Good ways to calm down....hoof problem 2?

Question

Ok I recently asked about a hoof abscess....now I feel a little heat (my hubby didn't) in her leg. Now either I'm obsessing or I'm right. She is walking on it fine but it seems tender when I touch it. So I'm waiting for the vet and farrier to call me back. I took off the wrap with the onion rinsed it and put some betadine on it. So if she's walking on it without a limp but in resting she does take her weight off of it more than the other what should I think?? Yike I'm going nuts....She does have a puncture wound in the frog that has been treated with ummm methialade?? I think that's what it was.....Any DVMs out there??? I'll need a doctor for my heart here in a minute!!

Answer 1

With any type of puncture you should worry about infection.  Especially any type of puncture on the feet because horses don't walk in the cleanest of spaces.

The onion probably didn't hurt, but cutting back the frog to releave pressure on the abscess probably helped more.  I would suggest soaking the foot in Epsom salts twice a day, 15-20 minutes each time.  I would pack the hoof with Furazone to keep it moist and draining, and wrapped appropriately with a combine dressing, sheet cotton, vet wrap, and duct tape (it keeps the vet wrap from getting ripped apart)

If it were my horse, I would start it on SMZ tablets (antibiotics) twice a day with 1 bute tab every morning.

Certainly contact your vet.

Make sure they are up to date on their Tetanus.

edit:  I'm sorry, I didn't address the warmth.  It is tuff to say - if you are worried, the leg is going to feel warm just because you are worried.  However, if the leg really is warmer, that can be a sign that there is an infection going on in there.

Answer 2

If it were an abscess she wouldn't be walking on it.

If she's not lame when she's walking, just rests one more than the other and doesn't want it touched, it's probably no big deal.  Most horses rest one more than the other.

Heat in the leg, unless it's down near the hoof, probably doesn't mean anything about the hoof.  Heat in the hoof would mean a problem in the hoof.

Don't stress out.  Horses get bumps and bruises just like kids, and usually heal very well.  You know the horse had a cut there, and of course pressing it will hurt.  That doesn't mean it's getting worse.

Just keep an eye on it.  It sounds like it's getting better.