The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

GRAPHIC CONTENT - Horribly Split hoof_ Ideas/Advice welcome and appreciated

9K views 74 replies 25 participants last post by  Smilie 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
It was reacently brought to my attention that an older lady with

multiple health issues was having big problems with a horse and

getting treatment. I went out to see what was up when asked by a

mutual friend, and found a rear hoof split from toe to top. Obviously

infected and in need of care that she cannot do. For a week a drove up

and treated it once a day while I worked things out to treat it here.

Soaking in hot water, Iodine, and epsom salts. And then wrapping with

a mix of epsom salts and black drawing salve. Now I am soaking it

twice a day in a mixture of hot water, Iodine, epsom salts, and tea

tree oil. Then wrapping with the epsom salts and drawing salve. The

infection has gotten better, and we were able to cut away a lot of bad

hoof yesterday. Our next step is a broad spec antibiotic, and an x ray

next week. I am sending pictures. Any and all ideas are welcome.

Anything you think may help please get them to me. Farrier and vet

agree this started as an abcces. I am open to meds and herbal

treatements






 
See less See more
3
#2 ·
Holy cow that is one of the worst splits I've ever seen, poor horse.

The hoof is a total mess and has a whole laundry list of issues wrong with it. Those hooves show some serious rings, so the horse has been dealing with poor hoof care for a while. X-rays would really help and from the sheer amount of toe see in the photos, a big reason why this hoof is in such bad shape. Better advice when photographs of that hoof are posted.
 
#3 ·
I will be posting more photos tomorrow of the hoof after trimming. I don't have a full story but the other animals are in fine condition, their feet are well cared for. I'm not sure whats happened compleatly with this fellow. It looks better now but... well. Still awful. To my knowledge this keeps coming back, the lady gets it almost healed and pretty normal looking and it goes back to this. Again she is physically unable to care for this. He's with me currently to get treatment that he obviously has to have. I wasn't going to unwrap that foot just for photos tonight when I have to unwrap it tomorrow to soak and clean.
 
#4 ·
Need better pictures to get an accurate idea of heel and toe length,but from those pictures, I see a very tall , narrow contracted hoof, and perhaps a coronary band avulson , where that crack starts.
At any rate, need to map that foot and render a proper trim, progressively
 
#5 ·
It doesn't look a split to me, it looks disintegrated, from maybe seedy toe or whiteline disease. It's going to take more than herbal remedies to fix that, it needs to be cut away to almost no hoof and a farrier with special skills to make that horse comfortable, if possible.
 
#6 ·
Good morning all,

Waresbare I'm not looking for herbal remedies to heal the split itself, I have a farrier that is capable of fixing this if it can be fixed. My concern and what I'm looking for is any ideas to treat the infection itself which is why I posted what I was currently doing so anyone could suggest a different option. The hoof has since been cut back as much as possible to open it up and allow easier treatment as well as make him more comfortable. The x ray was suggested because the large animal vet we called out had concerns about some of the discharge coming from the wound being the result of dead or dieing bone. So now I'm calling all large or equine vets to find someone to take an x ray.
 
#8 ·
I will get bottom hoof ones during the next session, this boy is being so well behaved and is so sweet. I'm trying to do everything as quickly as possible, while also doing it compleatly alone. I could tell his attitude was starting to change and I don't want any discussions right now, he is obviously in pain and so far no matter what we do as offered no bad reaction. This is being soaked three times a day in Iodine, hot water, and epsom salts. Today I washed it with ivory soap to remove old meds and crusty drainage before soaking it. After which I diaper is applied with a paste mix of drawing salve, and epsom salts. A wrap is placed to keep it on, and help keep it clean. Duct tape is then applied to the bottom of the hoof to stop it from coming though. If he seems very sore a pad of thick cotton is applied under that, and also wrapped and duct taped in place. Haven't had to do that again since the first four days.
 
#13 ·
HF is misbehaving ladies.

Try clicking on the blank "block". That's what I did and darned if the pictures didn't open up.

That looks a like a major case of whitelines that kept spreading underneath the hoof wall.

It looks like serious resection might need to be done and if that is the case, OP is going to have to devote a LOT of time to keeping that hoof clean. --- no sterile.

I would boot the horse but the farrier will most likely want to shoe it. Whichever, that horse absolutely will have to be kept out of the mud. Grass would be ok to walk in, daily clean shavings in a stall.

The horse will be in big pain after the resection because that toe appears to need cut back. I would have the vet there to give it an injection of Bute, then keep the horse on Previcox after the injection wears off. Too much Bute and the horse could get ulcers.

They make amniotic band aids for resection surgeries. I'm on the IPad so I can't leave where I'm typing or I'll lose it.

Amniotic band aids supposedly stay on better and keep the inside of the hoof clean.

Whatever gets done to that hoof is going to be some serious and uncomfortable business. That isn't like founder where the toe is dead and the horse doesn't feel anything. There looks to be a lot of live nerve endings up and down the hoof.

Since this isn't your horse, PLEASE do your research and homework thoroughly. Please be respectful and keep the owner in the loop, given the seriousness of the problem:)

My heart hurts for the owner because I am 69 and can pretty much guess how she must be feeling.

