Poulticing after abscess - horse not cooperating

[RemarkableOwl21]

My horse had his first abscess over the past 10 days. After a week of me soaking, the vet opened it at the toe on Wednesday. I applied a new poultice and wrapped it Thursday and Friday as instructed. Today, horse was feeling much better. No longer lame. I soaked him again in Epsom salts and went to apply a new poultice and he absolutely refused to lift his leg. I don’t think it was a pain thing because he is moving quite well today and even bursting into trot here and there, feeling frisky (he’s been stalled). After 45 minutes of trying to get him to lift his leg, I gave up as we were both getting mad. He’s not normally stubborn about lifting his hooves.

My question is, how bad is it that I couldn’t poultice and wrap him? I’m worried about reinfection. I did not see any more drainage from the hole today. I’m also concerned because BO needs to put him back in his somewhat muddy field later today because she needs the stall for another injured horse.

Thank you in advance for any advice. This is the first abscess I’ve dealt with!

[OzarksRider]

Any chance that he’s sore on the opposite foot? Sometimes a horse won’t lift the foot opposite the sore one because that puts all the weight on the sore foot. Also, how did you manage to soak him if he refused to lift his leg?

As to your question–try again to apply a poultice until the opening the vet made can close. At least soak it, if he’ll let you, and squirt some betadine in the opening.

[Warmblood1]

To be honest, a lot of horses abscess, blow out and heal fine without treatment. It’s not ideal but it’s not the end of the world. If you’re able to try again and at least pack the hoof with something like Hoof Magic and wrap, that would be good. The packing will draw out fluid without having to soak if he’s totally opposed to soaking.

[RemarkableOwl21]

He could be sore on the other leg or hoof. I suppose it is possible another abscess could be brewing. Ugh.

I noticed yesterday he was getting less cooperative about lifting the hoof for soaking/wrapping. Today I baaareely managed to soak it, and then he just stopped cooperating altogether.

[Texarkana]

I would be more concerned about the hole the vet opened. Depending on how and where the vet opened and the size of the hole, it could be fine without further treatment or it could need to be kept clean and protected until it closes.

I had one vet who used to dig to China through the sole. I thought, “how does he not have complications doing this?” Then I met multiple horse owners in the area whose horses suffered coffin bone infections as a result of this vet opening abscesses in that manner.

[Willesdon]

Ask your vet

[2DogsFarm]

Caveat: this advice is probably 30yo
When my TB had an abcess-related, vet-dug hole, I was instructed to soak cotton balls in betadine & pack one into the hole.
They fit tight enough so they didn’t come out in turnout & kept the antiseptic in contact with the interior of the hole.
I’d pull out the used cotton with tweezers & insert a fresh one every couple days.

[ASB_Stars]

Not a fan of soaking. There’s some interesting information to show that it isn’t necessarily the best way to go. However, I like to do a moon boot with a diaper and Epsom salt and water in it just a few drops to get the Epsom salts a little damp and then Coflex or a vet wrap and duct tape on the outside. It’ll protect the hole that your vet installed in the horses foot, and continue to draw. I used to think that the clay poultice was The bomb but not for about 30 years. Protect the foot without risking damage.

[Larbear]

I’m also not a fan of soaking. I slather on icthammol, put a diaper on and secure with vet wrap and then put a crazy amount of duct tape on. After my last time soaking dodging a hind hoof and a Davis soak boot filled with nasty cold epsom salt water in February, I said no more!

[SolarFlare]

@2DogsFarm

Caveat: this advice is probably 30yo
When my TB had an abcess-related, vet-dug hole, I was instructed to soak cotton balls in betadine & pack one into the hole.
They fit tight enough so they didn’t come out in turnout & kept the antiseptic in contact with the interior of the hole.
I’d pull out the used cotton with tweezers & insert a fresh one every couple days.

I got the same advice from a vet within the last 10 years, so it’s still good! The hole I was packing was too small for a cotton ball, so I was told to cut a sliver of Animalintex and use that.

