Q & A with The Vet

Chronic Abcesses

Hello Dr. Tom,

I have a 5 year old Stallion that we have been treating since May 27th.  He was diagnosed with EPM.  Towards the end of the treatment our farrier decided to remove his shoes which he had been shod with all his life.  Within in two weeks he came up lame on his left foot in front of the frog.  We took X-rays and he was 1-3 rotation in one, and 3-5 in the other.  We soaked and soaked and soaked.  He busted out pretty bad at the back of the hoof and bulb area.  He also is draining out on the sole and in front of the frog where I first located sensitive hoof.  He then became very lame up on his toes, back feet under him.  A classic looking case of Laminitis.  We ordered a pair of special shoes from Dr. Redden.  He is now sound in his front feet.  But, the abcesses are still draining (a month) they won't seem to stop.  He has been on Tucoprim for a week with no results.  I'm not sure what to do next.  I'm scared we have come this far and will lose him do to infection.  Please Help!

Thanks, Chris


Hi Chris,

This sounds remarkably similar to a case I am dealing with right now.  The horse was in Dr. Redden's special shoes as well, and after less than two months is now in such a severe state of founder that she is losing her hoof capsules.  It is truly maddening, and so sad that such misguided therapy abounds out there in the world.  These horses should never have to deal with this kind of damage.  I would recommend you get him into a pair of boots with pads immediately.  That veterinarians and farriers STILL want to shoe these kinds of cases is truly ignorant, as there is a mountain of evidence out there indicating that only further damage results.  I wouldn't expect the abcesses to be able to heal with the hooves shod, for many reasons.  Antibiotics are generally not helpful with hoof abcesses due to poor circulation.  Local disinfection and cleaning work much better.  The boots I'm talking about are the Easyboot Epics with comfort pads inserted by EasyCare, Inc.  Click here to view these products and many others.  The boots with pads inside are VERY comfortable and allow honest healing from lots of different hoof problems.  They are elastic and movable, just like a hoof is elastic and always moving.  Shoes totally disrupt normal hoof form and function.  I am pretty busy with some cases right now, but if you'd like to do an in-depth consultation, (and you're willing to utilize a natural hoof care approach), we could do that.  Please send pictures and a complete history, etc.  I can give you my impression and recommendations and follow up with you over a week's time.  If other things come up later on, which they usually do, I can continue to consult with you the same way as long as is needed.  Meanwhile, there's a ton of stuff on various websites that will come up if you do some simple computer searches.

Take care...check out those boots,

Dr. Tom T.

Abscessing and pedal osteitis

I am new to the barefoot methods and have been working with a very good trimmer.   My question is why is there a high incidence of abcessing in barefoot horses?   And how does that relate to pedal osteitis?  I've spent hours doing extensive review on the internet and have found no information on pedal osteitis.   Thank you for any information or advice you may offer.

 

Hi there,

 

My experience in Arizona has been that abcessing occurs most commonly in severe laminities cases and cases where the trimmer takes too much hoof off (overtrimming).  This leaves the sole thin which bruises easily even on soft ground.  This can lead to abcessing.  Pedal osteitis is inflammation of the coffin bone, almost always the lowermost edges closest to the sole.  If the sole has been overtrimmed or the walls lowered too much or both, these bone edges become damaged through concussion, bruised and inflamed and undergo bone remodeling.  Loss of bone is nearly always the result.  Horses I deal with RARELY abcess, so I think you'll need to look closely at what might be happening with the trimming and the terrain and how wet your environment is.

 

Is your "very good trimmer" a Strasser-trained trimmer or farrier trying to do natural trimming?  Strasser-trained trimmers are very often too aggressive because of what they are taught, and they overtrim hooves very commonly.  Hopefully this is becoming less and less of a problem as we learn more about the bad effects of overtrimming and why we must leave a good amount of material on the hoof.  Especially the bottom.  Abcessing is common in horses trimmed aggressively, and nearly absent in horses that are allowed more time to adjust to barefootedness.  Some will say that abcessing is the "bad material" coming out of the hoof as it gets better circulation, etc., but I have found that it is due to overtrimming. 

Does that help?

 

Dr. TT

Recovery from hoof abscess

Dr. Teskey,

 

My horse is recovering from a hoof abcess.  I know he should move around a lot to get faster hoof growth and good circulation, but there are some rocks in the turnout that I'm afraid will hurt his hooves.  Don't you think he should stay in his stall until the abcess is healed?

 

Hi there,

Your horse can be turned out with boots, and he can also be turned out without boots if you think he'll be relaxed and not "blast off," bruising the soles of his feet.  One of the big problems with keeping a horse in and then letting them out later is that they often overdo it because they've got "cabin fever" from having been locked up. I would just keep the gate open all the time between his smaller pen and the bigger area if possible.

