# Longest abscess experiences please



## shugmx (25 January 2015)

HI
Can I please hear some of your experiences with abscesses, my 2 year old has been lame for 2 weeks now and walking on his toe, so to speak.  On day 2 had black smith out who thought no abscess, maybe bruised or banged hoof. Day 3 had vet out couldnt find anything no real answers. Day 7 took to a vet who specialises in horses had x rays done of hoof and all good. Advised me that it is a waiting game and that she is very sure it is an abscess. With my horse having such hard feet it will probably work its way up and out.   It is so upsetting to see him in so much pain, there has never been any heat or swelling any where on the leg. It would be peace of mind that other people have dealt so long with an abscess.  Thank you in advance for any advice.


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## Orangehorse (25 January 2015)

Oh, I guess it was about 6-8 weeks in total.  Horse was very lame, had vet, not much pus came out, seemed better for a day or two, went lame again, more poultice, seemed to get better, went lame again.  Second vet, had another dig, still lame.
Second vet though maybe broken bone, so wanted X rays.  The infection had tracked round the hoof and never really found its way out.  Vet didn't want to dig any more, so just continued to turn out with nappy/vetrap/duck tape (buy shares in!).
Eventually came sound, with a nice hole in the foot.  Fast forward a few weeks on, sound horse, picking out hooves and the bottom of his hoof fell out.  I leapt back in horror, but it was where the infection had been which had separated the layers of sole, and the reason why his "bad" foot looked larger than the good one.  All become well in time.


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## Jazmyn101 (25 January 2015)

My horse (whilst on box rest) became lame on her other leg and we had no idea what caused it. I stopped doing her in hand walking so she was only out of her stable for when I mucked out/groomed her. Her hoof wasn't warm, there was no swelling nothing but she was very lame, got the vet out who said it could be laminitis and gave her a course of anti inflammatorys for about 5 days and said to give her a full bed to the door. No improvement once course was finished so got the vet out again who x-rayed her which showed she didn't have laminitis so we said if she didn't improve in a few days she was going to have to go back to the vets for this leg to find out what was wrong. A few days later I was picking out her hooves when I noticed that her hoof smelt and realised that one side of the bulb of her heels was very swollen and sticky and then I realised it was an abscess. Hot poulticed it and it burst and horse was pretty much sound again, continued poulticing for a few days and horse was fine  my vet said that it was the longest time an abscess had taken to show up that she had ever seen! Sorry for the long post x (took about 2 and a half weeks)


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## shugmx (25 January 2015)

Thanks guys helps to know they can run on, we are using hot poultice and hoping for best.


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## Cortez (25 January 2015)

Last year I nearly had one of my horses PTS as he had been lame for over 5 months on first one leg then the other and nothing was helping, vet couldn't make him react to hoof testers and nothing found on X-ray. I poulticed for weeks: nothing. Bute: nothing. Finally an abscess broke out at the heel, but still very lame 2 weeks on, so 2nd, braver, vet dug a HUGE hole in the sole of the OTHER hoof and found horrible, black, nasty gunk. More poulticing, nappying, etc. and now.......I have a completely sound horse! So hang in there and be prepared for the long haul. I would never have thought that a horse could be so lame for so long with such a simple cause, nor that both front feet could be affected. Poor little man; he's very stoic.


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## ATrueClassAct (25 January 2015)

We had a 2 month long one! They thought her bone had become infected it went on for so long then one day she just came sound and the pus dried up


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## Slightlyconfused (25 January 2015)

Mine was six weeks. Just keep pouticing, alternate wet and dry for four days each as we didnt want his sole to get too soft, and if you can keep him out so hr is moving and that will hopefully help release the pus.


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## vanrim (25 January 2015)

A month. I was advised to stand horses foot in warm water every day. In the end it came out at the coronet. Vet said my horse was more lame than another they were treating for a fractured pedal bone.


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## shugmx (25 January 2015)

Thank you I have been a littli bit distraught,  thinking it has to be more to it.


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## my bfg (25 January 2015)

Ours was two months, got to to the point were one morning the vet said if the farrier couldn't do anything during his visit that day she would need to head off to horsepital that afternoon for more detailed scans in case it had been misdiagnosed. 
Farrier came out prodded and poked then stood back and said he couldn't get to it, it was then we smelt something rank, both dived to the floor and saw the start of the pus coming out, he must of just nicked it. 
Never been so happy to see pus!!!


