Please Help! Hoof Abscess?

I got a call at work yesturday afternoon saying that Diesel didnt want to bear weight on his front right foot. I went out and he was obviously very sore and didnt want his hooves handled. I picked them out and didnt see any major stones or nails or anything, but in the crevise beside his frog it was slightly whiteish. Not a discharge or pus, just a strange coloring.

I had my farrier come out and she looked at him, (I keep him barefoot -- Always have and never have had a problem). Today he has a bit of heat in both his front legs. She noticed the tip of his frog was soft which made her think that he may have an abscess. SHe also said that the hoof was growing flared instead of just straight down.

I called the vet and asked her opinion, and both she and the farrier said to just soak it in epsom salts and warm water. There are no stalls or anything where he is so Im not sure how I could wrap it or what else I should do. They both said to give it a few days to see if it healed on its own before having the vet come out and look.


Any suggestions? Im soaking it in epsom salt and water for about a half an hour twice a day and then hosing his legs off with cool water and hand walking him for about 10 minutes a day.

How worried should I be? I've never had to deal with any hoof problems with him before and so I'm not sure if I should be doing anything else.

First if it's an abscess don't worry too much. Just keep soaking it OR you can make a duct tape boot and turn him out in it. It will probably fall off before you need to worry about it. I use Epsom salts and betadine scrub.. Or you can use sugar and betadine solution.. Make a paste, put it on a piece of gauze, lay that on the sole and wrap with a bit of vet wrap to keep it in one place. Slap on a square of overlapping strips of duct tape(that you would have ready before you started).. lol Smooth that up the hoofwall and wrap a few strips around it to help keep it on. Wa'laaaa this will help draw out the abscess.

Second, did your trimmer rasp flare relief? Just saying the hoof is flaring doesn't help now does it? Yes a flaring hoofwall will pull the wall away at ground level opening up a gap for greebles to invade.. Trimmer needs to take the flares out of ground contact asap.

Pics???

Yeah, she rasped his hooves when she was out today. We don't really know why they are growing that way. Any reason you know why his hooves would grow like that?
I don't have pics tonight, It was dark out by the time I left and I only had my camera phone. But I've soaked it and I will look for bentadine tomorrow

I couldn't say with anything to back me up but IMO if the hoofwall is too long it will flare. Thus it needs to be trimmed shorter and rolled to keep the outter wall out of ground contact. Like the hooves in thishttp://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../Hoof%20trims/ folder.. :) yes mine.. lol

Oh sorry, I submitted too soon.. My roan mare has underrun and flaring hoofwalls. We are working on them, it takes time. ;) She is last in that folder(second page).. The grey mare used to have flared walls, she's in great shape now..

Thanks a bunch for your help =)

Epsom salts work wonders!!

When my poor old baby had an abcess we had a vet out to drain it, she gave us penicillin, and we were cleaning it with betadine, and we wernt getting anywhere. And poor Clo was pretty uncomfortable. I was really upset until a friend told me to try epsom salts. A couple days and you could see the improvement!! I was so greatful, I think I told my friend so about 20 times!!!

It really depends on abscess. I was soaking my horse for week, but ended up with vet coming out and open her hoof anyway. It was FULL of that white stuff... Urgh... Plus took couple month to grow it back.

You can use itchamol as well: put it on hoof and wrap it with the duct tape.

I don't really know much about this, but maybe after you soak it etc. Do a trial for shoes and see what that does?

Why would you suggest shoeing a horse with an abscess? The infected hoof has to heal..