 

In the end, you'll have to use your judgment on whether he'll cause himself damage on rocky areas.

 

Dr. TT

Horse with abscess

Dear Dr. Teskey,

 

I have a horse that is 20 years old and has been barefoot for 2 years.  Last week he developed 2 abcesses one in each front hoof both ruptured at the coronary band even after soaking.  He got IM antibiotic and got worse so I had to admit him to the Equine Hospital where they diagnosed:

Abscesses of LF and RF feet- both came to a head at the coronary band- mild pedal osteitis of the RF medial coffin bone- Treatment included soaking in Epsom Salts/ Sugardine bandages/ Bute/ drain abscess by making a small hole in the posterior aspect of the hoof and Regional perfusions below RF fetlock twice with antibiotic.

 

He is doing better. The X-ray showed:  Rotation- about 13 degrees on the club foot (right) and 5 degrees on the left front (1 to 4 degrees can be normal).

 

I want to do natural hoof (barefoot) but the advice of my vet is to put him in correcting shoes for 3-4 months

 

Could you please make some recommendations for his follow-up?  He has club feet, do you think he has it in both feet? Is that adquired or congenital? Could it be corrected with the natural hoof trim?

 

Thanks for all your time and for you help,

Hi there,

 

It looks like you have a pretty involved case here.  Horses with hooves shaped like this are more difficult to rehabilitate, but certainly not impossible.  The right hoof coffin bone may have been pretty damaged.

 

You should get some hoof boots instead of shoes to keep him in.  Click here to visit EasyCare, Inc.  Get some Boa Boots or Epic Boots for him.  They will allow his hooves to heal, be easy to take off and on so you can treat his abcesses and sores, and allow his hooves to circulate blood so much better than if you shoe him.

 

Also, you need to find someone in your area that is knowledgeable and can help you with careful trimming.  Some of the websites have lists of people around the country.  Do a web search for "barefoot trimmer".

 

Dr. Tom T.

TB with abscesses

Hi Dr. Tom,

 

I have a TB gelding who is ten.  He was a failed race horse who became a quiet hack.  When I got him he had terrible over laid bars, flares and dips and not one hoof pointed in the right direction.  During the summer months he under went some fairly serious trimming.  I had him x-rayed to make sure there was no permanent bone damage which there was not.  Once the wet weather came he has abscess after abscess and has started losing his hair and the skin is dry and peeling all over him.  He is being Strasser trimmed which I have been very happy with for my other horses but I have serious concerns for this boy.  He has major metabolic, emotional structural and muscle changes going on and I think his system is totally over burdened.  The vet wants him to have his abscesses dug out  (which would leave him with no hoof left I am sure) and six weeks of antibiotic (which would leave him with no stomach lining).  I doubt that will help--what do you think?  I AM LOOKING FOR AN UNBIASED OPINION PLEASE.

 

Regards,

Hi there,

 

Sounds like quite a challenge you've got there.  I sincerely agree with you that the last thing the horse would need is his "abcesses dug out" and long term antibiotics.  Sounds like the trimming has been too aggressive, or suspicious that it may have been.  I rarely have abcesses in hooves unless I am dealing with severe founder.  I think getting abcesses like you are is too often due to trimming too much off which leads to bruising.  Sounds like he needs to be allowed to grow some foot again, and keeping him in some boots might be necessary.  It does sound like you may have some metabolic and nutritional problems.  Detoxification might be making him feel and look bad, too.  Send me a picture of the bottoms of the hooves and side-views also and maybe I can give you a better idea on what to expect/ not expect.  If you have boots for him, put them on right away and do some easy walking around in them to keep up circulation.  If you'd like to do a more in depth consult on him, we could do that, too, helping you over the email with pictures.

 

Dr. Tom T.

Abscess and shedding frog

Q: I love when this happens: Hershy's owner called me this evening, big changes. A spot on his sole erupted, just ahead of the seat of corn, sure wasn't there the other day.  He is doing much better now, and she's had his boots off, letting mother earth do her thing.

One more question: Hershey, and one other horse I see, have shed frogs, some of the tissue has had the appearance of white fine cheese.  Both of these horses had spent time in boots and pads.  Both have had soaks, one with epsom and vinegar, the other with vinegar and then tea tree oil applied.  Both horses with the first shed went down to sensitive frog.  The one horse (not Hersh) has been through a few frogs, the white funk has persisted, but hasn't shed as deeply.  Can you give me a clue?  Thanks.

A: I would disinfect well and then not soak anymore.  Frogs normally do that when the weather gets wet around here.  If it's happening continually, I'd be suspicious there is left over bugs/fungus eating away.  Soaking hooves is not something I regularly practice.  If anything, I strive to keep them high and dry.

I feel the same way about an abscess coming out.  Makes me happy because I know it'll heal and hopefully be happier.  Chronic contraction and scarring is another issue that doesn't go away.

TT