Horse still lame on bute

[rosie]

My horse has had lots of foot problems this year, starting in about April, which what we thought was lami, but then actually wasnt. Then bit later in year when wet weather started, lost a shoe and lot of hoof, so was barefoot for about 2 months, did start to hack again in hoof boots. Then had a nasty abcess in L fore about 8 weeks ago, treated by vet etc. Checked afterwards by vet & farrier both happy. Then had shoes back on and got back to riding and was feeling great. Then after a fortnight was slightly lame on the foot that had the abcess. Shes very very hard to keep in 24/7 as gets very stressed and has to be sedated. But kept her in for 2 days last weekend, (had spoken to vet & farrier), was on bute 1 twice a day. After 48 hours still looked slightly lame in trot on hard ground. Spoke to vet again , who said if its a bruise, then could take longer than couple of days, but said try putting her out in small area, then not stressed and shes in at night anyway., and vet said keep her on bute longer. So shes been on bute 1 twice a day since last Friday evening, and this morning she looks ok in walk, but still slightly lame in trot on the hard ground. Vet thought it could also be another abcess coming. I think I am going to stop the bute now and see what happens without it and speak to vet on Monday again. Anyone any ideas?

[mandal]

I don't know sitting here behind my screen. If it is an abscess there's no need to stable ime and a bruise can turn into an abscess. Good on the vet suggesting turnout in a small area. I think it's a waiting game with vet back up/review of course...

[bertie666]

You could try getting a barefoot trimmer out to give an assessment of the hooves - another pair of educated eyes might help shed some light. And you could take side and sole pics and post on here

[specialized]

From experience a stone bruise can last 6 weeks.
Have you had the foot x-rayed to rule out bone change?

[rosie]

Thanks Specialized - she had the foot xrayed the day before the abcess burst as I was worried she had something seriously wrong. The vet says she did have minor arthritic changes, normal for her age, shes almost 19, but other than that the xrays just showed flat footed confirmation, thin soles and at the time, dirt tracking up the front of the hoof. Should she not be sound on bute though if it was a bruise?
Bertie 666 - I know a lot of people on here are big fans of barefoot, but its just not something I can do with this horse. I've had her for over 16 years and have tried in the past, but she is just much happier in front shoes (never had back shoes).

[jill]

Have you poulticed? If it is a bruise or the remnants of an abcess a poultice will help draw it out, as well as providing a softer buffer against the ground.

[mollichop64]

Think I would go with hot poulticing for a couple of days to see if anything can be encouraged to the surface, my friends horse has had a strange bout of lameness which vet was stumped at and said treat as low grade lammi, so he's been in on deep litter and soaked hay. Seems to be okay now and is on small area turnout now. Maybe the deep litter when in would help your girl? Hope she gets better soon whatever the problem is. X

[specialized]

Bute won't necessarily make her sound, we have one with navicular on bute and although it makes him comfortable and less lame you would not say he was sound.

[Deleted]

Think of it a bit like us taking nurofen - it will get rid of the dull ache of a headache, but if someone poked your bruise you'd still wince because it doesn't numb you totally and that's a much more intense pain.

Did you manage to get rid of the dirt tracking up her hoof wall? It's unusual for seedy toe/ white line disease to cause lameness but not unheard of and if there's dirt getting in there then infection won't be far behind.

[bertie666]

Whats her diet? Can you put up pics of her feet please

[specialized]

Dec 2, 2012 10:49:04 GMT 1 @michellep said:

Did you manage to get rid of the dirt tracking up her hoof wall? It's unusual for seedy toe/ white line disease to cause lameness but not unheard of and if there's dirt getting in there then infection won't be far behind.

That will depend on how the hoof is being loaded, if there is excess loading through the hoof-wall then lameness can occur with seedy toe.

[rosie]

Thanks for your replies. She is actually slightly more lame this morning off the bute, definitely heat on side of hoof. Have poked all around the coronet and doesnt really react. Am thinking abcess though now (again). With the last abcess I poulticed the coronet (thats where it burst through) - the vet had also made 2 holes under the front of the toe, trying to find the abcess initailly, no pus came out of these, just black mud. The heat now is on the side of the hoof wall. She dies still have a shoe on, so am waiting to see if my farrier gets back to me today, not always easy on a sunday.
As far as her diet, she gets formula 4 feet and a handful of safe & sound twice a day, shes in at night with hay and usually out in the day.

[mandal]

If she has thin soles she is more at risk of bruising and abscessing. Diet seems to be a huge factor in sole thickness building (provided it isn't routinely pared). Here's a link to an article explaining about dietary factors. www.hoofrehab.com/diet.htm
Huge subject I'm afraid but there might be some pointers to help in the longer term.

[jill]

I would get the farrier to see if he can find a track to follow to the seat of the abcess. Then poultice the track to encourage the pus to exit there. If they burst at the coronet they can do damage to the coronet (and predispose to poor horn growth from that area for ever more) and to the internal structure on their travels IMO.
Sabria has a premanent crack which grows down from a damaged coronary band, no idea how the damage was caused in her younger days but it is the sort of thing an abcess can do if it gets to that area.

[bertie666]

SAFE AND SOUND INGREDIENTS

Oatfeed, Nutritionally Improved Straw, Grass Chaff, Chopped Cereal Straw, Cane Molasses, Grass, Unmolassed Sugar Beet, Wheatfeed, Full Fat Soya Bean Meal, Wheat, Vegetable Oil, Full Fat Linseed, Mint 1.4%, Dicalcium Phosphate, Limestone Flour, Salt, Blackcurrant Powder, Carrot Powder, Beetroot Powder, Tomato Powder 0.4%, Vitamin/Trace Mineral Premix, Nettle Leaves 0.3%, Seaweed 0.2%, Rosehips 0.2%, Methyl Sulphonyl Methane (MSM) 0.1%, Calcined Magnesite, Garlic Granules 0.1%

Aside from the added molasses there are quite a few grass products which are flash dried so high in sugar. Id swap to just speedibeat or fast fibre and be changing the formula 4 feet to one with high levels of minerals in such as Forage Plus Winter Balancer.

You say you've tried barefoot before and it didnt work - was this because she was sore? I wonder if that could've been diet related. At the end of the day she's lame in shoes so is taking them off and giving her the time to grow a new hoof really such a bad alternative?