Oscar came up lame during the first few minutes of a hack the day before I went on holiday. I kept him in and then went away the next morning. He was being looked after by the YO with instructions not to hesitate to call out a vet if needed. She kept him in for 2-3 days then asked a farrier to look at him. Farrier found a crack in the sole. He cleaned it out and recommended poulticing which YO did.
YO then messaged me saying he was pretty much sound again. She kept him in a poorly paddock for a few more days, poulticed for a few more days then turned him back out.
When I came back I assumed he'd be fine. But he was still lame when trotted up. (Sound in walk). So I called the vet who said the crack was very deep and filled with dirt and grit which was forcing the crack ever wider. He recommended hot tubbing then poulticing to clean it out properly. He said the pain would just be the pressure from the dirt pressing into sensitive parts of the hoof and once it was clean he should be sound again. But he needed shoes or boots or hoof putty to prevent the hole just filling up again with dirt so he told me to speak to the farrier again. Vet reckoned he would need poulticing for a week or so then he would be sound again and he could be shod with some sort of 'special' shoe then he could be ridden again. He said there was no evidence of an abscess but that was a risk factor that could complicate things but did not seem likely.
So I spoke to the farrier who said shoes would not help and hoof needed a re-section to get air to the bugs which were anaerobic and it was at least 6 months - with a good chance of him never coming right. Which was rather a shock to hear to say the least!! I said the vet did not think there was an infection and farrier said the bugs just lived in the soil so the hoof would never heal as the bugs in the soil would basically break it down from the inside.
I will obviously speak to the vet again on Monday but in the meantime any thoughts? And if the vet just repeats his advice about shoes and my farrier does not agree with that plan, then what?
There was nothing to see on the sole of the foot immediately when he first went lame. Also he had been trimmed the day before (same farrier) and nothing picked up then either so I don't think it was just me missing it. So I don;t know how the crack formed so quickly in the first place unless there was an abcsess. Feeling sick with worry now. I've gone from 'fine' (YO) to 'a week or two then fine' (vet) to 'may never be fine' (farrier) in less than a day. It;s difficult to get my head round.
YO then messaged me saying he was pretty much sound again. She kept him in a poorly paddock for a few more days, poulticed for a few more days then turned him back out.
When I came back I assumed he'd be fine. But he was still lame when trotted up. (Sound in walk). So I called the vet who said the crack was very deep and filled with dirt and grit which was forcing the crack ever wider. He recommended hot tubbing then poulticing to clean it out properly. He said the pain would just be the pressure from the dirt pressing into sensitive parts of the hoof and once it was clean he should be sound again. But he needed shoes or boots or hoof putty to prevent the hole just filling up again with dirt so he told me to speak to the farrier again. Vet reckoned he would need poulticing for a week or so then he would be sound again and he could be shod with some sort of 'special' shoe then he could be ridden again. He said there was no evidence of an abscess but that was a risk factor that could complicate things but did not seem likely.
So I spoke to the farrier who said shoes would not help and hoof needed a re-section to get air to the bugs which were anaerobic and it was at least 6 months - with a good chance of him never coming right. Which was rather a shock to hear to say the least!! I said the vet did not think there was an infection and farrier said the bugs just lived in the soil so the hoof would never heal as the bugs in the soil would basically break it down from the inside.
I will obviously speak to the vet again on Monday but in the meantime any thoughts? And if the vet just repeats his advice about shoes and my farrier does not agree with that plan, then what?
There was nothing to see on the sole of the foot immediately when he first went lame. Also he had been trimmed the day before (same farrier) and nothing picked up then either so I don't think it was just me missing it. So I don;t know how the crack formed so quickly in the first place unless there was an abcsess. Feeling sick with worry now. I've gone from 'fine' (YO) to 'a week or two then fine' (vet) to 'may never be fine' (farrier) in less than a day. It;s difficult to get my head round.