Pus(s?) in hoof!

[Bonkey]

Right long story short BonkeyTb has crappy feet which were struggling to hold shoes for various reasons so I have bit the bullet and had them off.

When my farrier came last friday (week ago) he took them off and discovered pus coming out of a small hole in his sole. Abscess had burst!
No hint of lameness and I am sure he wasn't lame with it!

Roll down to today and its still ooozing. No change!
He's very foot sore on hard ground which is to be expected going barefoot but out in the field he is happy and sound sound enough to run rings around me kicking his legs about . I don't think its causing any lameness...but its sore. Still with me?

Farrier told me to just keep it as clean as possible (BonkeyTB lives out ) and spray with purple sray and not to poultice it or worry to much! I'm worrying because thats what us horse mums do....

I'm wondering if I should poultice? Worth a shot?
Or just leave and carry on attempting to keep it clean when its been raining and the ground is muddy...

I also swear it bubbled today when I sprayed it - air coming out?
Am i losing my mind?
I just don't want it to develop into anything worse

Thoughts?

The plan is to give him as much time off as he needs for his feet to recover to a point he can either stay barefoot with the help of boots if need be or hold shoes....

[taxi4ballet]

Sounds like you need the vet to come and have a look - might be antibiotics needed if there's some sort of infection in there.

[Booboostoo]

No harm in having a second opinion from the vet if you are worried, but it sounds like it's an abscess that is draining well and the horse is sound so if he were mine I would keep him in work (i assume he is ridden?). Antibiotics are not generally used for abscesses but no harm in pultricing if you want (as the pus is already coming out though it may be a bit pointless).

[Bonkey]

Normally ridden but having a break because he's had his shoes off because he has crap feet. Could possibly be ridden on soft ground as he is sound...
^^Not the reason for the abscess as he had that before they came off .

Phoned the vet and they said to just keep it clean.
Anyone got any ideas on how to do this with a horse that lives out and its been raining?
He could stay in but gets very very stressed and I would rather not go down that route....I also value my life!

I know he doesn't need any meds but I am just worried if I can't keep it clean its going to get re-infected and we are going to go round in circles.....

This bloody horse and his feet are riving me potty!

[frostyfingers]

You could always put a dry poultice on for a bit - 12 hours at a time I think is the limit - and that will keep it clean and keep drawing any muck out. Look at using Stockholm Tar too, although it may be a bit early for that if it's still producing, but it's a good disinfectant for feet.

[Katnisnevergreen]

I use nappies instead of poultices- so much easier than layers of vet wrap!! Also try taping a square of bin liner over the poultice to keep it clean and dry. This obs needs to be changed regularly to stop rot but works every time

[RedRugNoniMouldiesEtc]

I would always poultice an abscess as it is open to all sorts! Personally I follow wet and warm poultice until the gunk stops running then dry poultice until it is sufficiently healed to not worry about secondary infection. This always works for me.

Fwiw lameness is an odd one, my mare had one that erupted through the sole and coronet band without a second of lameness yet had a tiny one that led to her colicing and needing nerve blocks to get her over the worst! I assume it just to do with where the pressure is inside the foot.

Oh, wet poultice is changed daily, dry every other unless it is obviously mucky. I make a "boot" out of proper gaffer tape over the whole thing. Use plenty and they won't wear through the bottom

[PixelLady42]

My horse has never had an abcess - but has had a crack in her off hind hoof in the past due to an overly long toe. She lives out 24x7 so like you I was worried about mud and debris getting in to the hoof.
I don't know if this is the right advice for abscesses, but while the crack was growing out I plugged It up with red horse hoof stuff which has cotton fibres to bind it together and is made of anti microbial clay to help keep things clean: redhorseproducts.com/shop-2/hoof-care/hoof-stuff/
In the description it says it may be used for plugging abcess holes - if that's any help?

