One week ago (Sunday) my horse became suddenly very lame on his front left. He was fine in the morning but in the afternoon I noticed that he was quite lame. In checking him his leg was swollen slightly up to about 4 inches above the fetlock with slight heat. In response I gave him 2 scoops of bute in his feed and cold hosed his leg for 20 min as well as shutting them (2 best friends) in a smaller turnout area. Initially I was thinking a nasty fly stomp on harder ground. I wanted to see how it responded so I waited until morning. Pain/limping was better in the morning, I gave him bute in AM + PM feed and cold hosed for 20 min twice that day. Tuesday morning he got more bute, another 20min cold hosing and I called the vet.
The vet came out in the afternoon, discovered an abscess by his heel and drained it. After he drained the abscess he put the hoof in warm water and epsom salts. Obviously, the water got very dirty as the hoof and leg was not cleaned prior to dunking. Then he proceeded to dunk a hoof poultice in the dirty water and then he put it on the hoof and wrapped it up telling me to leave the wrap on for at least a day and if it held up leave it on for another day; take him off bute, do not cold hose, do not use ice boots. The dirty poultice was a red flag but I trusted the vet so I followed directions. Hoof tenderness was improved with the draining and the first 24hrs after didnāt change much otherwise so I was feeling hopeful. Thursday morning I noticed increased inflammation with the swelling up to the bottom of the knee joint. I contacted the practice and was told the vet would drop off SMZs. So, he dropped off SMZs without seeing my horse with instructions of 12 tablets 2x a day for a week, again told not to give bute or ice boots/cold hose and continue to rewrap hoof (to be clear I do not dip poultices in dirty water). He got SMZs Thursday night and Friday morning. Friday midday, the swelling is significantly worse and well over the knee. I contacted the vet again and was told to give one scoop bute in AM and if heās still sore next week maybe an X-ray. I was not told how many days he should get one scoop of bute and the vet still has not seen my horse since he came out to drain the abscess on Tuesday. (yes I could ask him out but he is very busy and its just ādo the treatment and let me knowā) I gave him bute Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon. I was making up feed and automatically added the bute in the PM without thinking about it but I figured it wouldnāt hurt so I left it in. Sunday morning he got one scoop bute and showed swelling improvement and Sunday afternoon looked better still, not no swelling but much better. I reached out Sunday to get clarification on length of doses for bute and if the vet should come back out to evaluate. Monday morning, another scoop of bute, and now Monday afternoon, the swelling is getting worse again and up around/over the knee. I should also add when I removed the vets poultice wrap the foot smelled horrid, like the worst thrush and there was black nastiness around the white line and frog. I soaked his hoof in epsom salts and added tea tree and eucalyptus oil to help disinfect further. Subsequent rewrapping that I have done of the hoof does not show any of the nasty smell or blackness. As of now, Monday evening, I have not heard from the vet.
I have concern over the possibility of the initial dirty poultice the vet wrapped on introducing a nasty infection into the recently drained abscess hole and the overall non communicative aspect, in having to chase the vet for a reply and to clarify instructions. I still donāt know how many days I should be giving bute or wrapping the hoof and I am concerned that a bigger problem is being masked especially with the resurfacing of the swelling, the bute is the only thing that seemed to do anything for the swelling, the SMZs only made it worse and on less bute (one scoop a day) the swelling is coming back. I feel a bit ignored by the vet and that the situation is not being handled properly or with enough concern as it is not improving and to the contrary apparently getting worse. Am I being an overreactive horse owner? Is this normal? Please help and let me know your thoughts, I will clarify anything I can. Sorry for the long post.
