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[RC] Hoof Abscess Questions - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Ron Shaffer ron.shaffer@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Sorry the background on my question is a little long but 
hopefully will make sense.  I have an 18 year old QH gelding 
(Cisco) that was OK Sunday evening at feeding time but Monday 
morning was dead lame.  Fate seemed to be on my side Monday as 
my farrier was scheduled to trim my horses that morning.  After 
a quick inspection he found an abscess in the RH near the 
buttress of the sole which he opened and which gave Cisco immediate relief.  
After he finished with my other two horses I 
soaked Cisco?s foot and found there was some swelling on the 
outside bulb area at the heal and that by putting pressure on 
this area I was able to expel more fluid through the opening 
made by my farrier.  The fluid was about the color and 
consistency of black tea.  After a couple of soakings and 
applying more pressure there was no more fluid so I packed the 
area with salve, some cotton and used duct tape to keep 
everything in place and keep the sole clean.  I repeated the 
process Tuesday morning but no more fluid.  However, the bulb 
area was more swollen and now showed signs of tenderness that 
was not there during the first soaking.  It is now Wednesday and 
there is what I will describe as a softening of the tissue at 
the hair line where the outer bulb area (the area where I 
applied pressure to expel fluid) meets the heal wall.  It seems 
to me that the infection that was building pressure in the hoof 
capsule which seems to have been relieved by the soaking and 
draining is now affecting this area.  

So here are my questions:  Is this an area that can safely be 
lanced?  Should it be lanced, or should I let nature to run its? 
course and wait for the infected area to rupture on its? own?  

Cisco is putting full wait on the affected hoof and shows no 
signs of limping at the moment so what ever pressure is building 
up does not seem to be inside the hoof capsule anymore.  We have 
had him 3 years now and he has been barefoot for most of that 
time and is barefoot now.  This is the first time he has had any 
kind of hoof problems.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.


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