if the abscess pops should you still wrap it and soak it? My horse lives at a sandy barn. the sand seems to bother it but some people said it needs to breathe? i dont agree so im wrapping it with icthamol or however you spell it . it seems to be getting better he is still a little sore. oh and the farier cuzt his heels to short so he needs hind shoes but the abscess needs to go away. any tips?
It's okay to apply an ichthammol poultice to an open and draining abscess, which it sounds like you have. You can also soak it in Epsom salts solution to encourage it to drain more.
PLEASE DON'T USE THAT IDIOT FARRIER ANYMORE!
PLEASE!
A real farrier, one who knows what they are doing will NEVER cut a horse too short to cause an absess!!!
Your horse would of been better off with boots (easy boots) not shoes. Ugh.
If the absess pops, it's fine to leave it alone and just clean it out daily. You can wrap it, too. I've used a diaper and betadine and duct tape.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
it can take weeks for the absess to totally heal
I would let it breathe so it can heal, but make sure to clean it often and apply some anti-bacterial ointment. Don't soak it if the abscess has already come out , as that will make the hoof more tender because soaking softens the hoof.
Yes, you can still apply a poultice until it heals. However, I wouldn't keep it on all the time, give the sore some time to breathe .
I presume it erupted on the sole/bottom of the foot? After it erupts and begins to drain, you need to soak in warm water and epsom salts at least twice daily for 30 minutes until you see that the drainage has stopped and the wound appears to be drying. If it is on the coronary band, after drying is evident, you can just let it grow out with no consequences. If it erupted on the bottom of the foot, I always wrap the foot until I see evidence of granulation (new healed tissue growing in place of the raw bloody mess). When you see the wound area healed over sufficiently, then it can breathe, but it is more important at this stage too keep it as clean as possible to prevent infection . Change the wrap daily and clean the area with betadine only. When betadine dries, it forms a "skim" over the tissue which will help with keeping it cleaner and drying/healing processes. If he is sore, let him rest - no riding or work until his foot is healed and he is sound at all gaits.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Your farrier doesn't know what he is talking about. If the heels are too short, and he cut them too short? You will have to use your judgement about whether you trust this person to continue caring for your horse. I would have serious doubts as he seems ill informed. Everyone makes a mistake on rare occasion, but shoes are certainly NOT the answer. His feet need to grow out. He will be better in a week or so if he is tender due to being cut too short. This makes no sense at all. If his feet are too short, how would you have anything to nail a shoe on? No. Do not put horses on the hinds. While I see no need for shoes at all, you should never just put shoes on the front or the back. Sorry, this is a ploy for $ $ $. Most people have the misguided opinion that the front takes most of the punishment and will have shoes on the front, but this is wrong. Think about balance. If you had on one riding boot and then one bare foot, how would your balance be? Pretty obvious and simple.
Sorry your horse had the abscess but they usually heal well without complications. Thankfully, you did not allow anyone to cut the foot open several times and "look" for the problem to drain it - horrible, archaic practice that went out with the dark ages - again, no one benefits except from the $ $ $ standpoint. Abscesses are so very painful, but after eruption, the pain is greatly alleviated and you are past that point and sounds like you are on your way to healing. Is he still sore from the abscess or the over cut on the trim or both or can you tell? Just let him rest to help with the pain. Leave him turned out and the healing will be quicker. Try to keep it clean and dry - changing bandage daily will help with that. I would put sterile gauze next to the sole itself and then use vet wrap to secure it and maybe strap some pieces of duct tape just across the bottom for the water-proofing effect. It will get expensive using a roll of vet wrap everyday, but I had to do it daily for 2.5 months when we had a pastern cut. Personally, I would not use the Icth. If you want to use a medication, this is what I would recommend in order of preference: 1 ) vetericyn spray or gel; 2) pack it with EMT gel; or 3) pack it full of neosporin. Wet wound healing is always desirable. Icth. is for drawing and the soaks will help flush and dry. I think you are doing the right thing with the bandage. Hope he continues to improve and is well soon. Take care.