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## Flicker (25 January 2015)

8 weeks for a nasty one caused by an over reach.  The crack in the hoof wall had to grow out.  She was on box rest the entire time and became almost unmanageable.  Longest two months of my life...


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## sonjafoers (25 January 2015)

Nearly 6 months! Mine was intermittently lame on the front & both the vet and the farrier suspected an abcess but it just wasn't showing. I think it was about 5 months when I came down one morning & she wasn't weight bearing on that leg so I actually called the vet fearing something much worse than an abcess but that's what it turned out to be. It had to be drained twice over a few days before she came sound and then I didn't ride for a couple of weeks a she was still a bit tender on that foot & we didn't want to shoe her incase it hadn't fully gone.


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## skint1 (25 January 2015)

Spring/ Summer 2014 my mare had White Line Disease and this appeared to be linked to a long brewing abscess in the same foot where the WLD was most present. She had periods of soundness but it always resurfaced. The farrier attempted to alleviate the abscesses by digging out parts of her sole and I religiously poulticed (combination of dry and wet) but any relief was short lived, in fact she seemed to get worse each time.

We got xrays done of her front feet which revealed slight rotation of the pedal bone in that foot and also side bone, so she was trimmed to correct this, but still the abscess kept coming, apparently the xrays revealed pockets of pus within the hoof wall. Eventually it came out of the coronet band, large amounts of pus which stank to high heaven, it drained for days and days but after that she was (knock wood) sound.  

eta I meant to say that my vet advised me to use magnesium sulphate paste to draw it out once it had burst through the coronet band, that was good idea and worked for her very well without softening the area

The hole left behind is gradually growing out. Here's a photo


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## Crugeran Celt (25 January 2015)

My mare has had major hoof problems since she was 7 years old, she is now 21 and her first abscess lasted about 10 weeks from sign of discomfort to soundness. Every abscess after, and there have been many, have cleared up quicker each time to the last one which was some years ago now, only lasting about 4 days.  I was only only saying this week how well she is looking and that she has been sound for a good few years now to find her very lame this morning!  Hoping it's not an abscess!!  Good luck with your's, hope he is feeling better soon.


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## shugmx (25 January 2015)

Thanks again guys. The positive side to this is I am spending more time with my two year old and discovering a very sweet temperment.  Thank you all for your experiences and advice. I hope you get sorted too Crugeran Celt.


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## Notimetoride (25 January 2015)

My horse battled with them for 5 years (now no longer with us but dont panic - there were other factors)     
They could take sometimes 2 or 3 months before sound again.   His were very stubborn !     I had to alternate warm wet poultices with dry ones (never wet poultice more than 24 hours at a time) for weeks at a time, and his abscesses always blew at the coronary band or heel.   There is also sometimes bruising inside thehoof so even if the pus has all gone,  they still might not be sound, so I always found it difficult to know if I had got all the pus or not, and im sure I sometimes over poulticed.  Also once, due to over poulticing, he developed deep sulcus thrush which is incredibly sore.   I  didnt keep him in and turned out as much as possible as the walking encourages the abscesss to work its way out.  Only kept him in if very wet.     they are an absolute nightmare and I wouldnt wish them on anyone.  I know the stress and worry they cause.   If at all poss dont let the farrier dig around as the hoof capsule as this just causes more problems.     Hot tub with Epsom salts 2 or 3 times a day if possible, then alternate the warm wet poulticing with dry ones, changing every 24 hrs.  Dont bandage too tight, and create a sort of boot with yards and yards of duct tape to protect the bandaging underneath.    You get used to inspecting the poultice when you take it off and smelling it (weird I know) and its so joyful when its black/grey gunky and smelly !!    Good luck


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## Red-1 (25 January 2015)

A friend's horse was wrong for months, just lame enough not to be diagnosable, but definitely wrong, no sign of what was wrong, and one day the farrier  trimmed on a routine visit and the whole sole area fell off to show black slimy, gunk underneath, and a very thin new sole. 

The horse was sore for a while longer, but it was a big relief, and it grew out normally as the new sole thickened up. 

The vet thought he infection was so deep it did not grow out in a normal time frame, it was months start to finish. Horse was sound ever after.


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## silv (25 January 2015)

My horse had an abcess for about 4 months, although initially dug out by a very good horse vet and later a farrier it just wouldn't clear completely, he was still not quite right until it broke out of the back of his heel. Has been fine ever since.


