Hoof Abscesses

          One morning you head to the barn to feed and your favorite horse comes up three-legged lame.  I’m not talking a little limp but fully, hardly weight bearing lame!  He was perfectly fine and 100% sound just the evening before. One of my most embarrassing memories (yet most educational moments) was when I called the vet to the barn absolutely certain the mare I had just brought in had broken her hip during the night out in the pasture.  The vet watched her hop out of her stall, picked up her foot, dug around for about fifteen seconds and told me to pack her a few days.  And magically the mare (who I was adamant had a broken hip) was miraculously standing weight-bearing on that foot now! Lesson learned – always start examining a lame horse from the hoof up. 

           Hoof abscesses happen when bacteria becomes trapped in the sensitive hoof tissue and develops a build-up of infection that causes painful pressure against the solid hoof wall or sole. There are different ways this can occur:

•            Foreign matter such as gravel, dirt or even sand penetrates and travels through the sole-wall junction (the white line) or the sole of the foot
•       A deep sole bruise from stepping on a sharp object such as a stone or stick or glass
•          A horseshoe nail, often called a “hot”  or “close” nail, that is driven inside or close to the white line area of the hoof wall
•         Wet weather or wet dirty stalls that cause hoof walls to soften for bacteria to enter
•         Dry weather that create brittle feet that may crack
•           Untrimmed feet that have long toes or crushed heels that stress the white line area

      Initial signs of an abscess other than lameness include a pounding fetlock pulse, that foot being warmer than another, and even swelling in the pastern and fetlock area.  Using hoof testers, your veterinarian can usually locate the area of the abscess and open that area to allow just enough room for drainage and relieve the pressure. It is then important to encourage drainage of the infection and prevent any dirt or debris to enter the opened tract by keeping the foot wrapped with a medicated dressing such as Animalintex Poultice or a povidone pack with Epsom Salts.  Ichthammol or Magna Paste are other good products that can be used as drawing salves.  It is important to keep the hoof packed until the draining stops and the tract is dry to prevent further infection.  (Duct tape is a good choice to keep the hoof dry and the packing material in place.) On occasion, a stubborn abscess may require soaking in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts to encourage drainage but that should be used only as necessary to prevent the hoof wall and sole from becoming too soft.

           

By the time a horse exhibits signs of an abscess, the infection has already developed and is sitting there festering. If left unattended, hoof abscesses can spread into other areas of the hoof such as the coffin bone or navicular area.  Very serious issues then quickly develop so it’s best to consult with your veterinarian even in the simplest of abscesses to avoid a more serious and costly problem that may even result in long term unsoundness in your horse.