When I picked up Houndy and Kiss a Monster from the farm they were pretty footsore but Monster looked a bit lame. He has been in that sort of lame category since he arrived but without shoes it is hard to tell what is what. The farrier couldn’t make it until today so I had put some hoof boots on them in the meantime to get them comfy.
Tara called yesterday and said Monster is unable to walk and his right leg is swollen but no signs of injury or anything so she thought it could be an abscess. She knew I was going to be home soon so she just put him in with some hay and water. We got home and he was laying down and not willing to get up. I finished unpacking the trailer and getting other horses arranged and then went in with him. I sat with him for a minute and then he decided he could get up. I was sure it was abscess as the leg had that nice stovepipe look. Kurt came in and we pulled that hoof boot off and almost died right there in the stall. Holy stinking rotting pus filled abscess smell. Man, that will bring your dinner right back up. We push him down the aisle into the wash stall..yes literally pushing him along he was that bad off. I start hosing to put some pressure on the back of the heel and the fluid is coming out. Yuck totally on my hands and unable to get that smell off. We push as much out as we can and then wrap in animalintex and get him settled back in for the night. Poor guy is absolutely miserable!
Abscesses fascinate me not with the smell but how they tend to brew around in the foot and then pick a place to blow out. I’m always glad when I find an abscess and then the horse is sound again. I’m sure he will be feeling relief soon and maybe we can get some shoes on him today if he is feeling better. The animalintex pads do wonders for helping the drainage and reducing inflammation.
He wanted to bury his head in my arms last night he was so hurty. He is a sweetie to work around.