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## shugmx (25 January 2015)

Thank you for your replies, although up set for the wee man, its with relief that this can be sorted. I thought an abscess would be found dug out and that was that, so was really thinking there had to be more to his lameness.


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## NZJenny (25 January 2015)

They are sent from the devil to drive owners around the bend, up the wall and generally nuts.  IME digging and drugs rarely help as the hell spawn are going to find their own way out and in their own time anyway.  

Letting the horse move as much as it is comfortable with helps. 

Other than that, you might want to trade any offered drugs for something useful for yourself .....


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## elijahasgal (25 January 2015)

My old lad the vets and farriers thought he had a touch of arthritus, as he was only slightly lame as he turned.
A YEAR later, Idiot boy jumped into the yard (I had taken his shoes off for winter) onto slightly rough stone.  As it turned out the Abscesses that blew on BOTH front feet were a blessing, as that slight lameness and wince on turns was gone...... and he is a wuss for pain.
I actually find he swells higher up on the inside of his legs, just below his knees when there is a problem brewing.....


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## Orangehorse (26 January 2015)

Mine is brewing one at the moment.  Last week slightly off, then OK, now again this morning a bit off - and I was thinking I should ride today!

Anyhow, another abscess story - went round to visit someone whose horses have to rough it a bit.  Not shod on hinds to save farrier for instance.  Told me about their horse, quite good, won rosettes for juming, PC competitions, then started to loose performance.  No idea if they got the vet or not, but it was treated as a bad back, even sending horse to a yard where it could be lunged to build up muscle, little improvement.  Owner was watching it hobble round the field and was thinking that she should have it PTS as the poor thing was obviously in pain.  As it happened the farrier came and as the horse hadn't been ridden its feet were a bit long.  Farrier picked up a hind foot and started to trim - abcess burst.  Farrier picked up the other hind foot and started to trim - abscess burst.  Horse is OK now ................................


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## JFTDWS (26 January 2015)

I also lost a couple of months to one last year.  Dragged on with some degree of lameness for around 8 weeks, and then weakness on the affected limb when he was back in work for a bit longer.  He was so tense and resting it for so long it, it was a while before he took weight on it the same as his other hind leg.


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## skint1 (26 January 2015)

Abscesses are just terrible aren't they? 
My horse is currently barefoot behind and my farrier was on the yard this morning doing another horse he said he noticed when he did her a couple of weeks back that she had a lot of bruising by her toe on one of the rear feet, this is how it all started with her last year ( and she had shoes on then) so I am bracing myself.


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## TulipBlaze (26 January 2015)

Hi Shug, my mare has just this week come back  from an abscess, and it was 3 weeks from day of injury (twisted her shoe and stepped down on  one of the nails) to being reshod and back to almost normal. I hope that this short time frame gives you some hope compared to the longer ones above!

The abscess itself only showed up around 5 days after the initial lameness, on the 2nd vets visit, to start with we also thought it was just bruising.

A couple of things which I think helped;

 1.When the farrier removed the shoe we weren't sure if any damage had occurred, but he advised hot tubbing straight away, as a "stitch in time" type preventative measure, even though we didn't yet know if there would be a problem. We used warm water, Epsom Salts and Hibiscrub, and tried to get her to stand in it for around 15 mins each evening.
2.Tried to keep everything very clean, changing poultice every day, lots of vet wrap round it.
3. Deep bed to help cushion.
4. Dont use purple spray, the vets dont like it as they cant see the tissue in the hoof very well once it has been applied.

She was really very lame, wouldn't even put the foot down on the floor, but improved rapidly once the abscess had been burst and the pus drained!

Hang on in there and Good luck!


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## diamonddogs (26 January 2015)

I'm a bit curious as to how long an abscess can sit there, only causing problems every six months or so.

My mare seems prone to them - gets one every six months or so. The last one she had, she was lame off and on for about six weeks. Just when we thought she was over it, she'd be on three legs again. This went on and on, with me trying everything I could think of to get her right.

I'm sure it was a coincidence, but I bought a Davis boot and stood her in Epsom salts for 20 mins for three days and she came sound, then I noticed it had burst out at the coronet. It's all fine now, and it's been nine months - I'm touching wood as I type this but she should have had another by now, but fingers crossed, she's absolutely fine.

So, could this abscess have been grumbling away for a year or so, or are we just very unlucky? My farrier thinks unlucky, but he always says, he's been in the game for getting on for forty years and he still sees things he's never seen before!


