Foal with bruised heel bulb

[Callaway]

Has anyone had this happen to one of their foals? One of mine is very lame on his left front. After taking a close look at him, I found no heat or swelling in his leg, so I picked up his foot. I found bright purple and red areas on the lateral bulb of his heel. He only wants to make contact with his toe and the ground.

We have a lot of shale in our soil (big chunks of it, looks like rocks), and the ground has been really hard and dry. I’m sure that’s what he bruised himself on. Does anyone know of any treatments? Should I wrap his foot with poultice? The poor little guy is very sore.

[Laurierace]

Do whatever you have to do to get him comfortable asap. I had a foal break his toe off to the white line as a three month old. He would not bear weight on that foot and the tendon contracted virtually overnight. He ended up with an awful club foot as a result. I would talk to the vet and maybe use magic cushion and previcox with some gastrogard thrown in for good measure.

[Edgewood]

Yes, I have had heal bulb bruises and also sole bruises in foals, especially this time of the year (remember when I couldn’t take Violet to her foal inspection, for the exact same thing). I always do wrap them (see below).

I would definitely bring him into a stall if he is really uncomfortable and I would wrap his foot with a diaper and epsom salts (dampened), then wrap with vet wrap. When Violet bruised her foot so badly as a foal of this age, she was in the stall for about a week, only put out in a small paddock on limited basis. The first day it was really painful and she only got up to nurse and then laid down again. The problem also with turning them out too soon is that they go running around and rebruise it.

But you definitely don’t want to keep him out stomping flies and in a big field with hard ground if he is very sore. The diaper with epsom salts (or icthamol) really does seem to help some of the pain. And if you use epsom salts, you can rewet it through the vet wrap later in the day if it dries out (cannot really ask a foal to stand in a bucket with epsom salts).

[clint]

I’m another who had a foal contract after developing sore feet and breaking off toes. EZ Boot makes boots small enough for foals, if you want to do some turnout on hard ground, but I would make every effort to keep the foal on something soft. I think the wrapping and epsom salts are a really good idea too, although depending on the foal’s temperament, that may not be the easiest chore to accomplish.

[JB]

You might try wrapping with something like Magic Cushion or Animalintext to help the inflammation, and keep him in the stall for a day or two. I’d have zero problem stalling a baby for this, or at least limiting turnout. You can get a teeny diaper to make the wrapping easier.

[Home_Again_Farm]

There is also a great epsom salt poultice for this. It is green and comes in a jar (wish I could remember the name). Great for wrapping as it stays moist.

[JB]

Sore No More “The Sauce” can be used to mix with sugar for a sugardine/iodine mix.

Mary Lou, I know exactly what you’re talking about and can’t remember what it’s called either!

[Edgewood]

@clint;6488627

but I would make every effort to keep the foal on something soft. I think the wrapping and epsom salts are a really good idea too, although depending on the foal’s temperament, that may not be the easiest chore to accomplish.

FWIW, the 3 foals that I have had that got bruises were very easy to wrap. They were so easy I could essentially ground tie them in the stall with a halter/lead and wrap their foot (it was always the front, wouldn’t do that for a hind foot).

[ahf]

Mary Lou - yes! It’s green and minty and comes in a jar and is THE BOMB for sore feet and abcesses. Is it called Mineral Ice?

Kim, don’t want to alarm you, just file this away in the back of your mind. If, once the buise is healed, he still seems sore - he may have broken off a wing on his P3. I had one foal do this during a drought year. Had to cast that foot, and keep him up for 6 weeks. Very happy ending - just had his baseline radiographs done as a 2yo, and that P3 looks perfect!

[ahf]

Nope, not Mineral Ice. This is what I was thinking of…
http://www.qcsupply.com/epsom-salt-poultice.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CJeVmqPs2rECFYhM4AodFUIAjw

[Callaway]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! My colt actually does let me wrap his foot. He has had a lot of handling, and has an easy going personality.

Kris, I do remember this happening to Violet. Did you give her previcox for pain? I know that it has analgesic properties (more than other anti inflammatories do, like bute).

Kate, thanks for the heads up. I will definately keep that in mind as my little guy recovers.

[Dune]

[QUOTE=Home Again Farm;6488668]
There is also a great epsom salt poultice for this. It is green and comes in a jar (wish I could remember the name). Great for wrapping as it stays moist.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JB;6488680]Sore No More “The Sauce” can be used to mix with sugar for a sugardine/iodine mix.

Mary Lou, I know exactly what you’re talking about and can’t remember what it’s called either![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=ahf;6488855]Mary Lou - yes! It’s green and minty and comes in a jar and is THE BOMB for sore feet and abcesses. Is it called Mineral Ice?

Kim, don’t want to alarm you, just file this away in the back of your mind. If, once the buise is healed, he still seems sore - he may have broken off a wing on his P3. I had one foal do this during a drought year. Had to cast that foot, and keep him up for 6 weeks. Very happy ending - just had his baseline radiographs done as a 2yo, and that P3 looks perfect![/QUOTE]

MAGNAPASTE. Someone posted a link to a jar of it, must be the generic version.

[clint]

There are generic versions of Magna Paste. I always have it around, as it is so good for abscess poultices.

[Edgewood]

@Dune;6488906

MAGNAPASTE. Someone posted a link to a jar of it, must be the generic version.

Learn something new each day, good to know this epsom salt poltice works well as Epsom salts are hard to keep moist and rewetting the wrap makes it deteriorate faster. If this stuff stays moist longer in the diaper wrap, that would be good.

Kim, I don’t remember if I gave Violet something…too long ago. I might have given her some bute per my vet, but I don’t remember for certain. Mainly I did bed the stall very deep, keep the foot well padded and kept her away from hard ground and flies till it was well healed.

[Callaway]

Well, I wrapped his entire foot today with epsom salt poultice under a diaper, then vet wrap and gorilla tape over the diaper. He looks at least 50% sounder, just with the padding. He was even trying to run around! He obviously feels a little better. I have a call in to the vet to see if he has any other ideas.

[Home_Again_Farm]

@ahf;6488865

Nope, not Mineral Ice. This is what I was thinking of…
http://www.qcsupply.com/epsom-salt-poultice.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CJeVmqPs2rECFYhM4AodFUIAjw

That is it. I have found nothing better. It works for a ton or problems and belongs in every horsey medicine kit. :yes:

[L_L]

[QUOTE=Callaway;6488330]
Has anyone had this happen to one of their foals? One of mine is very lame on his left front. After taking a close look at him, I found no heat or swelling in his leg, so I picked up his foot. I found bright purple and red areas on the lateral bulb of his heel. He only wants to make contact with his toe and the ground.

We have a lot of shale in our soil (big chunks of it, looks like rocks), and the ground has been really hard and dry. I’m sure that’s what he bruised himself on. Does anyone know of any treatments? Should I wrap his foot with poultice? The poor little guy is very sore.[/QUOTE]

Yes! a few years ago, two foals went lame at exactly the same time, we suspect they had gone heel to heel and caught each other whilst playing, one came in on three legs and vet suggested immediate x-rays for suspected fracture, the other only slightly lame was advised bruised sole. To cut along story short $2000 of x-rays scans & hospital fees over a week he was sent home with a bruised sole!

In the interim the baby that was only slightly unsound remained as uncomfortable on box rest over the same period, vet recomended that we should perhaps have him xrayed too at the hospital - fractured pedal bone!! Box rest for six weeks with a polystirene pad taped onto sole and came 100% sound.