumped her - but a week of bute and walking and she was still off. Farrier "couldn't" come - got another farrier to take the shoe off, and he found some soreness in the toe with hoof testers but no abscess. He put the shoe back on without the toe clip and said she'd be ok to work, but the slight, intermittent lameness remained. No heat, no pulse and legs felt really clean. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the next shoeing session came around, and the original farrier couldn't find anything wrong at all. I hoped that her being retrimmed might miraculously set things right, but there was no change. Finally, the vet took X-rays and found evidence of seedy toe. Not, he says, related to founder, and not very advanced. He's planning to nerve block her to make sure there's nothing else above the foot, (however every time he comes to do so, she's much sounder - of course!) He's going to be present next time the farrier comes, to advise him on how to tackle it (THAT should be interesting!). There just seemed to be enough similarities in our cases for seedy toe to be a possible explanation for your horse too. You might want to consider taking some X-rays to find out what's going on in there. |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Tuesday, Nov 23, 2004 - 11:04 pm: Dr O & Lynn, and anyone! I called my farrier about the trotting lameness, he said not to worry. The old vet I had look at him, after the second visit a while ago, thought it was a sole bruise, even though I had requested an x-ray, she said an abscess and a bruise would look the same on an x-ray. Well, I finally DrOve 2 hours to a vet recommended because he is a great "leg Man" We did a block, located it was definately the left foot, then he did several x-rays which unfortunately showed a "club foot with rotation PA-11 18/24?" Also a shallow sole on the opposite (r) foot. He had a specialty farrier there who put on an aluminum shoe with a high heel to change his point of contact? After the shoe was placed you could see a considerable tip to flatness in the coffin bone. The vet and the farrier both said that if we are careful to manage his feet, and not have any other bouts of laminitis, he should be sound enough for trail riding, not really rodeo riding, which we won't be doing of course. They felt that the bout of laminitis was probably a year ago. I am a bit saddened and disheartened that we live in an area that makes me have to travel so many miles for reasonable horse care, but I hope we can still have a long and happy life together. Levi, having raised him from a baby, is very special to me. He has never been profoundly lame, and they think that this is more a genetic, conformation problem, which I don't quite understand. I quess any reassurance that we can still ride someday, and that I will not be putting a horse down for this problem in the near future, would be great. The vet and farrier who treated him were very optimistic. I just did not understand the P-11 and 18/24 number.Thanks for listening, any encouraging words would be welcome Sue |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004 - 6:44 am: Hello Susan,Not seeing the radiographs and with no units I can only guess at the numbers (11 degrees rotation of the coffin bone away from the wall at the toe, with the tip of the coffin 18mm off the ground and the posterior coffin 24mm off the ground?). I would call and ask to have them defined. The block does a good job of localizing the lameness to the foot but I do not see a diagnosis for the cause of lameness above. There are some descriptions and assesment of pathology in the foot but it is unclear any of this is the cause of lameness. The history certainly suggests a curable problem but I guess what I really want to know now is the lameness gone with the new shoe job? DrO |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004 - 2:31 pm: Dr. O, thanks for responding. I took Levi out this afternoon, and did some trotting circle work. I am happy to report that he was completely sound. Not a head bob, or even a paddling like motion he had demonstrated previously. Dr. Tornburg said that the initial cause of the laminitis had to have been possibly a year ago. I am just sorry that I missed it, as dilligent as I am about my horses. He was never lame for more than a day. I looked back in June of this year, he was trimmed, and could barely walk for 2 whole days. The farrier then told me to put pads on his feet, duct tape them and he would be fine. In a few days he seemed better, then he poked his eye and we dealt with that for a while. I don't get how some of my friends have horses that never have anything wrong with them, and with mine, its always something.The vet and farrier want me to return in 5 weeks to reset the shoe, and re-x-ray! They both said he would be much happier, and I think that he is! they both said to be sure he does not have anymore bouts of laminitis, but having missed it the first time, I am a little more than worried. Thanks suz |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Thursday, Nov 25, 2004 - 9:36 am: The trick to minimizing problems with horses Susan is to develop a logical routine that works for you and your horse then don't change it without a very good reason.From the description I think the rotation was not from a acute founder but the stress from a upright toe pulling the wall away from the bone and the farrier, in an attempt to make the foot look more normal allowing the toe to flare out exacerbating the problem. You see it all the time with a club foot and these feet do tend to thin sensitive soles. DrO |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004 - 10:46 pm: Dr O, Levi is going back for a re-shoeing. It was 5 weeks ago that they put this rocker shoe on. He has been doing great, totally sound. We have not ridden at all, the weather here is not nice enough for a weeny rider like me. But the few times I checked him in the round pen, he is sound on his circles in both directions. My question is, after his feet grow out, and he gets more sole growing, will he have to be wearing a special shoe for the rest of his life, or can he go barefoot again. He never had shoes on till this past summer, but now that he has this rotation problem, I don't know. I will check tomorrow to see what the degree of rotation is/or was. Unfortunately, the farrier that the vet uses is 2 hours away from here, so I am hoping that eventually I can find someone locally that can follow directions on what to do with my special guy!Just curious if I am going to have to keep him in gucci shoes forever, or can we go back to payless shoes someday? thanks suz |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 - 11:25 pm: I don't think my subscription ran out, but I am not sure. I was wondering about the shoeing vs. the surgery that they talked about. Something called a check ligament surgery. What would I need to consider in deciding whether this would be a choice to make. The shoeing and radiographs just might break the bank,should I have to do this every month. The vet suggested still seeing how he does with the shoeing for a while. I just wonder if they have to do a radio graph every time they reset his shoes, or is this just for his initial treatments?thanks sue |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Friday, Dec 31, 2004 - 4:25 pm: If you can post your subscription is still in force Susan but we are traveling right now so my schedule has become a bit irregular.It is unlikely he will need radiographs each time only for as long as changes are occurring. The surgery is usually reserved for cases where the pain cannot be resolved any other way. DrO |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Friday, Dec 31, 2004 - 5:39 pm: Thanks for the response. He has not been terribly lame, so we will keep working on the shoeing.Happy New Year! sue |