Hoof abscess repeats

[horsegalriding]

In April of last year my horse developed an abscess - LH - at the toe. Vet pulled the shoe, and it started dripping. He cleaned out the channel, we soaked and poulticed, and he said we could put the shoe back on in a couple weeks. About 4-5 months later, last fall, same abscess. We did the same routine. About a week ago - same damn abscess! Since I have never dealt with an abscess until last spring, I figured I'd better go to the REAL experts here.

So - COTHers, what should I do? Pour-in pads, or what? I hate to even say it, but he's already missing a show next week. I put an Easy boot on this a.m., so I could hand graze.

Please share your wisdom.

[merrygoround]

I realize I'm treading on thin ice when I ask this.

But is it possible that he is being left too long in the hind foot, allowing him to catch that toe, despite the shoes, leading to a wall separation?

[Patty Stiller]

A foreign body in the foot or a sequestered piece of dead bone from an old small solar margin fracture can cause repeated abscesses in the same place.
Now I am not saying that is what is causing the sole abscess in your horse, but I have actually seen several cases just like that over the years from those causes.A small solar margin fracture will not necessarily make the horse lame but if the bit of bone dies, it will try to slough out through repeated abscess and needs to be taken out.
Objects like a bit of wood or glass will not show up on X-ray but a little bit of dead bone at the edge of the coffin bone would.
I would ask the vet if he or she thinks it might be worthwhile to take a couple Xrays of the foot just to look. Also it would give you an idea of how thick or thin your horse's soles are and if there is any pedal osteitis. If the soles are thin or the horse has pedal osteitis (or both) then the abscesses could be from sole bruising and something different in your shoeing may be needed.

[PRS]

My horse developed an abcess at the toe several months ago too. He developed it on his LF which is a clubbed foot. My vet said the the toe is a common place for clubbed feet to develop abcesses because the horse usually lands on a clubbed foot toe first. Is it possible that your horses way of going is that he lands toe first? I don't know what you could do about it but that might give some insight as to why he is getting repetitive abcesses.

Another possibility is that there is an unresolved crack or wall separation in the hoof that is allowing bacteria to enter causing the abcesses.

While we were treating the abcess I was able to turn my horse out on dry days in his Old Mac's G2 hoof boots. He was stall bound while the ground was muddy though :(

Treating abcesses is not fun. Hope you get this resolved soon.

[xylia]

My horse had repeated abscesses due to a solar keratoma (small tumor under the sole) that looked like a spot of infected coffin bone on X-ray. This is pretty rare, though. He had it removed at a vet hospital and is now sound. The surgery wasn't horribly expensive at my vet hospital in VA (way less than colic surgery, for example).

It would be a good idea for your vet to take some X-rays if you're getting repeated abscesses to get a better idea of why they are recurring. If it's just a recurring abscess, no object in the hoof, no coffin bone sequestrum, I swear by Davis soaking boots for keeping hooves clean and medicated. After his surgery, my horse spent 3 months in 2 Davis boots while the hole in his sole grew out. It was the only thing that he couldn't/wouldn't pull off, even in turnout, and it didn't rub so long as it had a tiny bit of wiggle room (buy it pretty snug, so you have to wiggle it a little bit getting it on, but not so much that you need to break a sweat to get it on). Half of a maxi pad over hoof hole (buy them cheap @ Target), duct tape over that, Davis boot over that, replace in 24-48 hours when you get past the soaking several times a day stage.

[horsegalriding]

I forgot to say, the vet X-rayed the foot this time, and said he saw nothing involving the coffin bone, or anything else going on in there.

Please keep the responses coming.

[goeslikestink]

go here http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178116

loook link 7 by thomas 1

[Thomas_1]

Give this a good read:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4429564&highlight=chronic#post4429564

You might want to also go to Horseshoes.com and post there with more detailed case history and photos