[PixelLady42]

Also - mine is barefoot - she has been bare for several years now. To start with she was sensitive on hard or stony surfaces but has improved a lot.
I ride her in four boots if we do anything more than work in the arena. I wouldn't ever hack out without as there's so much that can damage feet I just think it's worth it for me to go to the effort of using boots to ensure I have a sound horse to ride (as much as you can possibly control these things anyway :) )
I use Swiss horse boots, but any well fitting boot will help if he is sensitive to begin with. I did try hacking out a bit completely bare, and in just front boots at one point, but if hooves are not super solid then I found I easily got chips in the hoof wall which is not what you want with initially compromised feet.
I think the main thing to focus on for barefoot horses is a really well done hoof trim. If the hooves are trimmed well and frequently, and horse feeding and exercise is managed well for that horse, then you have the best framework to encourage good hoof growth.
I don't know how much you know about feet and trimming, or how long you have had your farrier, but I would advise you learn as much as possible about good hoof trimming to work with your farrier and ensure your horse is getting the best trim possible. I am not a farrier basher or in to 'barefoot is the only way'. IMO anyone who says anything is the only way to do something is talking rubbish - everything depends on many circumstances and you as the owner need to assess, in conjunction with the relevant expert where necessary, what is best for your horse.
But - I will say that some farriers don't know how to do a good trim (whether they then apply a shoe or not). They should do, but some farriers are better than others, so if you educate yourself at least on the basics then you can start to recognise if your farrier is doing a good job, and if not try and find someone who does.
I have not had very good experiences with 'barefoot trimmers' or 'equine podiatrists' either, and would trust a farrier more than anyone else, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what their job title is, but whether they do a good job.
With regard to improving your knowledge of barefoot trims - a good place to start is here: www.lamenessprevention.org . I would start with this article: www.lamenessprevention.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:3-basic-goals-of-barefoot-hoof-care&catid=27:pi&Itemid=120
This one is also useful: www.lamenessprevention.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:the-barefoot-horse---balancing-the-how--why---when-&catid=27:pi&Itemid=120
And this: www.lamenessprevention.org/assets/docs/elpo-evaluationprotocol-web.pdf is brilliant to get a comprehensive picture of where your horse is now with his feet - be prepared to dedicate a few hours to doing it though!
Gosh that was a bit long - I hope some of it is helpful for your boy, and the ELPO articles help you with foot trimming knowledge. I have learned masses and have found it has hugely benefited my horse, her way of going, soundness and overall health.

[RedRugNoniMouldiesEtc]

Pixel, opinion is divided on the filler in cracks as it moves/expands etc at a different rate to the hoof. Some farriers swear by it, others won't use it. Personally I've never tried it but I agree it could be useful on an abscess once the infection is clear.

I also agree about learning more about the hoof and general farriery. I decided to educate myself after seeing the effects of a bad farrier. One local to us is so dreadful he has directly (eventually) led to 3 horses being pts in my experience plus stories of many others. He shod one horse for years. She was to be destroyed because her legs were so terrible. Luckily she moved yards and the new farrier saw what was wrong instantly. It took over a year of hard slog to get her right but she's now very rarely lame and free from pain - and alive!

Once you know how to spot a good trim it is incredible how many bad ones there are. It's worrying how many people with bad farriers swear blind they are "fantastic"

[RinkyTinkTen]

Im not sure why you're farrier doesn't think you should poultice? It would keep the hole clean and free from infection which sounds like the last thing you need!

Put a poultice on (I use animalintex) and wrap with vet wrap. Then cover the vet wrap with gaffa tape making sure it is well covered & change every day. One of the retirees at our yard has pus in the foot and he lives out so it shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck!

[Bonkey]

Update:
Pus has stopped!
I didn't poultice I thought I would give it a day or two and see how we went but its cleared just a lovely hole...

Still sore but not hopping lame anymore so I'm holding out for a while before I cave and go back to shoes - its been a tough old week!