Abscess feigning broken leg....

[KoLaTo]

Why do they always look like they have broken a leg when theres an abscess brewing in there?

As Zoe texted me this morning with the very apt expression that she thinks i've 'really pi**d off the lamness fairy'

Just got Lark sound after pretty much all summer on and off, Tom turns up and within 48 hrs goes down with concussive laminitus, comes sound then Kobi goes lame, total re-hab of his left side, out from poll to hip now get up there this morning and Tom is on 3 legs waving his right fore in the air

All i can find is a gravel pin hole in the white line and perhaps a smidgen of heat under the coronet band directly above the hole.

ps - he isn't really waving his leg in the air but he is walking the typical abscess walk *oooh, ouch, oooh, ouch* oh but it does feel better if you have sweeties for me ;D

And whilst we have so much mud, mud, mud everywhere!!

[Lulu]

OH no PP, the dreaded abscess fairy has been then ? I', not going to be smug and boast that I've been good this year, otherwise the abscess fairy will return with a vengeance !

[KoLaTo]

Mmm Lulu, well i must admit that in nrly 40 yrs i have been very very lucky indeed, i have dealt with countless other peoples horses abscesses but *touches wood frantically* have never had one of mine go down with one......

It might not be, he may have twisted a fetlock pratting around as he does but i've seen the 'abscess walk' so many times that he is doing a real good impression of it, either that or he has laminitus again in the one foot but as he hasn't been anywhere for the last few wks or had any grass then i am sure it isn't that and his pulses aren't raised. I'm such a laminitus geek that i'm hopeful that i'm right this time....

Precaution anyway, he's been in today with a hot poultice over the hole i found and i'll boot him before he goes out tonight, if it is an abscess they burst so much quicker if they can move around rather than stood in the box but i needed them in today anyway as was doing stuff in the field and couldn't cope with them nicking all my tools - LOL

[Lulu]

I got the easy-soaker boot for Lena to soak her abscess in but it was too small. I kept it in case the ponies ever had any problems, and so far it's not needed to be used.

I know what you mean about the "Abscess walk". I've seen it many a time with the horses at work, that when it's your own, you know it.

I've got my daughter trained to look for tiny stones in the white line when she picks her pony's feet out, we've picked out some tiny 2mm pebbles out of the white line before (use a new shoeing nail) and scrubbed out feet. Ponies have nice tight white lines, so it's only when it's wet they get a few grit particles in it, and thats what can travel up and cause the abscess.

With this weather, it's hard to keep their frogs looking fat and healthy, they're all looking withered and small (guess it's akin to us being in the bath too long LOL). Would love to have some hardcore places in the field, to feed their hay on, so they could get some dry surface to walk and exfoliate on.

[Karon]

Ash had an abscess a few years ago, when she was still shod, and I was convinced she had a broken leg - she came down a steep field on 3 legs Emergency call to vet found an abscess (I felt a little silly!) - huge sighs of relief all round!

Fingers crossed something bursts quickly and he's OK in a day or two.

[basilhorse]

i hate abscesses

hope it bursts soon

[ms]

Abscesses are the pits...I can vividly remember coaxing/half carrying my old horse across half a mile of boggy moorland in a screaming gale to get to the yard,I had to take down 2 dry stone walls as well as the gateways were too far away ; all the time in mild hysterics cos I thought he had some terrible injury cos he couldn't put his foot to the floor...it took forever !!
Vet arrived, poked about in his foot and lo and behold it was an abscess, I've never felt so relieved in all my life !!
Hope yours is resolved soon.

[MirandaSophie]

UGH! poor you and ponies!

i'm another who is not a fan of the abscess! I couldn;t compete for the title at the state champs last year because rolls got one in his knee after our first class!

hoping it sorts itself out very swiftly, pp!

[cbc]

Only had one on a mare once years ago (touches wood frantically )There is definitely a an agonised type of walk.
I think it must feel like when you get an infected thorn in your finger near a nail, and you feel like your hand ought to drop off because its so painful. Its such a relief whet the pressure is off.

[KoLaTo]

Mmm, well not so sure it is an abscess now, hot poultice yesterday lunchtime, my amazing technique stayed on until tonight despite his best efforts to get it off in the bog out in the field, no pus and almost sound...... there is a small heat spot near the coronet band thou so i wonder if it may pop out of there, either that or the tiny bit of grit in the white line was causing him this much pain.....

[wally]

I know where you are coming from, panic stations......only an abscess and broken leg present the same. Scary innit?

[Susan]

ponypit yopu talk such sense.. yes they do better out as it will generally get it on its way..

Many years ago I had Flynn have nail bind but at the time I didnt know and called the vet as he was seriously lame.. and vet said if they are this lame and not broken leg it is in the foot and either nail bind or abcess and often better to get farrier out.. in my case my DAEP...

But I am impressed ponypit.. as to me you are doing the sensiblebut problem some abcesses dont always read the book on how to behave do they

[nich]

Autumn had a poisoned heel in the summer - vet missed it but trimmer found it....no heat, but hopping lame.