# Laminitis or Hoof Abscess?



## Horseantics (23 September 2011)

Yesterday my 18.2hh Irish Draught went really lame in his near fore, when he was collected in from the field after being out overnight he came trotting over very lame and walked in very lame. We thought he had knocked himself but i called the vet out, luckily the farrier was there to take the shoe off. The vet said he had a bounding pulse in the near fore but also but not as bad on the near hind, she said it could be because he was taking the weight more. They tested it all over for pus or a pain reaction and nothing, there is a bit of heat in the near fore. She poulticed it and gave him a bute injection and we put him on really old hay in a haylage net and replaced his straw bed with thick shavings, she wasn't sure if its an abscess which could burst out over the weekend or laminitis, he is still very lame this morning but will walk on it although very badly! 

Sick with worry :-( he was on a bare field but adlib hay when in during the day but out at night. Any advice gratefully received, he was a bit short striding going down hills a few weeks leading up to this but i had his back checked and his offside shoulder and nearside hip were out after he fell onto his knees about 6 weeks ago. He is 18, never had a hard life just a happy hacker. Sorry for rabbling on, the vet said to call Monday if no improvement, i am keeping him in his stable on a deep bed.


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## Lotty (23 September 2011)

I really hope he picks up soon and its nothing serious. My mare had laminitis last year and she came in from the field just not right, she wasn't lame just not her usual self. I called my farrier and he did tests, none of which she reacted to, he told me to keep her stabled, soak her hay and to call him in a few days. In my case 2 days later when I went in her stable she had that lamanitic stance. 

You seem to be doing everything right at the moment by keeping him in on a deep shavings bed, can you also soak his hay as well? Good luck


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## MochaDun (23 September 2011)

We had a recent case at the yard where I keep my pony that came in utterly hobbling lame from field on a Sunday and was initially thought by vets to be laminitis so all the precautions (deep bed, small amount of soaked hay etc) put in place but did turn out to be an abscess in his heel by the Friday (he'd been shod the previous week and always having problems with his shoes so expect it was nail bind or a crack or something that got infected).  However, if you've had the rain like we've had the grass has really greened up and grown again so it's that tricky time of year of the autumn flush with sun and rain - my pony has put on a bit of weight again now which says it all to me.  I hope yours turns out to be something simple like an abscess building.  Or maybe a badly bruised sole if he's been charging about in a field and come down hard on a stone or something?   They can take a while to show themselves.  How old is your horse?  If he's older, and they do decide it's laminitis might be worth checking for Cushings induced laminitis?


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## Mrs B (23 September 2011)

Don't despair! It might be one of a number of things.

As MochaDun says - it might be a badly bruised sole, or an abscess. My lad has been off for 12 weeks now with sudden lameness immediately after shoeing. No, it wasn't nail bind, it wasn't laminitis, it wasn't an abscess but he had high pulse and heat going from toe to shoulder which has fluctuated over the weeks. It seems like he might have had a deep seated haematoma (like a blood blister) which was exacerbated by shoeing. He's just had a 2nd set of x-rays today, to rule out pedal or navicular probelms and now appears (touches every bit of wood in sight!) to be on the mend, but it has been a puzzle...

Good luck and let us know how it goes


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## Horseantics (24 September 2011)

Thanks for replies, after poulticing a huge amount of black pus came out through the frog and he has a crevice in the bulb of the heel, flushed it out and dried it then squirted cider vinegar into the crevice and hole, trying to get hold of some  NT Dry, dont know if anyone has used it? Spoke to my farrier and he is coming next week to shoe him and cut the dead frog away. He is 99% sound again! Got to keep it clean and dry, will post photos later


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## Horseantics (24 September 2011)

Forgot to add, he was in during the day on a deep clean bed of straw for about 8 hours and the rest of the time in a dry field on sparse grass, we have had it really dry over the summer so could something of gone into the frog? They all have really dry feet and the rest of his feet look really good, puzzled but extremely happy


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## Lotty (24 September 2011)

Thats great news


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## MochaDun (25 September 2011)

That is good news


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