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  Discussion on Gas pocket
Author Message
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 1:24 pm:

Hi Dr.O. My 17 yr. old gelding came up very lame on tues. Had vet out, he pulled shoe and diagnosed a abscess. He dug at a black spot in the toe, but couldn't get it to drain. He went quite deep.

I have been soaking and poulticing since then, but nothing, he has gotten almost immobile, so had vet out again. His coronary band and fetlock are quite swollen and sore so we figure it's going to pop at the coronary band.

The vet did x-rays also, which show a gas pocket to the point of p3 with a grape size mass. I am going to view the x-rays this afternoon and "discuss" it with the vet.

How would you proceed with this? I will try to get pics of x-rays when I'm there. The vet said there is no rotation, which I find hard to believe. I am fairly certain this horse foundered before. He has a stretched whiteline, which the vet attributed to poor trimming. That I can believe, as you may remember from my horse Hank. Thanks
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 6:27 pm:

well I saw the x-rays and he does have 2 degree rotation, which we are not sure is true rotation as the farrier has his heels too tall.

There was a shadow right below the tip of p3, that the vet felt was the abscess. His coffin bone looked good. So truly I guess gas pocket is the wrong heading. We could tell he was very close to it with his last attempt to "pop" it. So back out he came, hoof tested and that is exactly where the horse goes thru the roof. The vet dug some more and got some blood and a little pus, so it has started draining, he felt he shouldn't couldn't go any deeper.

So I soaked, polticed,and wrapped again. The horses improvement is not remarkable, really hardly any. The vet said he will be much better by Monday to keep soaking and polticing to keep it draining. I do have alot of faith in this vet as he is the best equine vet I've had. Is this just a case of a sub-solar abscess? I do worry about the coffin bone getting infected, since it is so close to it. What do you think Dr.O. Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 26, 2006 - 12:39 pm:

When he dug it out did he get blood instead of puss Diane or did he quit before he got either?
DrO
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Saturday, Aug 26, 2006 - 5:13 pm:

Dr.O. he got a little blood and a little old puss. So a small drainage tract was started. The horse is about 50% better today. When I unwrapped his hoof and soaked it I didn't see any drainage, however the pulse, swelling in the fetlock, and heat has dissipated some. Hopefully he got it started enuff. The vet guaranteed me he would be almost sound by Monday. So we shall see, I hope he is right. I can't stand it when they are laying down moaning in pain. Thanks
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Sunday, Aug 27, 2006 - 8:09 am:

Dr.O The horse is no better today, he still can walk with quite a limp. The thing that I wonder about is the vet said it was old puss. It was kinda dried and brownish yellow. Does that indicate anything? I have read your abscess article and am following it. The blood that came out was fresh. There wasn't much. Should I be concerned about a coffin bone infection? Would antibiotics be indicated in this case? Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - 7:47 am:

I am really not sure what he meant by old puss and your description does not help me much, except it does not sound much like puss. Because I cannot examine your horse I cannot make those decisions. Coffin bone infections are uncommon and usually cause distinctive radiographic changes. However, this and the question about antibiotics should be questions for your veterinarian. To read more about such infections see, Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Pedal Osteitis.
DrO
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - 8:05 am:

Dr.O. he is improving a little bit every day, yesterday when I unwrapped his hoof there was some drainage on the bandage. If walking on very soft ground he looks pretty good. On hard ground, he has a pretty good limp. His coffin bone on the x-rays looked good. The horse (Sam) had quite a hole pared out to reach this abscess, I can imagine that would cause pain in itself, am I correct in assuming this? Bute seems to help at this point, where it didn't before the abscess started draining. Is it possible I am just seeing pain from the hole in his sole? Would being almost sound on soft ground indicate that? Before the abscess started draining soft ground made absolutely no difference. Thanks
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 7:12 am:

Dr.O. Sam is regressing and going back to laying down alot, when he is up he isn't weightbearing much again. I will call the vet again today. Do you have any suggestions? Is it possible it still is going to pop out the coronary band? There was no drainage yesterday when we soaked. Thanks
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 6:15 pm:

well the vet said to give it to the end of the week, cuz' he really don't want to take any more sole off. Today there was a little drainage again. So he's walking better again. What do you think Dr.O. wait and see. Am I just trying to rush an abscess too much. It is deep seated. Patience isn't one of my better virtues, when the horse is in pain.
Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 30, 2006 - 7:48 am:

I disagree with the veterinarian. With a horse in so much pain that he is laying down because of it, I would want to reexamine the foot. If I still felt an abscess present, try to relieve it. If I was uncertain about the cause I would localize and if needed for diagnosis radiography.
DrO
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006 - 9:31 am:

Hi, Dr.O. this gelding finally came sound on his left front. Now he is dead lame on rt. front. Vet was here for calves shots so I had him take a look at him. He now has an abscess in his other hoof. Vet dug and dug again, got nothing. Same as first one so I am going to soak and poultice. I had the new farrier trim him and he did do a very good job. My vet said until his stretched whiteline tightens These abscesses will keep happening.

It has been very rainy here which is not helping anything. Is it your opinion also, that poor trimming before switching farriers will cause this abscess hell I have been living thru with all my horses? Will it finally resolve when their feet get normal? I wish I had switched farriers long ago. Thanks
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006 - 3:40 pm:

I hope things get better, Diane. Sounds like you have had a heck of a summer with this..wishing you the best..
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006 - 4:49 pm:

Thanks Patricia, actually it's been 2 summers.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - 6:58 am:

Definitely poor trimming will increase the chance of an abscesses and yes proper trimming will gradually make the soles more solid. What I don't understand is why these abscesses have to wait to pop out on their own?
DrO
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - 7:32 am:

Dr.O. the vet hoof tested, and found the spot, but there was no defect at the whiteline. He dug quite deeply where the horse hoof tested sore. He found no track, unlike the left front. The coronet band is soft and tender so he felt it must be close to coming out the top. I soaked, poulticed and wrapped yesterday morning and by afternoon, he was moving better. Hopefully when I unwrap it today it will have came out the coronet band. These have been very deep seated abscesses. I don't think he could have dug more at the sole, without x-rays as with the last one he believes he was getting close to the coffin bone. I hope getting a new farrier helps this, I have had horses for 30 yrs. and these last 2 yrs. are the only time I have had to deal with abscesses. Thanks
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - 2:44 pm:

I've never dealt with abscesses, knock on wood. But they dig into the horses hoof or sole? Doesn't that alone make a horse lame? Just thinking about it makes me cringe!
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 - 7:29 pm:

Patricia, you are very lucky, seems everyone has one sooner or later. Yes they dig into the sole, usually starting at the whiteline (there is usually a defect there). It normally presents as a black spot and is sometimes wet. It makes me cringe when they dig deep, as you said it has to hurt. If the vet manages to reach the abscess, the horse has immediate relief. My vet just couldn't tap this one. I unwrapped today and no drainage anywhere. He is not as sore with this one, he at least stays mobile with the herd. Last one he was laying down in pain, hopefully this one doesn't progress to that.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Sep 22, 2006 - 7:04 am:

To read about the procedure Patricia, see the article on hoof abscesses.
DrO
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 26, 2006 - 1:54 pm:

The vet digs it, right? I couldn't do it..
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