This is equal parts ranting and actually seeking opinions.
Two-ish weeks ago my horse pulled a front shoe. The farrier couldn’t make it until the next day, so I put his easy boot on him and turned him out. The boot was too snug (my bad) and gave him rubs on his heel, which became infected. We cleaned him up and kept him clean, plus gave a course of SMZs.
After a week he was sound and went back to work, while the heel was still healing. I rode him last Tuesday and he was ever so slightly off, I figured just ouchie from that rub being bothered by his bell boot. He worked fine WTC.
I rode him again last Thursday and he was more pronounced in his ouchieness, but still worked okay and I let him quit after about 15 minutes WTC. Put him in his stall to hang out while I cleaned my tack, came back 30ish minutes later and that leg was swollen again. He’s back on SMZs as of Thursday and the heel is being treated/wrapped but I’m frustrated.
I don’t understand the course of events of ride/get reinfected/swollen within an hour? Is something else going on that a week+ of treatment didn’t clobber the initial infection? Was this really a reinfection or a continuation of the first one?
This horse does seem to have a crappy immune system - he spent 10 days at the vet clinic and was healing a wound on a different leg for 3 months this summer. I tried an immune supplement last year but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Maybe I’m overreacting because he hasn’t been in full work since June and it’s just one thing after the next.
Any advice welcome!
It sounds like no vet has been out yet? I would get the vet out soon. Infections are nothing to mess with, especially if they seem to be persistent. You may have something else entirely going on and the infection is just a separate but poorly timed thing. Or you may have a more deep seeded (seated?) infection that needs more targeted antibiotics (or more aggressive treatments). IME swelling from an infection can happen, but typically doesn’t come up the leg until/ unless it’s a more serious thing (though all horses are different).
Thanks for your thoughts. You’re correct, vet has not been called because BM advice was SMZs + cleaning/wrapping/time off. This second round had me questioning whether the vet was needed, as you suggested.
to be very honest, your BM had no business “prescribing” the SMZs, and why did she/you have them laying around? Was a proper dose even used?
How was infection determined, and how was it decided that it “needed” antibiotics?
Heel injuries can be quite sore, since there’s a lot movement there. Even injuries that are healing but scabbing over can be a bit ouchy as movement makes the scabs pull a bit
Please call your vet
How old is he? Regular wounds that take too long to heal can be a symptom of PPID
Immune supplements - which one? Most of them are useless. A few of them to have actual potential, especially ones that contain bovine colostrum which is proving to be quite useful in a lot of situations.
Thanks for your reply. I am here to learn. That said, I am surprised at your comments on the BM deciding to administer SMZs for what appeared to be a routine type of injury. This has been the norm in all of the barns I have been at, so I didn’t realize that’s abnormal. I do not want to drag my BM.
The infection was “diagnosed” (not by a vet as I stated) because there was a new visible injury + new swelling + new soreness presenting at the same time in the same area. The heel first looked raw (day 1 when SMZs were started) then went through a goopy phase and then started to scab over/heal up in the same timeline as the swelling receded and soundness returned, about 5 days. I believe SMZs are dosed by weight.
Yes, I have SMZs lying around. My vet will prescribe for xyz injury and give me a bottle of 500 (not sure if that’s the exact number, but a big bottle) and then we can use for (seemingly) minor stuff like this without his involvement. I am hearing you that this is abnormal, but I just never thought it was before. Like I said I am learning. I appreciate you asking the question because I never asked it myself.
This horse is an 8 year old OTTB. I have not had him tested for PPID. I did a quick lookup of common PPID symptoms and he doesn’t have any that I saw. His top line currently looks under-muscled, but that’s because he’s been in inconsistent work for 3+ months. He looked really good prior to the June injury.
The supplement I tried was SmartPak’s SmartImmune, which was selected because a horse in the barn who does have confirmed Cushings has benefitted from it. Is there a product you recommend with the bovine colostrum?
Thank you again for your comments.
Unfortunately, what you’ve experienced is far, far too common, and part of why there are resistance issues, which lead to the June '23 mandate of a large number if “antibiotics of importance” being moved to Rx-only, things we used to be able to get OTC.
