Abscesses in Hoof

Frances144

Frances144

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Dec 21, 2011
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Anyone had a horse with an abscess in more than one hoof at the same time without having laminitis?

My horse, Haakon, has an abscess in each front on the coronet band (slightly different positions). My vet says it is laminitis (before first abscess appeared). My farrier says it most definitely is not.

So, anyone had a horse with bilateral hoof abscesses?
 
With feet, I'd always go with the farrier. Ramsey has had 2 at once and the vet mistook it for laminitis. To be fair, because it was both front feet he was leaning back in the classic lami stance. Almost lost him as he got a shocking infection from them being untreated. He's cushings so of course that exacerbated things. The farrier is onto it in a flash, and the proof is there when he digs in and the pus starts to flow(yuk). But our farrier has never been wrong, and I trust him implicitly. That particular time, I believed the vet, and it was only after the event that the farrier showed me the cavities where the abscesses had been when he next came.
 
When Jess went through that terrible period of abscessing (and lameness) she had them in both fronts at the same time a couple of times. 4 different vets swore up and down it wasn't lami (full lameness workups, nerve blocks, x-rays etc.), I honestly believe my then farrier was trimming her heels too short, all of her abscesses bar 1 came out of the coronet at the quarters/heels. I trusted him implicitly at the time, but since he stopped trimming her the lameness hasn't returned and abscesses are few and far between now.
 
I had a nightmare with this last year with my boy, when I had 5 over the course of a few months in 3 feet. Nothing wrong with him, just the awful weather and a bog of a field. Changed his diet a bit and only had 1 this year that resolved without needing anyone to come out.
 
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Never had two at a time but just wanted to say, having one in my mouth right now, I can totally understand and sympathise why our poor horses feel so sore.
 
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Yes! Ben has abscesses in both front feet. I called the vet thinking he had laminitis and they said he didn’t, but didn’t know what was wrong. A week later an abscess came out in one foot, shortly followed by an abscess in the other foot. I was very relieved.
 
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Tir said:
I had a nightmare with this last year with my boy, when I had 5 over the course of a few months in 3 feet. Nothing wrong with him, just the awful weather and a bog of a field. Changed his diet a bit and only had 1 this year that resolved without needing anyone to come out.
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Out of interest, what did you change in his diet?
 
Mary Poppins said:
Yes! Ben has abscesses in both front feet. I called the vet thinking he had laminitis and they said he didn’t, but didn’t know what was wrong. A week later an abscess came out in one foot, shortly followed by an abscess in the other foot. I was very relieved.
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They're horrible and painful and annoying but it really is a relief that you can do something about them!
 
Raf has had bilateral hind abscesses, but we think they were due to an injury (farrier gave it a name that I can't remember, where the back feet slide under the front in deep mud and get damaged on the coronet band). More recently he had a sudden lameness that the vet said was definitely not an abscess, but the farrier dug out a big abscess hole on his next visit. I'd go with your farrier. Hope your boy is feeling more comfortable now.
 
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Albi hobbled over to me this morning. Sound last night lame this morning I have the farrier coming out at four I would never trust the vet again after they removed of chanters foot once.

We have a horse at the yard with one in each front feet at the moment
 
OwnedbyChanter said:
Albi hobbled over to me this morning. Sound last night lame this morning I have the farrier coming out at four I would never trust the vet again after they removed of chanters foot once.

We have a horse at the yard with one in each front feet at the moment
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What is with the blinking abscesses at the moment?! I know it's been wet, but it seems to have gone mad. Mind you, I feel a bit better that Ramseys not the only one.
 
OwnedbyChanter said:
No but I believe in nature. So will leave in the field until Friday then call my physio who he sees every second six weeks.
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Hope he gets better soon.

Incidentally I am now completely with you on 6 weekly physio checks. Before Bens lameness I thought that 6 weekly checks were too frequent and dare I say a waste of money. But I learnt the hard way. Prevention and early spotting of injuries is well worth it in the long run and Ben and any horse of mine in future will see the physio every 6 weeks. I only wish I had done this before.
 
Mary Poppins said:
Hope he gets better soon.

Incidentally I am now completely with you on 6 weekly physio checks. Before Bens lameness I thought that 6 weekly checks were too frequent and dare I say a waste of money. But I learnt the hard way. Prevention and early spotting of injuries is well worth it in the long run and Ben and any horse of mine in future will see the physio every 6 weeks. I only wish I had done this before.
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A lot of people think I am mad for doing it but when you think what we do every week and the amount of traveling as well in six years he has never been off work with back problems etc as every thing is spotted so soon and dealt with.

Abscess still not shown it’s face
 
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