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## SpottyMare (26 January 2015)

When I bought my weanling we spent about 3 months with abscesses intermittently in all 4 feet, but consistently in 2 of them - I was poulticing constantly, but they seem to be determined wee beggars.  Similar to another poster, the abscess tracking around on both the front and hind foot caused the soles to fall off which was a bit of a shock...  The degree of lameness is horrific though - you do tend to think the worst!

On the plus side, due to all that attention at such a young age she's an absolute star for the farrier and for hoof picking


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## cattysmith (26 January 2015)

With my old mare when I moved, I had to put up with a really crap farrier for several years. My girl's feet were utterly horrific and I couldn't get another farrier to come to me for any amount of money! 16 abscesses my mare had in all of her feet in the three years this farrier was doing her. I suspect most of them were reoccurring but goodness only knows. It was horrendous!

 Eventually I got so desperate in the end I decided to go barefoot. Once I did, in the following 7 years she had only two abscesses! 

They're so frustrating to deal with. Sometimes you wonder whether it's best to get the vet out to dig, or to soak them or to leave them. I do think that some are probe to them too. 

I know one horse who was in for three months with an abscess and it was so bad they considered pts. Luckily it all came good in the end.

My gelding had one last summer and I made the decision to leave it be. Surely enough a week or so later he was sound as a pound. It was a particularly miled and wet spring so I had been expecting someone to get one! He'd only ever had one before, and my trimmer spotted the signs when it had grown out. He hadn't even been lame on it! 

My old mare is no longer with us, but luckily now I finally have a great farrier for my new mare who is fantastic!


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## annunziata (26 January 2015)

my horses abscess last year took 3 weeks to come out and drain and because of the damage he spend almost 2 months in the box.  He is totally fine now and it has grown out


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## rara007 (26 January 2015)

My old WB had one, very lame for 2 weeks, burst out the heel, still really noticeably lame for 2 weeks and he had another month before being back in full work.


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## Tnavas (26 January 2015)

Two months with one that had everyone fooled, even the vet. Nothing showed on X-ray, vet said to turn out and see what happens. Farrier came in to take rest of shoes off and to tidy lame foot, when rasped pus exploded out of the foot. A deep abscess that under ran the whole sole.

Another on and off over 6 months. Had foot Xrayed and the abscess was sitting just below the coronary band.

Poultice the life out of the foot, this time of year in mud etc is the hardest time to repair an abscess unless you can either stable or keep foot protected.


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## shugmx (26 January 2015)

Thank you everyone he still very sore but in better form today.  It does help knowing that it is more common than i thought and everybody seems to have come out the other side.   I will keep you all posted when he turns a corner. x


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## Hoof_Prints (26 January 2015)

Hope your horse is better soon! My horse had a strange niggling abscess that came and went for about 7 weeks, he would go hopping lame then be a bit better, then be very lame again. The vet dug a huge hole on his foot and found a tiny bit of black goo, but said that there was almost certainly other issues going on due to the nature of the abscess, I just waited it out and poulticed, he didn't have any other problems, just a very strange, long term abscess !


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## my bfg (27 January 2015)

Checked with vet yesterday and wasn't two months it was 11 weeks and he ended up writing a paper about it, fingers crossed yours doesn't last half that long! X


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## shugmx (3 February 2015)

4 weeks and 1 black smith and 3 vets later abscess found in the frog but it appears to be dried up rather than a lot of goo. Although still needed opened to put him back on four legs.  Thank you so much for all your reassuring messages.  One relieved owner.x


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## Peregrine Falcon (3 February 2015)

Phew!  Glad all is on the mend now.


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## Maureen Davies (21 July 2021)

elijahasgal said:



			My old lad the vets and farriers thought he had a touch of arthritus, as he was only slightly lame as he turned.
A YEAR later, Idiot boy jumped into the yard (I had taken his shoes off for winter) onto slightly rough stone.  As it turned out the Abscesses that blew on BOTH front feet were a blessing, as that slight lameness and wince on turns was gone...... and he is a wuss for pain.
I actually find he swells higher up on the inside of his legs, just below his knees when there is a problem brewing.....
		
Click to expand...

Could I please ask for some more information  on the swelling up the legs.  My boy had an absess and I don't think it's gone completely. He is less lame  but still lame on the lunge. He has a swelling up his leg.  Not a soft swelling. It's quite hard and no heat.


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