Many kudos to you for wanting to help.
 
#18 ·
The owner is fully involved in any and all treatment. She comes over every two to three days with supplies and to talk. She will be here tomorrow as well so I can talk over a few things with her the vet has mentioned. Xrays are happening the coming tuesday at this point, the vet is worried that the bone may be involved in the infection now. So for now we continue to treat as we have been and on Tues a choice will have to be made one way or another. He needs stronger anitbiotics that I've been able to get from the vets here anyways, so we are hauling to a vet about an hour away for the x-ray. And hopefully stronger meds, I will also mention the other pain med that was brought up here as well. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions to add or change to the treatment plan as is now.
 
#15 ·
Ooh wee. I agree that that is probably a seriously nasty white line disease that has decimated the foot. An X-ray would give a better idea of how much resection is needed, but I would guess pretty extensive. Depending on how comfortable he is, and how dedicated the owner is able to be- this is a very difficult case. Going barefoot will be touch because of how much foot is going to to need to be resected and exposed. I have seen similar cases have major support systems fall apart. A hospital shoe and clips would be able to give some support, but even then... Depending on how bad the hoof is that might not be a possibility even with glue.

I am sorry.
 
#19 ·
OUCH! that looks painful!:sad:
I don't think the pics are graphic though:shrug:.
 
#20 ·
I saw pictures and a story one time, probably in one of my horse magazines, of a horse with a bad crack, not that bad, where the farrier set a row screws on each side then used a wire to lace like you would shoe strings. It held the crack together until it could grow out but it seems like the farrier visited every 2 or 3 weeks (been a long time so I could be off on this) to reshod and adjust the laces.

The infection needs wiped out before anything will work though so I'd want to get the vet and a really good farrier together to coordinate a plan.
 
#21 ·
Best thing to do is get the vet thoroughly involved and get them and the farrier working together. Like walkin said, this will likely need a very aggressive resection to even begin to get a handle on it....and after a resection, you are looking at months of intensive daily treatment/maintenance.

I just hope that it hasn't gotten so bad that the internal structures of the hoof are permanently compromised.
 
#24 ·
X-rays Tuesday will give us a better idea, putting him to sleep is still an option. But I'm willing to give this guy the best possible shot. He is a NICE horse. He is friendly, smart, and easily taught anything. Its been my choice to do nothing other than I slight resection to give better protection to the hoof, and treat the infection until we have those xrays
 
#22 ·
That is not just a bad crack, but a serious injury that was never treated correctly. Looks like the coronary band was torn off in that area, so you will never have normal horn growing down, as teh top layer can't be generated
yes, infection has then set in, and will require re section and de-briding.
I had ahorse that torn the rear quarter out of one hoof, coronary band and all. With correct care, the other two layer of hoof wall will grow down , and become stronger with time, but you will never grow down that smooth outer wall.
This horse might be past being able to have good end results, as internal structures look like they well could have become involved
The horse needs an equine vet and a good farrier. Best case scenario, a vet that is also a farrier, like Dr Stephan O'Grady
He will do consults by e-mail, provided with x -rays

www.equipodiatry.com
 
#23 ·
That is not just a bad crack, but a serious injury that was never treated correctly. Looks like the coronary band was torn off in that area, so you will never have normal horn growing down, as teh top layer can't be generated
yes, infection has then set in, and will require re section and de-briding.
I had ahorse that torn the rear quarter out of one hoof, coronary band and all. With correct care, the other two layer of hoof wall will grow down , and become stronger with time, but you will never grow down that smooth outer wall.
This horse might be past being able to have good end results, as internal structures look like they well could have become involved
The horse needs an equine vet and a good farrier. Best case scenario, a vet that is also a farrier, like Dr Stephan O'Grady
He will do consults by e-mail, provided with x -rays

Equine Therapeutic Farriery | Dr. Stephen O'Grady, veterinarians, farriers, books, articles
This did not start as a wound. The farrier treating it now, treated it the first time as well. This started out as an abcess and the owner had one of the many bad vets we have in this area out. She suggested just soaking it two to three times a day, at that time there was a diff farrier as well. Farrier and vet had this go on for three months. This softened everything up and the vet doing this now belives that water penetrated the hoof wall as well. The whole bottom of the hoof split after it appeared to have healed. At this point another vet was called out, she was told to put him down. She got the vet that is treating him now, and farrier. They sedated him, xrayed, and cut out everything again, applied a special shoe with a hospital plate and antibiotics. Along with meds to place in and on the wound. It healed, then came back again only this time on the front of the hoof. I belive what happened is it appeared "healed" and treatment on the part of the owner was stopped to soon. The stall wasn't always dry. And it was hard for her to treat the hoof. This makes time three, It again started at the toe, and made its way up to the top this time. Never has this crack started at the top. So while the coronary band is now affected none of it was ever ripped away by more than just the wound itself and pressure to the hoof. The plan is to X-ray this Tuesday. And then do another resection again, and do a shoe with a hospital plate, and a band around the hoof that can slowly be tightened to pull everything back into place
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top