Hoof abscess

Question 1

What is a hoof abscess?
what are the predisposing factors?

Answer 1

• Damage to the sole or white line of the hoof
• Bacterial invasion and colonisation
• Resulting in localised infection

Predisposing factors:
* Poor hoof quality
* Unhygienic environment
* dirty bedding
* turnout in wet conditions
* History of laminitis - presidposes horse to “seedy toe” / white line disease

Question 2

What are the clinical signs of hoof abscesses?

Answer 2

• Usually acute onset lameness
• Lameness often severe
• In rare cases, lameness may be milder
• Bounding digital pulse of the affected limb

Question 3

How do you diagnose a hoof abscess?

Answer 3

• Localising the lame limb
• Presence of a digital pulse
• Examine the foot for anything obvious, such as penetrating injuries and foreign bodies
• Use of hoof testers
  
  • Palpate around the hoof wall
  • Percussion of different regions of the sole
  • Horses are not always reactive
• Remove the shoe
• Remove the thin layer from entire surface from the sole
• Explore the white line using a loop knife
• Look for any signs of abnormalities, such as black patches
• EXPLORE!

Question 4

How do you treat a hoof abscess?

Answer 4

once you have located the lession
* Pare the area using hoof knives and nippers, if required
* The horse is likely to be reactive at this stage
* If required, consider sedation or a palmar digital nerve block to desensitise your patient
* Pare until pus is obtained
* Ensure a suitable drainage area is left, to prevent “refilling”
* Place a wet poultice over the foot
* Replace daily whilst the abscess drains
* After a day or two of clean poultices, replace with a dry poultice for 2 days, to allow the foot to harden.

Question 5

What additional treatment should be given to a horse with a hoof abscess and what questinos do you need to ask?

Answer 5

• Analgesia - NSAIDs

Does the horse have tetanus coverage?
* If not, it requires a tetanus antitoxin injection
* You can start the vaccination course at the same time but will require injection at a different site.

Box rest
* Excessive movement risks the infection tracking towards the coronary band which will prolong treatment time.

Question 6

what should you do if you don’t obtain pus on a suspected hoof abcess?

Answer 6

• Sometimes foot abscesses need a day to “brew”
  
  • Place a poultice and revisit the Next day
• If still no puss –> Consider radiographs
  
  • locate the abscess
  • rule out other differentials

Question 7

Are antibiotics needed for hoof abscesses?

Answer 7

• For most foot abscesses no –> Antibiotics can prevent a foot abscess from draining by encapsulating

But can be given if:
* Soft tissue infiltration
* Readily draining abscess which you’re struggling to get on top of