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Discussion on Abscess
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Member:
Shirl
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 1:57 am:
Dr. O and All,
I need your help/advice/thoughts. My mare, Sedona, that I've had since March has developed an abscess from all indications. She has a small quarter size "puffy" area on the medial side of R. front, just above the coronary band. Instructions were to soak this 3-5 days, and then wrap after each soaking with Furizone/E. Salts mixture. I did this for 5 days, she seemed to limp only when trotting, walk was normal. She never was 3 legged lame, just 'gimpy'. 48 hours after soak was discontinued, she again became more lame, limping slightly at the walk, so back to soaking using Icthamol as a drawing agent. Farrier was out for regular trim on Monday and he found the area described above warm to the touch, with a slightly stronger pulse. Could find no opening in hoof wall or sole - suggested to keep soaking and packing both the area above coronet as well as the sole area involved. I've completed my second day of that and once again she walks normally, is almost normal at the trot, yet nothing has drained. I will continue this another 2 days and if she returns to lame, I think it's time to call the vet and order x-rays. I'd have done this already but it seems the treatment for abscess is to soak, soak. Well, I'm about soaked out. Any advice or suggestions as to this strange slightly swollen area that doesn't even appear to be sore when touched or pressed, yet in using the hoof testers in the sole area up the hoof wall in the area she definitely was sore. Mean time I've been trying to cover both the sole area and the area above the coronary band when packing. Any advice will be appreciated. I've used Animalintex padding, or plain gauze to cover the dressings then vet wrap and duct tape. She is happy walking around, trots some, and is a happy camper. It's driving me nuts that there doesn't seem to be a solution, or am I too impatient?
Thanks to Dr. O and anyone who might help me.
Shirl
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 8:19 am:
The only thing that gives me pause is that usually hoof abscesses are more painful than you describe, unless their is a place the puss can drain, which your farrier says there is not. If I have a horse that has a lameness that localizes to the foot and there is a very sensitive area that can be localized with hoof testers I would pare it out as described at Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Hoof Abscesses, Bruises, and Gravels. 3 out of 4 times the problem resolves within a few days of paring. If I did not find an abscess with paring and it does not resolve quickly, I then radiograph.
DrO
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 8:48 am:
Poor Sedona . . . Poor Shirley  . . . I DO know that pain with abscesses sometimes comes and goes before the abscess drains. If it's gonna come out the coronet, it seems that you are doing all the right things, Shirley, but if it's spreading out inside the hoof then that would seem to make the pain less at times. Probably, with the bulge at the coronet, the vet/farrier just assumed it would pop without carving out the sole, but maybe you could suggest this to them. If it's been 9-10 days, it seems a longer than normal time for the abscess to resolve, at least with the abscesses I've seen over the years. Glad she is feeling perky though, Shirley . . . Maybe YOU should take a long soak, too  . Are you sure that there is no seepage from the coronet at all? Sometimes it's hard to tell when we keep the foot wet with soaking.
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Member:
Tinaw40
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 9:30 am:
Hi Shirley, I couldn't resist responding to this post. I take in rescues from time to time and had a rescue with an extremely bad abscess that took almost 4 weeks to drain. It appeared to be right along the coronet band and my farrier did pare out the hoof trying to get it to drain. But, it ended up moving and spreading into the hoof. The poor guy was miserable and so was I, my farrier and VET! He also went from lame to appearing a little better here and there. I was so tired of soaking, packing and wrapping and so was he that it wasn't funny so I feel your pain girl. When it finally did break, life was sooo good for both of us! 
Hang in there and take a few soaks yourself.
Tina
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 12:34 am:
For me, my luck was better with Sugardine, than Icthamol. Maybe, after soaking, check the frog carefully - press hard, and check the sulcus - see if there might be a fistula path that opened through the soft tissue area that is allowing some of the pressure to be relieved at various times.
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Member:
Shirl
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 1:21 am:
Lee,
Thanks for your input. I'm beginning to think something like that is happening. And tomorrow evening after soak, I will do as you suggest. She just isn't lame enough for a normal abscess, but then with me, nothing is ever normal. :o)
Holly, I've checked for any drainage, but haven't noticed any, but will follow Lee's advice and see if anything appears. She's just way to foxy and walks perfectly for this stuff to not be moving.
Thanks to both of you.
Shirl
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Member:
Shirl
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Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 5:51 pm:
Just an update on Sedona and her "what ever it is". I think you might be on to something Lee, as Wed. night after soaking the spot was quite puffy, and I thought, "aha we're making progress". After her hoof was dry about 30-45 minutes later when I went to wrap her, you could scarcely feel it! Enough! Called my vet yesterday and she said to stop soaking/wrapping and a ultra sound/x-ray is set for Tuesday. Last evening she was running around like a wild horse with no pain, yet no sign of draining regardless of the pressing on the frog or surrounding areas. I call her the Mystery Horse. Tonight if she's lame I'm to put her on Bute till this is resolved on Tues.
Thank for everyone's help.
Shirl
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