Hoof Abscess 101

 

Let’s Talk About Hoof Abscesses

Mally recovering from a hoof abscess in his wrap and boot

My clients have been dealing with a lot of these lately with all of this wet weather, and we had one in my herd this week - so I wanted to share my favorite way to manage these monsters

When a horse comes in 3-legged lame it’s always scary… and the diagnosis options are pretty much:

  • It’s an abscess

  • Or the leg is broken

  • Or there is severe tendon or ligament damage

So it’s either no big deal or it’s a very very big deal cool cool cool…

Let’s see if we can make this less scary

Always call the vet if you’re not sure how to narrow it down or if you’re even remotely unsure about your assessment... But you can usually be pretty confident it’s an abscess if:

  • You can see an abscess tract in the hoof

  • There is no heat or swelling higher in the limb (but remember pastern and fetlock swelling is quite common with abscesses)

  • Joint range of motion in the limb is normal and not painful

  • Palpation of the limb is normal and not painful, no lacerations or other injuries present

(Side note: This is another reason I feel so strongly about teaching owners how to assess basic palpation and range of motion!!)

When treating an abscess I keep three things in mind:

  • Pain management - movement helps an abscess to resolve faster, but NSDAIDs can slow the process down. Always ask your vet for the best advice on whether pain medication will help or harm the healing process. We want to strike the balance between keeping the horse comfortable and supporting the healing process which requires your veterinarian’s assessment!

  • Keep it clean and protected - I like to do a poultice wrap (the green epsom goo or animalintex pads are great) and then stick them in a hoof boot, I use Easyboot Clouds. These hoof wrap stickers work really well for keeping the poultice in place in the boot. Quick and easy! That’s it. Takes 5 minutes.

  • Compression - this is the piece I think most folks miss. A compression sock for the distal limb helps a ton with pain management and preventing complications. When a horse isn’t using a leg, swelling will pool and the lymphatic system can’t pump it out without use and movement. Compression helps the lymphatic system do its job more effectively.

When I poultice wrap and boot the hoof AND compression sleeve the distal limb AND keep the horse somewhere where they can move around freely but safely (I use my dry lot, not a stall) nine times out of ten I get it to drain out of the bottom of the foot instead of busting out of the hoof wall and we can resolve it in a few days.

No digging, no endless soaking, nothing fancy or expensive or excessively time consuming.

If you do need to soak, simple epsom salt using warm water and a soaking boot like this or this work really nicely!

And remember - if you’re treating it as an abscess and you don’t see *any* improvements in comfort after a day or so of treating - you should still call the vet. It might take a few days to fully resolve, but they should NEVER be 3 legged lame hopping around for a week without a veterinary exam.


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Barbara ParksComment