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Discussion on Shoe Boils
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New Member:
harley13
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Posted on Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - 3:02 am:
I've recently bought a pair of Percherons and the one name Jim developed a fairly large shoe boil on his right leg. After a while, it grew and we had the vet out and she drained it. That was 2 months ago. I put boil rings on both of his legs because he developed a 2nd one. Now the original boil is huge and hard and lumpy. It has grown up into his shoulder making his leg twice its size. With money being tight we really can't afford another vet call. However we did buy something called icthammol which is pretty much tar to put on the boils. Does anyone have any advice on what to do next?
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - 10:07 am:
Maybe my understanding of a shoe boil is wrong? I've never heard of one being so high up. It sounds to me like something else is going on and he has some kind of major infection in that leg. Money tight or not, I'd sure get him looked at again and get him on antibiotics. Just my opinion. I'm going to read under "shoe boils" to educate myself and be sure.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - 10:33 am:
Kathy, I just read what I could find on HA re: shoe boils, and still think what may have started out as a boil has progressed to something that needs some treatment other than icthammol. Is the boil opened or still enclosed? Hopefully, someone who knows more about shoe boils will "chime in" here and Dr. O should have some advice. Did someone advise you to get the icthammol and say it was good for boils? Just curious about it as it isn't what i would think of using.
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Member:
juliem
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Posted on Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - 4:37 pm:
Welcome to the site Kathy--I hope you get this resolved. I have no experience with this, but I agree with Sara, it sounds as if something beyond a simple shoe boil is occurring and that much swelling is cause for alarm. Dr. O will have advice soon.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 2, 2008 - 3:02 pm:
Shoe boils do not grow up into the shoulder so either a complication like infection or some other disease process is going on. However Kathy it is not possible to provide a diagnosis from your current description. For more on assessing swellings you might try Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Swellings / Localized Infection / Abscesses » Diagnosing and Assessing Swellings in Horses but I don't like the sound of this.
DrO
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New Member:
harley13
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 2, 2008 - 5:47 pm:
The shoe boils seem to be going down alot in size and are getting softer on both legs with the use of this ecthimol stuff and constant hosing of the area but the first leg that had one (his Rt leg) the entire area up his to his shoulder is hard as a rock and lumpy in areas. I am having the vet out again on Monday to reexamine him. She is the same one that drained the boil initially and he was on an antibiotic for x2weeks after the treatment. I am just so concerned about the hard mass forming in his muscles surrounding the boil and above it. As for the ecthimol my shoer said he had good luck drawing out any fluid in the boils with that stuff.
Any more suggestions would be great.
From what I have researched maybe steroid injections might help but doesn't it have to be early on or could it help with an ongoing case?
Nobody seems to have any experience with these things at all other than to say they are cosmetically ugly, they happen with trauma, some should be drained while other vets say leave it alone and hope it doesn't rupture.
My percheron is 2000lbs and was very overweight when I got him (about300lbs) and one vet said it was his size and hard bedding causing this. (which has been delt with)(Diet and shavings)
I wish someone could refer me to a good book or articals on this subject I feel I need more info.
Kathy
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Aug 4, 2008 - 12:33 pm:
Hello Kathy,
Sorry for the delay. I had part of an article on shoe boils written and I have finished and uploaded it. You will find it at, Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Bumps / Nodules / Warts / Tumors » Capped Elbow / Shoe Boil: Hygroma at the Point of the Elbow. It has a in-depth discussion of treatment and prognosis options. I hope it helps you.
DrO
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