My pony has seedy toe. I didn’t know what it was and was waiting for an abscess to present itself. Putting her on bute for 3 days, then taking it off her didn’t make any difference. It’s the left rear. My vet notched her hoof, told us to wrap it for 5 days, put her on bute and give her stall rest. My little wild child is being an absolute gem about the whole thing. The only thing the vet mentioned was that her hooves were a little short. They have always been that way. With shoes they get a little longer, but not much. We’re entirely on grass, and I’m not currently riding her, so she’s been barefoot for a year (and most of her life). Is there something I should look for in the future??? It was painful watching her walk. Thanks in advance!
What do you and the vet mean by shirt? Can you post pictures?
Are the feet just small from coronet to sole? Are the soles flat? Does she wear her toes down? Not grow a good foot? How is she trimmed, and by whom?
Typically horses on grass don’t wear their feet down like horses on gravel.
If she isn’t growing a good foot she may not be getting all the vitamins and Minerals and protein she needs to be healthy.
Also of course look into her trims.
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@Scribbler She’s trimmed every 6 weeks by a farrier. She was on a gravel lot on non-pasture days before when we boarded at a public stable and her feet wore a little uneven then. When I was working her, I had her shod to keep her feet even. Normally they’re pretty good, just a little short. She’s 20 and this is the first time we’ve had any problems with her feet. The vet and I check her food once a year at least. She has Cushings, so we try to be careful. She’s fed a senior feed and an equalizer, so her weight is good plus good quality hay. We’ve had horses for 25 years and we’ve never had a seedy toe before, just 2-3 abscesses. Don’t really know if this is common. Our ground is a little on the wet side with all this rain and I don’t know if this is contributing. Thanks!
All the rain has many people’s horses feet in Florida doing crazy things. Abscesses galore. Wet can cause a number of issues in their feet.
A friend’s horse just completed his seedy toe “recovery.” He was never lame and had it in both front feet. If your horse is lame, I’m assuming you have quite a severe case. Did your vet tell you to treat it daily when the wrapping is done? I use Coppertox daily until it’s gone.
To watch out for in the future - soft soles (need to apply turpentine) with a bunch of rain, splits/cracks in the toes - treat with Coppertox to prevent infection.
@mmeqcenter I appreciate the advice. We talked about the treatment plan and I’m using an Epsom salt poultice when wrapping, but nothing after the 5 days are up. I’ll use the turpentine and Coppertox after that, as applicable. Thanks!
