If a horse with abscess goes sound....

[jaimebaker]

But you can't find a drain hole, does that mean the abscess has blown but you just might not see it? I've been soaking and poulticing a mare for a week. When I remove the poultice, the only thing I can see is that in the groove right next to the frog, it is moist and somewhat sticky (and stinky). But it's also got mud in with it generally, so I can't really see a 'color' to it. But it's been consistently 'wet' in the same spot upon removal of the poultice, for about 3 days. And the mare is completely sound today.

She did have a tender spot on her sole, and as of today she's not acting tender in that area any more (she would flinch just with thumb pressure on that spot). So, I'm *assuming* it's blown, but I don't want to start doing sugardine protocol to get it to heal if I can't really verify it's blown. I figure, tomorrow will be the 8th day of soaking, I'll do poultice in the AM and Ichthammol in the PM (I'll be out of poultice) and then on Monday start doing sugardine if she's still completely sound on it.

So, if you've had a horse that was 3 legged lame from an abscess, that goes 100% sound, does that mean the abscess has blown, even if you can't find the spot? If it's blown somewhere in that groove, I doubt I'd be able to see it anyway.

[SFrost]

Have you looked really closely around the hairline? Sometimes they are small holes there and are difficult to see. I would think that you would be able to see the hole in the groove after you soak it and the hoof is clean. Then again, maybe it is very small.

In my experience if there is no hole, the abscess is still there. It is just traveling up the hoof to the band or it has re absorbed into the hoof. (Per my farrier.) In the latter, I have always had the abscess blow several weeks later. The horse would be sound for those weeks and then come up lame again.

[jaimebaker]

Have you looked really closely around the hairline? Sometimes they are small holes there and are difficult to see. I would think that you would be able to see the hole in the groove after you soak it and the hoof is clean. Then again, maybe it is very small.

In my experience if there is no hole, the abscess is still there. It is just traveling up the hoof to the band or it has re absorbed into the hoof. (Per my farrier.) In the latter, I have always had the abscess blow several weeks later. The horse would be sound for those weeks and then come up lame again.

Yeah, I've checked the coronet band thoroughly, check it every time I soak. Can't see anything. But, with that one area staying moist and sticky in the groove, I'm really thinking that might be where the blow is, but I can't see it because of it being in the groove. And that started 4 days after I began soaking and wrapping.

[Dalemma]

So, if you've had a horse that was 3 legged lame from an abscess, that goes 100% sound, does that mean the abscess has blown, even if you can't find the spot? If it's blown somewhere in that groove, I doubt I'd be able to see it anyway.

I would assume that.........but just because she is sound does not necessarily mean that the foreign object has been expelled...........my horse abcessed every 3 t 4 months .......I saw where it blew 3 out of the 4 times.......but on the fourth time she did not go sound.........so we had the vet out drilled a hole in the bottom of her foot and 24 hours later she was sound and has been ever since ...its been about a month.

Dalemma

[caballus]

Pain from an abscess isn't from the bacteria of the abscess but from the pressure that builds up in the impermeable hoof capsule. Just as if you got an abscess in your toenail, the pain is excruciating until the abcess bursts or the Dr. drills a hole to relieve the pressure. Same thing with a toothache. The hoof capsule doesn't 'give' to pressure inside ... so the abscess continues to grow putting pressure on the nerves in the foot. Once it 'blows', the pressure is relieved, the pain is gone.

That being said, its important to keep the horse moving as much as possible so the abscessed area will get the oxygen/nutrient rich blood to the area that will heal it. More blood to the area means faster new growth of cells. :) I'd keep the area clean and covered that is suspect until you see no further 'wet spots' on the frog/in the crevices.

I've treated many horses who have not indicated any symptoms of abscess until they 'blow' through the sole and a hole/scar is evident. Same with small abscesses that blow through the coronary.

Being the horse's survival mechanism, the hooves heal very rapidly when given the correct parameters to do so.

[jaimebaker]

I figured if I'd post this, that I'd find the sucker. And I think I did. Grayish black spot/line right at the white line that's oozing. After I soaked her foot this afternoon, I dried it off and noticed an area (next to the once tender spot on the sole) that remained wet looking. If I ran my finger over it, it stayed wet so I'm hoping/thinking that's my spot. I'm going to keep an eye on it and make sure before I begin my sugardine packing.

Thanks for the input everyone!