Easy Soaking
For soaking, you need a bucket or tub deep enough to allow the entire hoof, including coronary band, to be submerged. For horses that "fuss" about being soaked, attempting to extract their foot, tall kitchen-trash cans are often a good choice. The hotter the water the better, but it has to be a temperature the horse is going to tolerate without discomfort. Begin with water at a temperature that you would find comfortable for a bath, then try adding straight hot water in small amounts until the horse begins to fidget and tries to withdraw the foot. If you don't have an area where it's convenient to soak, consider the Davis Soaking Boot or Super Soaker (see products chart).
Chronic Abscesses
Although there's some debate among veterinarians as to whether unresolved abscesses can be a source of chronic hoof pain, there are many laminitic horses that never become completely comfortable until anti-inflammatories are stopped and abscesses begin to appear and drain.
We also know of a racehorse that had been off and on lame for over two years, problem localized to the feet by nerve blocks. X-rays found some navicular changes and sidebone formation, but even a low neurectomy failed to resolve the pain. The trainer finally gave up, pulled the horse's shoes and turned him out in a field. Within a short period of time, the horse came up extremely lame and a day or two after that drained some large abscesses. He's been sound and back racing since.
Subsolar Abscesses
Without a doubt, the most difficult abscesses to drain and resolve are those located under the sole. They're most common in horses that have had laminitis but can occur after a puncture wound to the sole or frog. These collections under the sole tend to spread out and the body's attempt to keep them localized often causes multiple pockets to form. While they do sometimes "blow out" through the sole, in most cases this won't happen unless the sore is pared over the abscess. Otherwise, they will eventually exit at the heel bulbs, toe or at the point of the frog.
Products For Abscesses
Easy Soaker Boot
Easy Care Inc.
www.easycareinc.com
800-447-8836
$24.99
Equine Slipper
Bluegrass Equine Products
www.bluegrass-equine.com
866-859-9242
$34.95
Generic disposable diapers
Animalintex
Robinson Healthcare
www.3m.com
888-364-3577
$6.50 sheet - 8" x 16"
$7.25/pack of 3 precut hoof shaped pads
Numotizine Cataplasm
Hobart Laboratories
www.numotizine.com
218-751-9505
$22.73/24 oz.
Epsom Salt Poultice
Kaeco Group
www.kaeco.com
800-228-1211
$8.50/20 oz.
Antiphlogistine
Absorbine
www.absorbine.com
800-628-9653
$37.50/5 lbs.
All-purpose poultices
Generic ichthammol
$8/14 oz.
Skin Renovator
Equine America
www.equineamerica.com
800-838-7524
$14.95/50 ml pump dispenser
Tuf-foot
Bonaseptic Co.
www.tuffoot.com
888-TUF-FOOT
$10.95/8 oz.
