Ugh how are everyone else’s abscesses going? My mare is STILL lame. Vet went back over radiographs and still doesn’t see anything unusual except that the gas pocket wasn’t very visible. It definitely popped at the top though so it was definitely an abscess. He suggests I start soaking again… if it isn’t better soon I guess I need to get an MRI or something? Really pulling my hair out here.
My farrier came out Friday and worked on my guy and confirmed this is one stoic horse. My vet suggested a pad since he’s been sound on soft footing, but not on hard ground. With the pad my guy is sound WTC on his own on hard ground straight line and a small circle, but still ouchy at the trot with a rider. So progress? Sigh.
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Oh jeeze sounds very similar. At least there is some progress, but how frustrating!!!
So does your vet/farrier still think there is abscess in there? Or just going to need to grow all the way out to get sound?
No-- they’re confident the abscess is done, but needs to dry out from inside out. Then his heel on both heel bulbs has about 1-1.5" splits from the abscesses draining. My farrier said if he wasn’t sound in a couple days after Friday to re-xray and confirm the exact location of the gas pocket because he said with all the places this abscess went there has to be one now as it would have stretched the structures to accommodate it. Then he could make adjustments based upon vet’s recommendations. Since he’s only off with a rider I’m just going to wait it out knowing that his poor heels are deeply cracked and that has to be painful.
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Oh poor boy, that sounds painful. Sending you both virtual support.
I will talk to my farrier next… Maybe I just need patience. It’s hard not to throw every diagnostic when they are hurting. Thank you for sharing!
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Our abscess took EIGHT WEEKS to heal. It was a monster. This was with aggressive soaking and treatment, 3 farrier visits, 3 vet visits, xrays and ultimately an MRI to ensure it wasn’t a hiding collateral, which has happened twice to my vet. I have never had one that was such a disaster.
He’s on the upswing now. But with a GIANT track on his hoof and a chunk out of his frog.
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Just wanted to update… my mare is still a bit ouchy on hard ground (around the water trough or areas with stones), but I ordered her Scoot Boots and rode in them yesterday. She was sound on sand in the boots, so we are making progress 
It has been 2 full months so it is about time!
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My guy is sound with a rider until he hits a rough patch of ground but then recovers quickly, but vet and farrier assure me this will have to heal from the inside out since both of his heels have deep pockets left from the abscess from hell, and the new tissue is likely getting pinched, but it’s still to deep for the farrier to try to fix. Horses are magical creatures.
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