[chestnutmarebeware]

With abscesses I never soak. My farrier uses hoof testers and the laser thingy that registers the temp in a specific location to pinpoint the abcess, then opens it up to drain. Immmediate relief!

Then I wrap the hoof with a diaper and put it in a medicine boot (changing it daily for a few days), or make a duct tape surface that would hold up to walking on. I also give SMZs for 7 days just to be sure.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

@chestnutmarebeware

With abscesses I never soak. My farrier uses hoof testers and the laser thingy that registers the temp in a specific location to pinpoint the abcess, then opens it up to drain. Immmediate relief!

Then I wrap the hoof with a diaper and put it in a medicine boot (changing it daily for a few days), or make a duct tape surface that would hold up to walking on. I also give SMZs for 7 days just to be sure.

Oh I like this approach very much, makes me think having a medicine boot wouldn’t be a bad thing to have in a first aid kit.

[ASB_Stars]

@Bebe_Falcon1

Oh I like this approach very much, makes me think having a medicine boot wouldn’t be a bad thing to have in a first aid kit.

Having a hoof boot of any kind in the correct size is also useful. You can throw a piece of diaper in the bottom of the boot, with some epsom salts on it works great- the boot adds moisture on it’s own, but you get the protection. I use a pair of boots, because protecting the “good” foot helps out when the horse is using that foot more while they are sore on the abcess foot.

[cnd8]

I’m not a fan of soaking either. Moisture is somewhat part of the cause, so why would we add to it and weaken the entire hoof by soaking? I use Animalintex poultice pads, vet wrap, and duct tape on the bottom and re-wrap daily. I personally would keep wrapping with at least the vet wrap and duct tape until that hole closes in a bit. I don’t like them dug out, if possible, because of this need to keep it protected. A vet told me once that if I didnt keep it wrapped and clean until it closed in enough, stuff would just get right back in and start a new abscess. I don’t know if he was correct, but it scared me enough to keep it wrapped. lol

[RemarkableOwl21]

Horse continued to be a horrible patient, refusing to lift his leg for wrapping/cleaning. However, it seems like we may have dodged a bullet even though I could not keep the hole clean and wrapped. He is slowly becoming sound again. He is 100% sound without a rider, and just a tiny bit unsound at t/c under saddle.

The vet warned that the abscess might blow at the coronet in addition to at the toe where he dug out and indeed I do believe that happened last week.

I’m going to look into some protective boots for next time. Will gladly accept recommendations.

[ASB_Stars]

When they gravel out the top, they will present as three-legged lame prior, and generally, the thing will wall off, and they will get lame again until it completely clears.

For something that is coming out the top, you can take a wet diaper with epsom salts (again) and use Vetrap (or equal- I like coflex better) and create what my old horse trainer called a swab around their coronary band. You need to cut the diaper to fit, or select another absorbent material. You can put more water into the top of it with a syringe, as needed. Keeping the coronary band soft will allow you to help the gravel migrate and clear sooner.

I have a foundered rescue who is completely miserable about trying to do anything with his feet. He is actually dangerous, when forced. I have to give him a tube of Dorm gel and keep a lip chain on him for the blacksmith, and he’s been like this since before he foundered. My Vet keeps saying “you’d think that he’d figure it out!” Anyway, I’ve had to use everything that doesn’t involve soaking or picking the foot up to get him right. Amazingly, my Vet was out yesterday, and was shocked at how sound the bastard is!. He’s a doll if you aren’t messing with his feet…

Good luck!

[Dbliron]

I never soak abscesses, and haven’t in nearly 30 years. My farrier and I find them really fast, we can nearly always open them easily, and I poultice with Animalintex and duct tape and vet wrap, and put on a boot. I keep Delta boots in a couple of sizes on hand. I don’t usually need to poultice for more than 3 days, and then we can put the shoe back on and get back to work. Not everyone has access to a farrier like mine, but he’s my first call when I suspect an abscess, I’ve only had 2 in 30 years which required veterinary attention, and neither of those required soaking either. Animalintex is much easier to use than pastes and diapers!