Oh dear, it seems to be my week for being controversial...Unintended, but things always happen in spates. Apologies for the graphic photos, but this is what I found when I went to see an insulin resistant horse yesterday. It has had several bouts of laminitis in the last few years, and is under a local vet for treatment.
Obviously, due to its insulin resistance it is much more prone to laminitis than a normal horse, and so inevitably its more prone to abscessing.
At the weekend, the owner called the vet out as the horse was very lame and obviously had developed an abscess in this hoof. As many (but not all!) vets do, this vet decided that the only way was up, and started digging.
To be fair, the hole dug did allow the abscess to drain, but unfortunately the hole was made so deep that the vet is now warning of coffin bone infection. I hate to say it, but coffin bone infection is much more likely to be a problem if you dig holes so deep that you expose the coffin bone...
Shocking and very sad for the horse. It's a poor foot to start with. Is the sole below the wall? - it looks like it is on the side nearest the camera. Not that there's much wall ...
ReplyDeleteYes, Anon, its a very poor foot. The horse in question has been insulin resistant for a couple of years and has had 2 serious bouts of laminitis in the last year, which are still causing problems. The white line is badly damaged as a result and the foot is very flat and thin soled, although the vet has also thinned it.
ReplyDeleteOMG, did vet not think that it might be an idea to leave something for the poor ned to stand on?
ReplyDeleteHo hum. That'd be why I like mine to be "poppers" out of the coronet :-)
i believe I may see that foot in my nightmares. Poor horse.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed, things can only get better!
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