I took the horses blankets off today and turned them loose because it was supposed to be 70 and windy. Called that one wrong, we had a severe thunderstorm - IN FEBRUARY! In fact... we had tornado watches!
I came home from work and Ri was staring at me from his usual spot in the field. I stopped the car and chatted with him and then went to the house. Came back out and he was in the same spot. Called to him and he turned and took several VERY lame steps (right front). Then he cantered in to me. He then took very lame steps again. I pulled him out of the field and he does have a small amount of swelling just above the fetlock joint. On the inside there is a soft spongy type of swelling. There is no heat. I took his temp and it was 100.8 - He is eating fine.
I called the vet (my vet has a 5 vet practice). The on call vet is one that I have never met so I'm sure she thinks I'm a fruit loop because I was trying to get her to come out. She said she would but after talking to me she'd really rather wait until tomorrow to save me money. She thinks it sounds like it could be an abscess or he tweaked it but because he cantered in it shouldn't be a fracture and without the heat she is thinking more hoove although she can't diagnose without seeing him. So her suggestion was stall and bute. Check him again before bed (I'm forcing myself to wait a little while before going down - let the bute start working).
I over worry when it comes to my animals but I'm just looking for thoughts and suggestions... He did have an abscess on that same hoove about a month or two ago and his leg swelled to the knee when it happened...
I geuss I should text him right now. He's not the most responsive in the world but he is really good. I'll text him right this minute. Maybe I can get him out tomorrow afternoon. I need to get epson salt and ichthomal then. I used it all on the last abscess. Could it be the same abscess?
just went down and checked on him. He's more lame then he was before and he had been laying down. dragged him out of his stall and now the swelling is to the knee. Still no heat in the swelling but I think I may have felt some in the heal bulb. I found ichthomal and slathered it all over it. Hoping it's an abscess. Just put him back to bed and promised I wouldn't bother him again until morning....
My horse just finished having a bad abcess this month of February, she was so lame it frightened me it was the same leg she had shock wave therapy done on. She had fractured her splint bone and I thought it was acting up of course I thought of the worse. My farrier came out poked at her and found a deep abcess thank god. They act asthough their leg is broken from their hoof up to their hip...I did feel heat down by her bulbs of her foot and around the coronary band , I soaked her foot and packed it left it on for 48 hrs at a time now she is fine...
He came out this morning while I was at a baseball clinic with Max. He dug a big hole in his hoof but stopped because it was so deep. Definitely an abscess. I'm getting ready to go soak in epsom salt and then stuff w/ ichthomol and gauze and then tape it up and keep him in overnight again. (he's been in since last night. Won't be very happy with me!
I made husband go out and buy all the supplies I needed. He was mad because I didn't have them on hand. Well... I used them on the last abscess!
How did your farrier react to having to come out? My farrier wants me to call him for something like that rather than the vet as he is the hoof specialist. He's a heck of a lot cheaper too, so this works for me.
He came out while I was at baseball camp. Called me and said he'd done what he could, gave me instructions and promised to text me tonight to set up an appt. for later this week. He has never charged me for stuff like this but I usually over pay him by 10 or 20 bucks (I just round up) when he comes anyway. I'll slip him something extra with my next triming.
I've been reading on abscesses and of course the way the articles are written they try to blame the farrier! But when I talked to my vet this morning (the on call vet - she did a follow-up call) she said that she has treated tons of abscess this week, she's thinking it's from the wet wet wet...
I did read that it's normal for horses that have had shoes on for a while to develop an abscess once the shoes have been pulled because of circulation? I just had mine pulled back in Dec for the winter. They go back on in March.... Maybe I shouldn't pull them in the winter?
I was fortunate that my farrier was coming that Saturday I had advised him of my mare being lame on that leg, so he looked for it and found it right away I was going to call my vet , I live in San Diego and we had some rain but not a whole lot so I can only imagine the other states where they have much more rain than us.
No , but she still has a little bit of a hike on her side where she had the fracture its fused together but she favors it, I dont know what else to do for her, she is on joint supps for the last 2 yrs.
she might just have a permanent hitch. I have a mare that severed her tendons and while she is in no pain, she has a permanent limp because of the loss in flexibility.
When I got her she was only 2 the trainer lied to me and said she was 3.5 yrs old i had paid for her and then she gave me her jockey reg. It showed her only being 2 yrs old. Furthermore it was written in ball point pen " NOT TO BE RACED"
My mare suffered from a fractured splint bone injury I think when I got her she had already fractured it. She has always been kinda funky in the rear end not pretty noticeable so I had 2 vets look at her telling me she had arthritis, epm, and who knows what else, til the one vet found the problem.
So i took her to san luis rey equine facility and we did 3 series of shock wave treatment. I have to say she is alot better now and the bone has fused .
My question is , is she in pain? and shall i be bothered about it and not really ride her that much because I really miss riding but the thought of her not being comfortable is very disturbing and is affecting my abilities to ride.
She is on smartpak ultimate repair and has been on it for 2 yrs. She is 9 yrs old and wants to please me and has a heart of gold.
Sorry about the long story but just need some answers if possible.
Well, almost all horse that are shod have necrotic (dead) tissue that has built inside the hoof. Horses that are shod have decreased blood flow (circulation) because the shoes prevent the horses hoof from naturally expanding when it hits the ground, and this action "pumps" blood throughout the hoof. And, so when the horse is shod, the circulation cant flush out this dead tissue in the hoof, and when you pull your horses shoes, the abscess is the horses way of getting rid of the necrotic tissue.
Do not take that as a message to shoe your horse year-round. I would seriously consider going barefoot. If you have a horse that tends to be ouchy on rocks, use rubber hoof boots. They usually cost around $100, and last 5 years or so. After 1-2 trims, your hoof boots will already start paying you back! Horses that are barefoot live longer because of increased circulation in the hoof. Since the heart isn't trying to pump blood into the hooves but not being able to, the horses heart will be healthier. There is less strain on the joints because, again, that natural flexing of the hoof that only barefoot horses can do provides a cushion to the horse when they are walking. And not only that, the horse's frog can also do its job!
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