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Discussion on Abscess won't "pop"
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Member:
Belhaven
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 - 3:53 pm:
How long exactly can an abscess hover without popping?
What next if soaking and poulticing and wrapping just aren't drawing the darn thing out. Just wait? Ugh.
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Member:
Dartanyn
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 - 7:38 pm:
Same situation as you Leah, 3-legged lame for 3 days, started on bute and antibiotics; soaking and all the rest. Still not "popped" after 3 weeks. I'll wait for an response to your post since I'm swimming in the same waters!
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Member:
Onehorse
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 - 8:32 pm:
Leah/Dawn:
Assuming your assessment is correct and your horses are suffering from abcessess....
an aternative to soaking is have your ferrier come out and he can 'dig' the abcess out and open it for draining. After that is done, you still might have to soak the hoof and protect it to draw all the infection out.
Dawn, after three weeks of soaking and it not 'popping' it might not be an abcess your horse is suffering. That's a pretty long time for an abcess, but not unheard of ... I would seek a second opinion at this point.
Best of luck to you.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 - 8:27 am:
Rick's post above is excellent and all his points should be considered. I have seen abscesses that were allowed to cook for several weeks without popping. In Dawn's case the antibiotic may be slowing down the progress while not curing the problem.
Paring out the abscess is not so much an alternative as it is the only proper way to treat a abscess. Not only is this extremely painful to the horse, as Rick states above, but while you wait more tissue is damaged and undermined and if the horse is severely lame you risk causing a mechanical founder in the opposite leg. The article on abscesses (associated with this forum) has more on the proper treatment.
DrO
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Member:
Dartanyn
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 - 10:40 am:
Thank you very much for your resopnse Dr.O and Rick; Antibiotics weren't started by my vet until 4 days after he came up lame; the farrier came out, pulled shoes and tried to locate a hot spot - he pared a few areas thin, but could not locate anything so left the foot uncompromised overall. I was starting to think it wasn't an abcess although flying in the face of both my vet and farrier's assessment is not my style. This showed up suddenly after a completing sound trail ride on him that morning, and after placing him in the paddock which is flat (granted - rocky) with his two buddies. It was the only thing I could find in searching this site that matched his behavior. Sigh, mystery time....anyway, vet will come back out to reassess now that he is back from vacation. Was just hoping I was wrong, and 3 weeks was not highly unusual. Thank you again, and Sherri for starting the post! Dawn
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Member:
Dartanyn
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 - 10:41 am:
Oops, don't know why I said Sherri, I Meant Leah! Thank you! 
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Member:
Onehorse
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 - 6:56 pm:
Dawn,
Based on your last posting that your turn out area is 'rocky' and your farrier 'pared a few areas thin' perhaps your horse has bruised the sole of his foot which is why he remains lame. It could be that he's continually doing this at this time since the shoes are pulled.
I'm not sure what you can do at this point til your shoer/vet returns at this point, but perhaps putting the hoof in an 'easy boot' will protect it until further analysis can be completed.
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Member:
Dartanyn
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 - 9:39 pm:
Thank you Rick for your meditations. I have felt very similar on this, that possibly it is a nasty bruising that has occurred. I guess I just figured that a nasty bruising would mean an abcess anyway, so either way, he'd be heading there. Anyway, no easy boot, as I've confined him to a small completely soft footing (not mushy) paddock and stall area for the time being until the vet is back out. But, if I let him into the back area for a mind-break, I will bandage the foot up then in something that will pad and protect it like an easy boot. Thank you so much for your thoughts; the suddeness with no remarkable heat or swellings is so doggone puzzling. Dawn
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 - 9:52 am:
The lack of ability to find a sensitive area in the sole really should put a foot abscess way, way, way, down on any list of possible causes. Applying pressure with a hoof testor on the top of a solar abscess is very painful.
DrO
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 - 10:05 am:
You might try painting the sole of his foot with "hoof paint" or a sole hardener to see if that helps.
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Member:
Dartanyn
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 - 8:03 pm:
I appreciate your further comment Dr.O. I am going to apply the thinking for a bruising, and try to keep his environment and foot padded against aggravation and further damage until my vet returns from out of town. Your's and Rick's posts have had a calming effect, and I feel like I can take more of a mental approach to this, rather than too highly charged. Certainly hope that Leah's situation is resolving; very aggravating to have that "in the dark" feeling for very long. Sara, appreciate your thought. I have been "painting" his sole, but not with a toughener since it was thought it was a abcess - rather a drawing salve. Anyway, even stopped doing that for the time being in case I'm interferring with something (so hard when you just don't know). Keeping him comfortable and well-fed/watered. Will followup when I have anything more....thank you! Dawn
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