Glad you guys found the culprit and your horse is on the way to healing.
If you deal with this again, (I hope you don’t!) I seriously think Animalintex pads are the best thing ever in drawing out abscesses. I’ve had some nasty ones that invariably ended up being a combination of thin soles and trim caused and those pads work serious magic. If I pack and wrap with one and turn them out, they blow within 2 days, usually on the end of the first day.
I do the Animalintex pads and throw in a handwarmer for good measure to keep things cooking.
My poor horse had a bad abscess about a year ago right after I had moved him to a retirement farm. He was hopping around on 3 legs for 5 days. Had the vet out twice just to ease the barn owner’s mind that we were doing everything we could. We did bute and animalintex and sugardine poultice wraps. Over 3 more weeks, he had a few days where he’d seem to be sore and I’d stuff some poultice in the crack for a day or two to keep it draining.
He blew out an almost 3 inch abscess at the cornet band. Every other abscess this horse had was a “quiet” abscess where he was maybe a little off and then a few days later there would be a small slit in the cornet band.
We didn’t even notice it until it blew. I took her for a walk the day before and all I remember is that she stumbled occasionally.
Doc put her on wet Animalintex pad at the first appointment last Thursday with instructions for daily changes. They don’t recommend soaking anymore because of the idea that standing in dirty water doesn’t help. I was getting mental about her standing on 3 legs Thurs-Monday. Seriously, not even toe touching.
Anyway, she’s thick soled- this abscess was on my 12.2 driving donkey- that it took a second appt and a little more aggressive digging to daylight the abscess. Animalintex pads and wrapping until specific benchmarks are met. Today she is starting to use the leg a bit. 
I am officially jealous! With two in depth vet appointments for this abscess I’ve spent a big chunk of change. 
Doesn’t compare to some of these stories, but my gelding had an annoying abscess in December. Saved my money, banked my vacation time, and took two of my horses to WEC Ohio in December. Gelding was reserve champion in the 3’3" A/Os, winning the Classic. Plan was to move up to the 3’6" the second week, as well as the Jr/Am Derby.
On the Wednesday of the second week gelding was lunged in the morning and was perfectly sound. In the evening I tell my mom that she can have a mini lesson on gelding while I ride our young mare. She picks up the trot and he’s clearly sore on the left front. Crap, he’s supposed to Derby on Friday. He has thin soles, so was in pour in pads. Was due to have his feet done anyway, so we pull the shoes off. Farrier trims but can’t find abscess, the whole foot is reactive to hoof testers. He’s now nearly three legged lame. So I wrap and make an appt with Holly the show vet for the next morning. Easy peasy, she puts the hoof testers on and “Pop!” black pus and immediate relief for gelding. Took advantage of him not having shoes on to get x-rays, looked good other than the thin soles.
Unfortunately he wasn’t sound enough to show that weekend.
Ugh, so sorry!
Probably not the abscess from hell but a bummer, nevertheless.
I noticed my mare was off when I got to the barn. Just a bit of swelling in her left hind fetlock. She was not anywhere near 3 legged. I watched it for about 3 days with no real change. I was crippled too. I was non weight bearing following foot surgery so I had to find someone to haul us which I did. Vet watched her, used the hoof testers (which I thought she was pretty pissy about) but the vet dismissed that. He x-rayed. And came to the conclusion that she sprained her fetlock. Abscess was in the back of my mind but I took her home, gave her bute for 3 days and she was better and felt I didn’t need to limp out to the barn the next day so I didn’t.
When I showed up on Saturday 
. She was touch weight bearing only and her leg was swollen…massively swollen from her foot to above her hock. My friend got her in the barn and we soaked her lower leg in cold water. I got ahold of the barn owner to see if I could get a stall for her thinking she blew a tendon or suspensory. When I got her out of the water and was palpating to try and pin it down, I got to her lateral heel and despite 20 minutes in cold water, it was steaming hot. I called the BO back and said nevermind.
I hate when they hurt that much but I put her back and no more bute.
We looked pathetic…both of us really lame. I came out Sunday and she was walking much better. Picked up her foot and she had a wonderful big hole at the coronet band at the lateral heel. My friend helped me that day to soak and wrap but after that, every one was at work when I could get out there and I just could not wrangle her to get her soaked or wrapped anymore on one foot. Luckily, we were having an odd dry March and the ground was dry so she was sent out to heal via benign neglect…which it did.
Abscesses just suck 
.
Susan
Again, pea green with envy at your mare’s resolution, what a good girl!!! Hope both of you are all mended now.
Had a strange experience back in March. I did have a brief post about it, mare had cellulitis. Anyway, at first vet visit we found nada in regards to a hoof issue. Elevated SAA and put on SMZ’s. 10 days into that the other hind leg swells up. Back to the vet we go. SAA is way up now, the SMZ’s are not touching whatever the culprit is. This time, she stays at the vet clinic for IV abx. Takes an entire 7 days to get back to normal. 2 weeks later I’m picking her LH out (the original culprit) and guess what I find? A big ol’ blown out abscess hole.
Go figure.
Spoke too soon, mare’s abscess is back. Open and draining and it is not tender or making her lame.
Oh gosh, that is awful. I’m so sorry. 
This is good outcome considering it came back. Hope she continues to do well.
It’s just really weird. Farrier is coming this week or next so we’ll see what he thinks.
And… nope. The old abscess is healed; she has a new one in the same spot on the other front hoof.
Oh dang, I totally misunderstood. Good luck!
Actually the BO was sending me the message late at night, and forgot to tell me it was the other hoof.
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