Yeah, we normally don’t go digging around and it was just by accident that he cut into the very tip with his hoof knife while trimming. I think it must have originated fairly high up, but burst out of the sole. Who knows what it would’ve done if he hadn’t accidentally opened it, maybe the horse would have been sound sooner. :Lol:
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Oh yeah, forgot to mention that. Soakies every day, luckily he is a very good boy about that - I’ve had to deal with some nightmares in the past.
I’m glad to hear from others that they have had lameness persist beyond a blow out (or even pare out). Everything I’ve seen before had either been the farrier or me saying “hey it looks like there was an abscess here. But they were fine right?” or being lame but coming round quickly after a blow out (exception being the ones that trickle out the sole a little before really blowing at the coronet…so not quite the same as already having a huge hole through somewhere soft). However, I reiterate, I hope to all get out we don’t go in that 12 weeks category!
2dogs - I get the strong feeling somewhere down the line he will slough this frog. I sincerely hope it’s not more of the hoof…saw some pictures of that in my online research :dead:
And speaking of grossed out - I saw something about maggots come up on a search results, but wasn’t so drawn to click it, lol. If this lingers on, maybe I’ll get braver.
Also still grossed out by your story JB.
Geez I guess I have a bit of a weak stomach for this. I’m grossed out by his diapers too! If anyone is a pus aficianado, it’s actually not the black stuff like I’ve seen out the sole. More brownish, if that means anything.
Anyway, bottom line, is he actually looked really good again today. Maybe desperately posting on COTH is the miracle cure!
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Yes, if you need a reference, Lisa Post of Helping Hearts Horse rescue in NJ used maggots on her draft rescue Bentley.
He’s a big guy who will not soak… so she had to get out of the box a bit.
Discuss the possibility with your vet.
For me, the indicator was when I was OH-So-Carefully picking the hoof… and it bled from the sulcus & collateral grooves. not pouring blood, but seeping & enough for me to go “Uh-Oh” & call the vet.
This was after we believed the abcess had been treated & resolved.
The sole did not slough all at once & not the entire sole came off, half loosened and gradually fell away. Per vet’s advice I did nothing to speed this process. Just kept it clean & bandaged.
And as gory as his nekkid foot appeared, it did not seem to be overly painful to the horse. Kept covered & padded with gauze he got around just fine - including turnout in my fields.
I went through miles of duct tape securing the bandaging to that foot.
For your sake & your horse’s, I hope this abcess does not end up like mine.
