My first hoof abscess...

[sarhound]

Well, my Belgian boy pulled up lame on Thursday evening. He's too big to fit into my trailer, and my local vet doesn't want to work on a draft horse without stocks. I finally found a mobile vet willing to come out to take a look at him on Friday.

Poor baby had the start of a hoof abscess. I like this vet; he did an excellent job with Prince, and he was raised with Belgians, so he's not afraid to work on draft horses. He told me he didn't have a boot big enough to soak his foot in Epsom salts after he drained the abscess, so I learned about the "Redneck Soaking Boot." He told me to use an inner tube and duct tape. I knew you could fix anything with duct tape, but this was a new application for me...I've never had any of my horses have an abscess before today.

Prince is still limping, but he looks better. He did go thru some sweats, but the vet told me once he did that, he'd probably feel OK. Here's hoping my boy gets back on his feet soon...

[WashingtonBay]

Aw geeze. Sorry for the big guy. Sore feet are even worse when you weigh a ton, I'm sure.

Do you have any pictures of how to make the boot from an innertube? Sounds like a good thing to have in any toolbag. :)

[westmanfarrier]

I have done the same thing for a belgian with an abscess with the inner tube.

We actually ended up making a protection boot out of a section of tire tread, some inner tube, and I believe a rivet gun. It's been a while.

[westmanfarrier]

I am not sure how adamant about soaking your vet is, but I no longer suggest soaking if the abscess is draining. There is a school of thought that the negatives outweigh the positives of soaking.

I use a poultice and wrap.

[sarhound]

I'm glad to hear about not necessarily soaking him; I'm having problems, since I only have one good hand after my ER visit on Sunday. My hand is infecting from the horse bite I got from Charlie, so I'm having a hard time getting around right now.

Prince looks like he's walking a little better today. There wasn't a huge pocket of crud that was drained--the vet said it was an early abscess. I have been flushing the drainage hole with hydrogen peroxide. He's not holding his leg up to me any more, so he seems to be in less pain.

We're quite a sight together--him limping from an abscess, me limping from injuries, and my right hand inoperative...we look like the Spirit of '76;)

[vicklynn]

Awww, sorry you both are gimpy((HUGS))
Caution on Hydrogen Peroxide, and I love the stuff, it kills skin cells also, so using it can cause healing issues.
Flush with iodine/water mix. Id try what westmanfarrier said if you are going to wrap it.
Although I have never delt with an abscess, I have delt with a horse lamed up, due to 3 hot nails in a hoof, I did boot, pad, and medicate the hoof.
Prayers for your horses healing.

[CircleR]

Oh, I hope the big boy starts feeling better soon!!

[HoustonFarrier]

Large (used) IV bags work real well for soaking too.......better IMHO than an innertube.

Steve

[vicklynn]

Now thats a good idea Steve. Running to hospital to grab some off patients IV racks...LOL
Probley not the right way to get them..lol

[luvs2ride1979]

Poor baby! I hope he recovers well. I always soaked mine in a big feed bucket of hot water with epsom salts. You do need to train them to stand in a bucket first though, lol. I tried once without having worked on it before and it was an interesting experience :eek:.

We always have plenty of feed buckets around ;). Just scrub and wash them thoroughly first. I always swish a little bleach in it. Works like a charm!

[menagerie]

My 1 1/2 year old filly recently had an abcess, my first to deal with too! Our vet said soak twice daily but I took westmanfarriers suggestion about the sugardine poultice and she was doing outstanding within a day or two. I don't believe that she would have been in such good shape if I had continued the soaking. It didn't seem to be drawing all the yucky stuff out plus it stayed soggy looking and even not knowing what I was doing that didn't seem to healthy to me.

Hope your baby is doing great soon!

[westmanfarrier]

Steve, what the heck size IV bags do you use for the drafts? I use a 5 liter for saddle horses. I have a big supply of them, they work great when you must soak.

[sarhound]

Hmm, I haven't heard of a sugardyne poultice--what is it? Sugar and betadyne mixed until goopy?

I'm willing to slog my way thru anything. It might even help draw the infection from my index finger while I'm working on the big boy...

[fire1]

I was told not to soak afterward cause it can make them sore, cause the epsome salt goes up into the open wound and cause some discomfort. I have found this to be sorta true, everytime my horses popped there abcess the night before and I soaked him after he was unhappy. So I would make a duct tape bootie with some poulitce for a couple of days to keep it clean and draining. Duct tape bootie is a diaper, in your case a big one! Then put the poultice on the bottom of the hoof, then diaper, then wrap with vet wrap very securly. Then cover in duct tape, paying special atention to the bottom so they do not wear through as fast! Good luck!

[westmanfarrier]

Epsom salt doesn't make them sore. Wet, soft feet do not provide much in the way of protection.