Sunday, September 3, 2017

the saga, in pictures!

Happy Sunday, y'all! Today is extra special for folks in the US too, bc it's right smack in the middle of a three day weekend. Yessss!

charles needs all the moral support he can get
Things have continued on here in much the same way as I wrote about last week: As of this writing, Charlie's abscess has not yet resolved itself. But it continues to keep ghosting us - heating up and cooling down. Crippled horse, sound horse.

i told the cashier at my neighborhood pharmacy (my neighborhood being one densely packed with college kiddos) that this was for a 'science project' lol
At this rate, I'm trying to be practical about it. It is not an "injury" in the truest sense of the word, right? It's not a situation where aggravating it risks it's ability to heal completely. Actually, in a way, it's kinda the opposite. It's kinda like a zit. In Charlie's foot. That needs to pop. And what can I say but that I'm a picker??

tho i guess plenty of moms are faced with a similar sight regularly too? luckily (?) for me, this is just ichthammol and epsom salts in a diaper
So on days when he's ouchy and sore, he gets all the good stuff. The good stuff, for the record, being mostly what's either on hand or easily obtained via ye olde amazon prime or local pharmacy. Primarily I've been using ichthammol ointment for it's properties of being able to stick on the hoof and coronet band despite turnout conditions.

even better? i had the perfect duct tape for the job!
Tho I also decided to take it a step farther and wrap that puppy up with the ointment. Plus a generous dash of epsom salts bc why not. All wrapped up in a diaper and taped on to Charlie's beleaguered hoof with flying pig duct tape. Bc... at this rate, I expected that the abscess will finally blow right about when pigs actually fly. Womp.

put upon gelding is put upon
Naturally tho, I also don't have a whole huge amount of faith in my wrap jobs. I've heard great things about including a layer cut from a feedbag in these wraps to help prevent the shoe from cutting through... but opted to just forgo all that this time around.

hairy gelding is also very hairy
Figuring, any time in the wrap was beneficial even if it only ended up being the hour between when I put it on him, and when I turned Charlie out. Therefore I sought to make good use of that hour. Much to Charlie's chagrin. Poor fellow. He leads a troubled life, lemme tell ya!

Also tho, I include the above picture of his pile of pulled hair not out of pride or validation or whatever.... But mostly out of evidence bc I swear you can't even tell by looking at the horse that he just sacrificed so many luscious locks. Homeboy's got hair

yep, that's about what i expected of that...
Anyway. Who knows how long the wrap actually lasted. It was all up around his fetlock, worn through the sole by the next morning. Tho his hoof was actually still quite nicely coated in ointment. No signs of drainage tho :(

fighting the good fight?
But still heat. So. Onto greener pastures buckets.

charlie appreciated the mountain of crack cocaine hay that i supplied for him
Soaking hooves isn't exactly my favorite activity. And if you believe everything you read on the forums, there are entire sects that believe soaking is counterproductive. Idk. I figured if nothing else, it would help me get the hoof a bit clean.

he looks placid, no?
That lasted about 8 minutes tho. And then Charlie was all like, "ha take your epsom salts and shove 'em!"

So.... yea bro. Wtf. I jogged him out tho and he was pretty freakin sound. So since the abscess had declined my invitations to come out via various drawing agents, we moved on to the next tactic of riding that horse while he's sound and see what happens. More on that later.

taken just moments before he sent that bucket flying across the stall. womp. also i told you there wasn't much of a difference in mane pre- and post-pull!
The plan is to keep riding him since he's sound, tho being careful not to make him too sore. Considering. Ya know. He's basically been out of regular work for going on six weeks now. Wtf how does this even happen????

We'll see tho. Today is supposed to be a fun a tutu-filled day. I've got some ideas for how Charlie can comfortably participate - but given the way things have been going, everything right now boils down to game-time decision making. Wish us luck - I reeeeeeally want it to work out!

In the meantime, I've gotten the distinct impression from literally everybody that I've mentioned the word "abscess" to that there are approximately one zillion different preferred methods of treatment. Whether that's in the form of different soaking agents or wrapping techniques or various ointments, tinctures, and salves....

There are so many ways to do this! And apparently every trainer, farrier and vet all have there own favorites and standbys too. Do you have a favorite abscess treatment method too? Any hard and fast "Dos" and "Don'ts"?

36 comments:

  1. TUTUS! Just put a tutu on him. Duh. Clearly this will be the best treatment.

    But srsly, I don't have anything tried and true. They're gonna run their course, I figure, just like the giant effing zits that break out on my face once or twice a month - just gotta pray they emerge at not the worst time ever? Grif held onto one for 10-12 days last summer despite my best efforts. So meh lol

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    1. Ha yup tutus solve all problems! And Charlie is basically at the 2wk period too. Obnoxious. It appears to be resolved maybe tho? Idk. Zits are the worst lol

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  2. Ugh absesses are brutal this year. Everyone seems to be stricken! Yuk! Snaps for Charlie to get better.

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    1. Conditions have definitely been ripe for them, blargh

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  3. I think putting a tutu on him will DEFINITELY cure him. So good luck with your day! I have my fingers crossed.

    Poor Chuckles. Abscesses are the absolute worst, and I have also heard of about 2984569128 ways to treat them. I've done the epsom salt soak in the past. My mom's horse abscesses pretty regularly and I know she does the diaper thing like you tried (also with limited success?). Hopefully that sucker clears up ASAP to Charlie can get back to work for the fall season!

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    1. Ha maybe if I wrap him up in tutus he will be all better forever? Or maybe we won't ever care bc we'll be too busy laughing at him?!?!?

