Hoof Testers: Sensitive over lateral (outside) quarter?

Question

Left Front Limb: Lateral heel sheared, superficial quarter crack. Heel has been floated, wears a rim pad (Tom Cooley farrier)

Hoof Testers: Sensitive over lateral (outside) quarter

Pain on Manipulation: Fetlock_NO Carpus_ NO _ Elbow NO Shoulder NO

Palpation: SDF_normal__DDF normal Suspensory_ normal _

Effusion: Coffin Jt mild Fetlock Jt_ NO Tendon Sheath NO Carpus NO

Range of Motion: Fetlock_ normal Carpus normal Shoulder normal

Lower Limb (coffin, pastern, fetlock jts.) Flexion w/jog_negative

Upper Limb Flexion w/jog: negative

Scars: none detected__________________________

Okay, my farrier cut my gelding quick on this hoof exactly where he tested sensitive. There is a small cut that it clotted but bleeds a tiny bit when we pick it to clean it out. No heat detected; sensitive; has a shoe on without a rim pad. We have been spraying iodine on it after cleaning it throroughly and not wrapping it. We have soaked it 2 times total. Still lame. How to heal this!?

Answer 1

Hello!

What a situation a lame horse can put us in huh?!?

Well here is my suggestion:

If he is sound ni his limbs and muscle features, and its his hoof that is having a problem, here is what you can do:

First make sure he is eating a well balanced ration and consider a hoof supplement to support the strain of that sheared heel, it will grow more (actually denser) molicules and produce harder horn to it wont shear and "compress".  If the quarter crack is superficial because it is healed, he may have gotten sheared and contracted heels because of compensating for the quarter crack injury in the first place. Time is the best medicine for something like this. Just make sure its clean , I am quite sure he is lame because he is tender, you may try a lovely product called Hoof Freeze from Hawthorne products, makes a WORLD of difference on tender footed horses. Also remember to clean it well, put the hoof freeze and you may consider even packing it with gauze sponges or cotton balls and then wrapping with vetwrap then duct tape the first few days untill the soreness goes away and its nice and hard and covered again. Hope that helps, good luck with him!

Answer 2

How long ago did your farrier quick your horse?  The answer depends on that info.

OK.  How lame is he on a 0-5 scale, 5 being he won't put any weight on the foot?

It sounds like infection has entered the hoof, at the site where he was quicked, and he's developed an abscess.  Is his temp normal?  It's still bleeding, after 2 weeks?  I'd remove the shoes, I wouldn't soak it (some vets say  it makes the foot too soft), but would keep him stalled in very clean conditions, pack with icthamol, if you want, and  wrapping  with duct tape or boot to handwalk him, or for some turnout, as long as it's kept really clean.  Has the vet been out?  You said there's not detectable heat, no digital pulse.  I'd give it another week.  Antibiotics are an option, as is the diagnostic route of nuclear scintigraphy, I think.

Answer 3

Hey Sounds like an abses growing down... although that it has a blood supply is quite worring... i would suggest the best way to heal this is with a poltice dressing and wrap it all the time... keep the injury clean and so to minimise the risk of infection. Apply a poltice either man made such as animalintex or natural such as bran and epsom salts and see what is drawn out... if there is a yellowish stuff on the pad then continue to poltice untill do more fluid comes out... if there is only blood in the poltice then its a little more concerning. I would continue to iodine and continue to prick and clean it out. but i would also wrap it to keep it clean. an infection will take alot longer to heal. As for healing, its just going to take time for the hoof to grow out. try to keep the hoof as dry as you can as this will aid in healing... i wish i could see the injury so i could be of more help... good luck and best wishes