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  Discussion on Can't figure it out . . .
Author Message
New Member:
Cometcar

Posted on Sunday, Sep 7, 2003 - 10:15 am:

Having never had a horse with an abscess, I remain confused. My 7 yr. old Hannovarian came up severely lame overnight (OK at the walk, hopping off his left hind at the trot). Swelling above the fetlock, heat in the hoof.
Suspecting an abscess, I began the epsom salts/soaking routine and have continued over the past week.
The vet has seen him twice and finds nothing with the hoof testers. The swelling and heat have subsided but he is still lame. The farrier has also seen him twice and has found nothing but still suspects an abscess. (He says his foot has "that sweet abscess smell".)
He did have an injury about three months ago above his coronary band towards the back of his hoof. It was quite deep but he was never lame but had stall rest for about six weeks as we kept it bandaged and clean. It has healed quite nicely but I'm wondering if it could be the source of an infection. He went back to work (hunter/jumper) at the end of July and did very well.
Have I given you any clues as to the problem? I don't have a feel as to how long it might take for an abscess to surface. Thanks!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Sep 8, 2003 - 7:05 am:

Solar abscesses are rarely OK at the walk or even just standing. An abscess is very painful. The horse rests the foot whenever possible. Have they pulled this horses shoes to look under it? The time for an abscess to pop out and drain is variable from days to weeks.

We have seen completely healed injuries that had gone for years without causing problems that then develop infection: usually there was a foreign body present and ultrasound was required to find it. Has the foot, pastern, and fetlock area been radiographed? So this is certainly possible. If they continue to be able to not localize the problem I think you should consider referral in case the infection is in a structure that might be permanantly damaged like joints or tendon sheaths.
DrO
Member:
Cometcar

Posted on Monday, Sep 8, 2003 - 10:09 am:

Thanks for your speedy response! Radiographs were taken of the foot, pastern and fetlock and were sent to Michigan State. I'm hoping they'll be read today. I'm also mailing photos of the old injury which continues to heal. The hoof has a large crack (all the way through) which is now growing out. In the meantime I plan to continue the soaking routine.
I'll let you know what I hear from MSU. Thanks again!
Member:
Ryan

Posted on Thursday, Sep 11, 2003 - 12:40 am:

DrO, as far as soaking. What is your opinion? I hear a lot of vets suggest this, but really, soaking doesn't bring out the abscess, it is movement that brings it out. The abscess, after it has broke through, then should be soaked in either apple cider vinegar or something of the sort to kill harmful bacteria. The abcess is good in that it removes the foreign bodies that are harmful. What is not good is when the abcess remains and does not come out. So movement is extremely important I would think.
I don't see any reason for soaking in salts, quite drying to the hoof. We do not want to destroy moisture balance.
Just wondering what your thought is on this.
Melissa
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Thursday, Sep 11, 2003 - 3:53 am:

Melissa, have you ever had a boil (abscess) yourself?

The idea behind soaking is to soften the area around the abscess so it can bust out faster (and preferably bust out at the bottom, not travel up the foot and out towards the top of the hoof where the resulting hoof deformity will take longer to grow out).

In Ireland lots of people use bran or bread hot poultices (made with hot water) to soften the abscess area, changed two or three times a day.

My vet recommends epsom salts with glycerine melted in a saucepan (the heat is important) and all I can say is, it works... a lot better than the abscess quietly creeping around the foot causing long term problems.

Also from a welfare point of view, relieving the extreme pain which abscesses can cause as soon as possible is important, I think.

All the best

Imogen
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Thursday, Sep 11, 2003 - 3:55 am:

Oops, sorry I forgot to make it clear that the bread/bran poultice is before the abscess busts, the epsom salts and glycerine is used after it busts or after it is pared out by a farrier or vet to help the abscess to drain without blocking/reinfecting.

Imogen
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Sep 11, 2003 - 6:32 am:

An abscess is not going to pop through the horn whether soaked or poulticed or not: it must work its way to the coronet to pop out. Soaking or pouticing may hasten the abscess popping our once it reaches the coronet by softening the skin.

However if there is a defect in the horn through which medication can be soaked into the abscess, this may help.

The bottom line is that for the comfort of the horse and to minimize damage every attempt needs to be make to pare out a whole in the horn to drain the abscess ASAP.
DrO
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Friday, Sep 12, 2003 - 3:09 am:

But the poulticing helps to localise the abscess if it's not immediately obvious (which was the original question on this post) so that it's easier to find where to make the hole...

and I have to be a small bit political here, Dr O... the general opinion here is that you get the farrier to do the lancing unless there are complications because they generally make smaller holes than vets which means it takes less time for the horses to come sound.

Vets tend to make bigger holes to be absolutely sure of the drainage and this means more sensitive tissue exposed and longer time off work.

Like I said, just a generalisation, but something of a general belief here and certainly my personal experience would support using the farrier for what we call "DrOps", with the vet as second line if the farrier's treatment isn't successful.

All the best

Imogen
Member:
Cometcar

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2003 - 10:09 am:

Hello again . . . I suppose this thread should be moved out of the abscess discussion. I spent the day at Michigan State University with my horse which I originally suspected had an abscess (acute lameness came on suddenly three weeks ago.) The farrier has seen him three times, we've soaked, etc.
Following the standard lameness test and blocking, the doctors feel it may be a hock issue as they detected lameness on the opposite hind following the block. (Seven yr. old Hanovarian). Today they will x-ray and bone scan. Wouldn't it be possible to see some lameness on the opposite side due to compensation?
What doesn't make sense to me is that the lameness came on very suddenly. I'm wondering if cast himself in his stall and caused injury vs. DJD of some sort. After reading some of the lameness articles, I don't want to jump to any conclusions based on reading the radiographs and bone scan info nor do I want to inject the hocks unless absolutely necessary.
My trainer suspects a popped splint and I'm so confused my hair hurts! Any thoughts?
Thanks for this great site and source of always available information!
Carol
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2003 - 5:20 pm:

The problem is clear: you are attempting to diagnose before localizing. History and clinical appearance can be helpful but there are so many exceptions to any rule as to be only a very general guide. Relax and let's wait until all the information is in, then we will know how sure the diagnosis is.
DrO
Member:
Cometcar

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 7:41 pm:

I'm back from MSU and have a clear-cut answer! Following the lameness exam, we decided to do x-rays of the hocks and a bone scan of both hind legs and found that he fractured his tuber coxae. His prognosis is very good following 90 days of stall rest and bute. By the way, his hocks looked good, which I was very happy to hear.
The doctor also told me that if we had come in any earlier, the scan may not have picked up the injury. I guess timing--and patience--is everything. We're now home safe and sound and wondering if anyone has used those "anti-cast" strips you put on stall walls to help horses that get cast.
Thanks again! I appreciate all the support.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Sep 25, 2003 - 6:16 am:

I am glad things look so good Carol. I have seen the strips in catalogs but do not have any personal experience with it.
DrO
New Member:
Annarose

Posted on Thursday, Dec 25, 2003 - 10:36 pm:

I'm so glad you were able to find the problem. How is the recovery going? Did Michigan State give you a scale or level of the fracture to measure/compare too? Was the fracture discovered during the bone scan of the leg or the back? I'm thinking of having a scan done on my horse and trying to decide what type to start with. We just returned from State with complete blocking of leg (toe to hip) with no results. Next step is to scan. Do you have to go back and have your horse scanned again? Are you giving any supplements or medication other then Bute? How much Bute? Are we allowed to ask what Vets you were using during your treatment at MSU?
Thanks!
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