Abscess in Hoof and Time to Heal?

[horseygurl182]

cross posted in HJ forum as well

Out of the blue about a month ago or so my horse, my horse came up 3 legged lame. We h soaked, poulticed, pulled the shoe, etc.and had the vet out, and he blocked directly to the foot and nothing else was amiss and we had also just got new footing, so we thought it was a stone bruise.

2 weeks of stall rest and maintenance and then another week of bringing him back slowly before the fourth week of real work. He stayed sound for 1.5 weeks, horse showed and everything. Then this past Saturday (5/13) he comes up 3 legged lame again.

This time we call the farrier out (thinking abscess) since it was such acute, out of the blue lameness (and in same place). He pulled the shoe and lo and behold, there was an abscess. He opened it up and my horses relief was instantaneous. We’re now soaking it and caring for it 4 times a day.

I’ve never had any experiences with abscesses before and was wondering how long one typically takes to heal before you can bring them back to work? I know every horse/situation is different, but would love to hear your experiences that you’ve had first hand.

[JB]

I wouldn’t soak an open, drained abscess hole. All that constant soaking just keeps things soft and tender.

Instead, once the hole is clean (which is is now I assume lol) pack it with cotton soaked in very diluted betadine - diluted to look like very weak tea.

If it will stay in for the turnout available, meaning the hole is deep enough, leave it like that. If it tries to come out, then use some duct tape around the foot to keep it in, leaving as much of the foot exposed as you can to try to keep it dry and not “sweating” under the tape. Replace daily, or more if it comes out/off.

Once you can’t stuff cotton in there, switch to some Wonder Dust/Caustic Powder so it will start hardening up more.

Soles grow pretty quickly, but depending on how deep the tract is, it can still take weeks to heal well.

[Scribbler]

An simple abscess that bursts naturally through the frog or heel will be cleared up within a week. If you cut open the foot you need to wait for that to regrow. That’s why I prefer, on my farrier’s advice, to soak and wrap until it drains out through the frog area rather than cut into the foot. IME it takes a maximum ,48 hours to drain with just soak and wrap.

[Scoutranger]

It depends where it blew from. Keep it clean as JB said and if the horse is sound you can ride.

[saultgirl]

My horse recently blew an abscess out the coronet band and he was sound within about 3 days. I didn’t touch it after that (clean dry turnout, no flies out yet, etc).

[SaratogaTB]

My horse also just blew an abscess out the coronet band after being 3 legged for about 4 days. Farrier wants to keep shoe off for one week just in case “the drain gets clogged”, which might have happened to your horse. He was nearly sound the day after the hole developed. I also didn’t touch it after it started draining.

[JB]

Keep in mind that an abscess coming out the coronet band is quite different from someone digging out an abscess in the sole. The former is at that point “just” a wound - clean it up once a day or so, add some would ointment, and you’re good. I’m not sure the logic of keeping a shoe off for a coronet band wound, but as long as the foot/horse doesn’t suffer for it, it’s fine.

[SaratogaTB]

JB, I wondered about that, but since he’s in a soft ground field not being ridden the vet and farrier prefer to give him a few more days. I think the logic is that sometimes an abscess can drain on a couple tracks and we want to leave the nail holes open just in case. I’m just so relieved that he has some relief. Watching him with this abscess was a painful experience and not something I have experienced before. I thought his leg was broken when I found him. I am no longer an “abscess virgin”. LOL

[horseygurl182]

@SaratogaTB I thought my guy broke his leg too! It was scary how quickly and out of the blue lame he became.

Elliot’s is on the sole of the hoof and as soon as the farrier came on Sunday to drain and dig it out, my horses relief was palpable.

We’ve switched now to a drawing salve (20% Ichthammol) and we’re keeping it covered with a diaper and bootie. He’s walking so much better and back to his old nudgey self. The vet comes out tomorrow to look at it and give a better assesment, but I think knock on wood that the worst is now over!

[AKB]

My farrier has done a hospital plate shoe after opening an abscess. Then, you can ride immediately. The plate is removed and the abscess area is packed with new betadine ointment and cotton daily or twice daily…

[Altermyne]

DD mare just developed an abscess. Saturday she was fine, Sunday head-bobbing lame and refused to move in the pasture. I knew what it probably was so we started to pack and wrap hoping that it would blow, but finally had the farrier out. He found a channel, and opened it, but it still didn’t blow, and 3 days later we had a routine trim where he made a hole for it to drain. Poor mare is much better, but will be several days before she’s right again.

[PNWjumper]

I’ve had relief and soundness come anywhere from 3 seconds to _______ (fill in the blank) days. Just depends on where and how it bursts. My last one showed up in one of my young horses’ hind feet. Blew out through the heel bulb and she was instantly better, but not sound. Took 3 days to get back to sound. I’ve had others that were instantly sound, and still others where the abscess wasn’t done draining and it took another week or two.

I’m a fan of Epsom Salt Paste and use that with a diaper/vet wrap/duct tape until the horse is walking normally. Also, because it’s green, you can see the drainage that comes out of the abscess when you take it all off.

[candyappy]

@horseygurl182

Is your horse doing better now? After 6 weeks of brewing one, my mare finally burst her abscess up above her heel bulb on her left front foot on Monday. Upon turn out she was running around like a crazed maniac this morning. I will be interested to see if she is sound tomorrow after that.

[horseygurl182]

He is knock on wood 100% better. The abscess was opened on 5/14, we cared for it the entire w/o 5/14 and then on 5/19 the vet and farrier came out and could not locate a pulse anymore (yay!) and he wasn’t sensitive to hoof testers, so the shoe was put back on.
We were able to bring him up to HITS Saugerties on 5/20 and he stayed sound the whole week without any issues. He was amazing and even ended up winning the Bit o Straw Classic on Sunday out of 17 horses. At least I know what to look out for in the future - and I have all the stuff now (including the green epsom salt paste) should this happen again.

[candyappy]

Good to hear! My mare is almost back to normal too.