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  4. So frustrating :( is he still in the full leather pads? Maybe pull those off if he is and return to the rim pads only since he seemed to do really well in those? Just brainstorming. You know Charlie best. Good luck with him and I hope you got to wear that tutu

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    1. Yea we pulled those pass off a couple weeks ago when he got reset after the abscess first appeared. So that was helpful for sure. Luckily he appears to maybe he all better (hopefully!) and got to go on our tutu adventure!!!

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  5. I also agree with the tutu. :P

    Abscesses can be so frustrating! Thankfully I haven't had to deal with too many of them, so no advice from me but sending Charlie some foot zit popping juju! LOL

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    1. Lol zit popping juice. Someone should definitely market an abscess remedy using that name. I'd buy that!!!!

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  6. I love the duct tape! The cutest! Absccess are such a pain in the ass, hope it resolves soon. I had good luck with the epsom soak and the diaper/betadine/sugar poultice boot... I'm surprised that there are people not into the soaking!

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    1. Ha that tape definitely made it all feel way cuter than I was otherwise feeling about it! I've heard of that sugardine recipe too, and apparently the soaking thing was about how the horses hoof compresses and expands based on dry/wet conditions and that this is how micro cracks are formed - the cracks being the entry point for bacteria that cause abscesses in the first place. I honestly don't know.

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  7. A few years back I ran into multiple abscesses on multiple hooves with Gavin after a close call with founder. It's frustrating and a total time-eater from a training perspective. I went the soaking route, but honestly, all of his abscesses broke through his heel - so I don't think they were particularly difficult ones to get at. Sorry about your situation! I hope you get solid riding in the fall!

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    1. Yea Charlie's appeared centered around his heel bulb too. Who knows. Founder is terrifying tho - glad you were able to bring Gavin around from that!

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  8. I got no miracle treatment either. Have always had to let them run their course.

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    1. Yea basically.... I want to be doing things and feeling useful but it honestly just kinda feels like busy work haha

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  9. Usually I get out the hoof knife and see if I can find where on the sole it's at. (thin bits of sole carved off for a clean flat surface, so that maybe you can see the crack or seep where the ick is -- this doesn't always work) Soak in hot water and epsom, just because, and then a schmeer of the thick black goop secured with vetrap/duct tape. So, you've got it covered. After that, it's a waiting game. Hang in there!

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    1. Ugh waiting game for sure! I've definitely seen good success with going in for exploration with the knife too. For Charlie we felt that was inadvisable bc he really doesn't have any spare hoof to sacrifice (3wk cycle and all) plus it's seemed like the abscess would come out up around the coronet band or heel bulb anyway. Who knows tho I never found any tracks and the hoof is cold now. Idk lol

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  10. Agreed that a tutu I probably the best cure. You've done everything I would have done, I hope the thing shows its ugly pus face soon!

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    1. Tutus do appear to have cured us! even tho I never saw any pus!!! #notcomplaining lol

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  11. You know my approach- let it work itself out. All the differing opinions can be confusing and frustrating but I guess that means that there really is no one answer. But the tutu idea sounds good to me.

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    1. Yea agreed that whenever there are "zillions of ways" to fix a thing... Probably none of them are really making the difference and the abscess just resolves itself in time. It makes me feel better to be busy even if logically I know I'm not actually really fixing it lol

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  12. Charlie you are KILLING ME! LOL nothing like dragging it out eh? I hope you got to have fun with him and he stayed sound. Troubles...you got them :) See you in a few days with or without Charlie!!(Grhh)

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    1. So far it's looking like I WILL have Charlie at fair hill!! Of course it's horses so anything is possible but we can hope!!!

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    2. Thanks I'm really looking forward to it!!! :D

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  13. Abscesses are THE WORST. It sounds like you are doing all the things. Fingers crossed that it will resolve very soon!

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    1. So far it's looking promising that the big guy is comfortable again! Here's hoping it stays that way!

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  14. Sorry about the continuing abscess. Sometimes they decide to travel up the hoof and pop out around the coronary band, those seem to take twice as long to resolve. Fingers crossed it blows out somewhere soon!

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    1. Yea I think that's basically where we ended up, a long drawn out high abscess. Or who knows bc I never found a blow out and the horse is sound again so..... Lol???

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  15. Ugh, how frustrating! Knock on wood, P has only had abscesses twice, but I used Magic Cushion Extreme for both. I suppose that depends on where in the hoof the abscess is, though. Hope you guys get back to it soon!

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  16. The zit comment actually got me excited. Cause its so appropriate. And I am a picker too. I'm so sorry you are going through this. It's beyond frustrating.

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  17. Oh man. Just pop already! My older gelding had an abscess once that lasted for 7 weeks. The vet ended up having to cut the thing out. It was visible on an X-ray, the pus shadow was from the toe to the coronet. So nasty. I hope by the time you're reading this Charlie's foot is draining pus and you can be done with this nonsense

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  18. Ahhh duct tape boots are the worst!!! I had to bribe barn friends into doing them for me so that they would stay on for turnout. 🙄 The two products I liked best were Animalintex poultice pads and Magic Cushion - I think I eventually was alternating between the two each time I changed the wrap. Of course, Leo ended up not having an abscess...but those were recommended by the two duct tape boots wizards who have dealt with many abscesses than me, and were the easiest (IMO) to work with.
    Hope it pops soon!!!!!

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  19. just cut his leg off. if he cant behave then he DOESNT DESERVE TO HAVE IT

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  20. Holy hell he has a ton of hair. And I'm laughing at Megan's comment above mine!

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