Anyone other than a DVM who is prescribing an antibiotic is doing so illegally. They aren’t DVMs, they don’t know what sort of bacteria is causing the (alleged) infection, aren’t qualified to determine if something needs an antibiotic, let alone what the most appropriate antibiotic is.
This doesn’t define an infection. There are many situations that this applies to, with no infection present
Raw doesn’t mean there’s infection. Goopy stuff can easily be serum that leaks of out of wounds that are healing, without any (significant) infection present
I’m glad you at least have the SMZs yourself and got them from your vet 
But, abx are not necessary for minor stuff. Using antibiotics for (seemingly) minor stuff on a regular basis, is unfortunately a too-common practice and has been for years and years, and is part of why there are current and growing resistance issues. Constantly throwing antibiotics for every cut and scrape, using antibiotic ointment for every little cut and scrape, is a bad practice
We don’t know what we don’t know
Ok, it’s unlikely PPID is an issue, but if recurring, or slow-healing wounds becomes a pattern, I’d test anyway
It doesn’t sound like he really needs an immune supplement. ImmuBiome has a line of supplements, some of which have potential, some of which use bovine colostrum. I’m pretty sure BlueBonnet/Stride has some as well.
Do you have pictures of all this?
Totally agree it doesn’t really sound like an infection. Is it hot? Is there puss (which is not clear fluid, that’s serum)? Does it smell bad? Does he have a fever?
If you’re not sure if something needs antibiotics, you gotta call the vet and not crowd source that advice from your barn owner or other non vet people (or a message board, although we can help with questions to ask your vet!)
I’m betting you’ve got an underlying abscess from bruising from the original injury. SMZs won’t do anything for that.
No, sorry, I don’t have any pictures. I can take some tomorrow when I go out and post them if there’s any interest in that. I don’t think that what I saw yesterday was pus, it was not yellow/white, it was more clear but honestly I wasn’t evaluating for that at the time so I didn’t pay specific attention to the color.
Yes, I hear you on needing the vet versus the internet. I learn so much on here, there is so much experience, that I wanted to see if anyone has been in a situation similar to this. I am learning a lot about what is best practice, what might not be an infection, etc. I know in general that antibiotic can be over prescribed and that leads to resistant strains, but I didn’t realize I was/am directly participating in that.
Thank you for your comments!
Thank you for your reply. I thought an abscess was a concentrated infection and antibiotics would help (if that was the case)? Granted that the correct specific antibiotic would be needed to have an impact. Are you saying SMZs in particular wouldn’t do anything in that case?
Hoof abscesses in general don’t respond to systemic oral antibiotics because they’re not vascularized well enough to get antibiotics into the abscess. It’s an issue even with abscesses in other parts of the body, too. Abscesses are walled off pockets of infection. The body keeps stuff OUT keeping the infection IN.
There’s a book out there called How to be your own veterinarian…sometimes that might be a good resource for you. There is certainly a lot that doesn’t need the vet, but does need care. Learning where that line sits is just part of horse ownership
You are doing an amazing job with your openness to learn - people IRL and here are sometimes pretty direct with their comments, but I find it so refreshing that you are taking it in without judgment or defensiveness.
I see Simkie responded. Yes, that’s what I meant.
I’d get the vet to take a look, personally.
Horses sure can make us humble, huh?!
I agree, call the Vet.
I wouldn’t have a bell boot on over an injury and wouldn’t until the area looks completely healed with good evidence of hair regrowth. It’s so easy to have a healing wound rubbed open by 20 minutes of trotting around and bell boot rubbing the area with each step
Thanks, that makes sense.
I realized I didn’t respond to two of your earlier questions. No, he hasn’t had a temp this whole time. Yes, it smelled bad (not godawful but it definitely had a smell).
I will be picking up that book you recommended. I love adding to my library
Yes, you’re right. This is a place I erred. The bell boot is off and has been since Thursday so I’m hoping that gives the wound a better chance to heal up.
