Tucked up - and bruised sole

[scattymare]

Flossy has been looking very tucked up for the last couple of days. She's eating and drinking normally and is her usual bossy self. We did have an episode at the weekend which may have something to do with it but would have thought she's be over it now -

On Friday night had a call from YO to say she'd found her on 3 legs and on picking up her hoof she had a hinge bracket with 3 screws sticking in her foot Thankfully two of them were straddling the frog and were stuck in the mud in the frog clefts. The other however was at the point of the frog and had gone a short way into the sole. I'd had a drink so couldn't go down to check her so told A to call the vet for advice as I know puncture wounds can be nasty. She wasn't lame and the vet said no need to visit straight away, see how she was next day.
Anyway, next day she's hopping lame, really not wanting to weight bear. A had already called the vet. Vet arrived, didn’t even take her out the stable as she was so lame but said referral straight to hospital for x-rays (she was worried that due to level of lameness the screw had possibly hit a tendon). So I packed Flossy and A off to hospital while I went to my dads for a birthday lunch. Got text from A to say they’d arrived and Flossy had walked off trailer sound! Hospital sedated her and took x-rays, no sign of a puncture wound, Flossy still sound! So they kept her in overnight for observation, still sound the following morning so she came home Sunday lunchtime.
She was fine when she got back but it was Monday evening I noticed she looked very tucked up. No problems but then this morning she walked towards me limping heavily! Oh no I thought, not again. So caught her, picked her feet out – she had a big clod of compact mud in the hoof – then lo and behold she was fully sound again! So I assume the foot is still bruised and the mud was pressing on the sole giving her gip.
She looked completely fine when I left. But do you think maybe she’s feeling her foot a bit and that is causing the tucked up’ness? I’m going to email A to get her to give the vet a call and see what they suggest. But it’s a bit odd.

[brigadier]

Okay this is a bit after the horse has bolted so to speak but start poulticing her foot straight away, use animallintex and poultice for at least four days. Your vet needs shooting, any nail into the foot should be treated straight away regardless of where it has punctured- what were they thinking of?? Also tub the foot before putting the poultice on as hot as she can stand for fifteen minutes in salty water (1 tsp to one pint) making sure you scrub the foot thoroughly first with disinfectant to remove all traces of mud and dirt. So to recap, clean hoof, tub then poultice, repeat morning and night and dont stop until she recovers. If still lame then call the farrier so he can open the wound a bit, so the poultice works. Also do Xrays show soft tissue injuries? They must have been looking for damage to the DDFT or pedal bone but that wouldnt negate an abscess forming and causing damage.

Scatty for future reference- any injury to the foot like this must be cleaned straight away, absolutely no delay regardless what a vet says,( Ive seen horses die on veterinary advice, my own included) preferably tubbed then poulticed- you simply cant be too careful!

[zara]

Hi Scatty, Sorry to hear Flosy isn't too well. Ditto Brig completely - needs cleaning and poulticing. Good luck xx

[dannyboy]

Scatty, I wouldn't have known what to advise but isn't it brilliant that we have Brig on hand to share her knowledge and pass on advice. I hope Flossy is showing signs of improvement. x

[scattymare]

I was very surprised also when they didn’t come out Friday night because when Sancy managed to find a cable pin in her stable they were straight out, we poulticed, gave antibiotics, tetanus booster shot etc even though she wasn’t even lame on it As it turns out she spoke to a vet nurse, not a vet. (It was out of hours)
But that said, from the x-rays, there was no puncture – thankfully. There was a tiny dent in the sole which you could see from the outside where the tip of the screw went in but they cut that away at the hospital, cleaned it all and it hadn’t actually pierced through the sole (if you see what I mean) I can only assume that the mud in her hoof gave enough barrier to stop it penetrating completely. Even at the hospital they didn’t poultice her and I told A to ask if she should be when she came home and they said no, just turn out as normal.
A’s spoken to the vet this morning who said it sounds like bruising and the ‘mud stilt’ was putting pressure on it and to give her ½ a bute twice a day.
But do you think I should poultice anyway just to be on the safe side? She’s currently sound (which she has been since Saturday other than this morning but was sound again as soon as I had picked her foot out) It won’t hurt A to learn how to do it anyway for future reference anyway!

[solomon]

If she is still going lame there is something wrong. Poor Flossy. Hope she is better soon.

[spotti]

Personally I think I'd poultice anyway. I know it's a faff but at least you'll know that her hoof is clean. Then if she goes lame again then it's likely to be something on the inside that's gone wrong, not somethign caused by dirt/infection.

Hope she feels better soon!!!

[brigadier]

The prep in the poultice will help the bruise Scatty, I would still poultice or tub.

[fimacg]

cant add anything but hope she is feeling better

[scattymare]

She's back to normal thankfully. Completely sound and no longer tucked up.
Bloomin 'orses!

[haffyfan]

Glad she's better Scats...they do give us some worry though.