hi my 26 yr old mare has recently got a abscess! my mum found her with her foot of the floor trembling and touching the floor with the tip of her hoof..she thought she had a broken leg! is this normal????? she called the vet out n she picked out her hoof n found a little hole n sed it was a abscess! shes poulticed it and put her in a stable but the problem is she does not like being stable but im doing this for her own good is that ok???? write back as soon as poss very worried thnk

Where are you from? england lincolnshire

How did you locate this forum? searching the web

Hi Stacey,

I'm so sorry to hear about her foot abscess. And, I understand your concern about putting her in a stable when she is not used to it. Do you have a small area where you can let her stay, where she won't hurt herself or where other horses won't try to make her run? If you have a safe place, you can likely let her out of the stall. The stress that that creates can make her healing more difficult.

From a nutritional perspective, I would give her additional Vitamin E -- 5000 IU per day, and a B Complex vitamin preparation. Also, make certain that she is getting high quality protein by mixing grass and legume (alfalfa) hays.

Keep me posted on how she's doing.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

hi thanks for the advice! ive extended her shelter so she has a bit of a look out n covered the grass with straw she seems a bit happier..and i re-polticed her foot this morning..shes got loads of hay n slight bit of hard feed with her antibitotics and bute morning and night! how do horses get abcess and why does it look so painful??

Where are you from? england lincolnshire

How did you locate this forum? searching the web

Hi Stacey,

Good -- I'm glad she has more room and less tension of being confined. Be careful about giving bute for too long a period of time. I would suggest adding some canola oil to her feed to help reduce her likelihood of developing an ulcer. Or, you may want to give her a bute-less pain reliever like Stop the Pain.

Abscesses can be due to many causes. A puncture to the area, a bad bruise due to running on hard surfaces, prolonged trailering, laminitis, etc. They are painful. Is hers draining? That will release the pressure.

Dr. Getty

yes she is having her bute cut down to half a sachets slowly weaning her of it..her abcess is not draining yet the vet didnt want to dig down 2 far incase she affected the laminea..we have our farrier coming to see if he can do anything

Where are you from? england lincolnshire

How did you locate this forum? searching the web

Hi Stacey,

Well, you're doing all you can. Keep me posted on how she progresses.

Dr. Getty

hi! she is walking fine again! she has bin let out of her stable and she is walking quite gd actaully! but if she goes lame again she will ave to be put back in!

Where are you from? england lincolnshire

How did you locate this forum? searching the web

Hi Stacey,

Excellent! Be sure to keep her diet in good shape, and she'll likely heal quickly.

Dr. Getty

yep she is fine now had the farrier out and he said it was a abcess and its drained and shes fine now :D:D:D:

Where are you from? england lincolnshire

How did you locate this forum? searching the web

One of my horses just abscessed today. All three have had the exact same care, he is a 7 year old gelding, it has been raining, snowy, sleet and ice very unusual where we live. Some articles I read suggested that cold or wet weather can cause it. He normally is pastured outside and in a 3-sided stall with sand. Since it was icey, I moved them all to indoor stall. He had mud caked up in the hoof for several days. We treated him Apple cider vinegar soak, then wrapped with icthamol, vet wrap and duct tape. About 4 weeks ago, I doubled their grain (Nutrena Safechoice)due to weightloss. Could this have caused it? Very worried

Where are you from? Texas

How did you locate this forum? google, search for abscess & nutrition

Hi Sue,

Yes, I know what you mean about the unusual Texas weather! And, having your horse stalled in a muddy area can definitely contribute to the problem. That mud is teaming with bacteria and even with the slighted opening in the skin, an infection can occur.

I don't think it's the added Safe Choice that caused the problem, though that's not going to be very effective in helping with weight gain. More about that in a minute.

About the abscess, this is generally formed due to a decline in immune function. Cold weather, change of environment and the resulting stress, combined with poor footing, can make it difficult for the body to fight infections. So, first, you ought to have your vet visit to see if antibiotics are necessary. And, if you do put him on antibiotics, consider adding a potent probiotic to prevent any problems since antibiotics kill the good digestive bacteria, as well. Daily Start will replace the beneficial bacteria and also boost the immune system.

Then, instead of feeding large amounts of Safe Choice, consider adding a good vitamin/mineral supplement that is also high in calories from Flaxseed meal. This will help him gain weight and at the same time, keep him healthy. In his situation, I would suggest Glanzen since it is high in B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and a full complement of vitamins and minerals to improve his ability to fight infections. It will also make him glow.

So, as soon as you're able to let him out and grazing again, the better off he'll be. I do recommend medical attention.

Please keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO