So, exactly 13 days ago I went down to the barn to feed and noticed my gelding standing funny. He would not walk for anything, he would not move out of his stall. I figured it was an abscess as I have seen abscesses many times before, but to be sure I called my farrier. My farrier was supposed to come the next day for a trim anyways so he came and took a look at his front left hoof. He said he was almost 99% sure it was an abscess. He trimmed both my horses hooves and told me to keep it clean,wrapped etc and if it goes awhile and is still not getting better, to call him and the vet out.
So, I did have some bute that I got from the vet a few months ago, I gave him two scoops of that in his grain, and then I soaked his hoove for 10 minutes, dried, put an epsom salt poultice on with a gauge pad, vet wrapped and finished with a duck tape boot. Like I do with any abscess. I continued this every 24 hours, soaking and rewrapping with poultice. Well, the second day, he was moving around now. (thanks to the bute) and the third day I gave him half a dose of bute and forth day no bute. On the forth day, he was moving around really good, putting weight on it. Very little limp. On the 5th day he had no limp. I did not see the abscess burst, or even a hole. Well the 6th day he was playing in the pasture with our pony, (running bucking) and when he was done, he had a limp for a few hours but then it went away.
Well now it's the 13th day since he got the abscess and i'm not sure what to do. Every abscess I have dealt with before burst within 5-8 days and I always found a hole and/or puss from it. I don't really know if I should call the vet out or not. He has gotten much much better within the last two weeks. He walks around normally, puts weight on it, it's just when he trots, and plays in the pasture he gets a limp, but it goes away. So any info on abscess like this? Is he just sore maybe? How to know if the abscess really burst?
So, I did have some bute that I got from the vet a few months ago, I gave him two scoops of that in his grain, and then I soaked his hoove for 10 minutes, dried, put an epsom salt poultice on with a gauge pad, vet wrapped and finished with a duck tape boot. Like I do with any abscess. I continued this every 24 hours, soaking and rewrapping with poultice. Well, the second day, he was moving around now. (thanks to the bute) and the third day I gave him half a dose of bute and forth day no bute. On the forth day, he was moving around really good, putting weight on it. Very little limp. On the 5th day he had no limp. I did not see the abscess burst, or even a hole. Well the 6th day he was playing in the pasture with our pony, (running bucking) and when he was done, he had a limp for a few hours but then it went away.
Well now it's the 13th day since he got the abscess and i'm not sure what to do. Every abscess I have dealt with before burst within 5-8 days and I always found a hole and/or puss from it. I don't really know if I should call the vet out or not. He has gotten much much better within the last two weeks. He walks around normally, puts weight on it, it's just when he trots, and plays in the pasture he gets a limp, but it goes away. So any info on abscess like this? Is he just sore maybe? How to know if the abscess really burst?