No Foot - No Horse

I just want to start with apologising with the lack of posts over the past week. I have been rather busy working, looking after Toby-Wan-Kenobi for my friend Laura whilst she is holiday, attending a business presentation for my up and coming business (one of two - eeks!), my boyfriends birthday meal and preparing for our holiday to Croatia - tomorrow!!

I should be packing right now but I'm having serious blogging withdrawal symptoms, it's just so addictive!

About two weeks ago I attended part two of the lameness workshop ran by one of the top vets at my local equine veterinarian practise - Alasdair Topp. The first part was on was on the lameness examination process, what the vet will do any why (I've covered this in a post previously if you would like to read it). This workshop was on forelimb lameness and we were to cover the whole limb in the two hour slot. 

It's safe to say we didn't and we only just managed to cover the foot! I learnt so much and I really just wanted to share it will you all. 

In this post I am going to keep it bite size and start with covering abscesses and solar penetrations. 

Hoof Abscess

An abscess is a localised accumulation of pus between the germinal and keratinised layers of the epithelium. This causes an increase in pressure within the foot and can bring on acute lameness. The extra pressure in the hoof may cause further separation of the epithelum and burst out of the coronary band as the build up will try and break out of the foot at the weakest point. 

Signs you may notice are: an increase in temperature in the affected foot, an increased digital pulse and/or swelling around the coronary band.

Abscess Causes

• Solar penetration 
• Microfracture on the white line
• Nail bind - where a farrier has got too close with a nail
• Dirt and bacteria have gotten into the hoof via a crack and caused an infection

Diagnosis and treatment

With the use of hoof testers your vet will be able to isolate where the pain is coming from alternatively, a nerve block could be used to localise the lameness.

Your vet will look to establish drainage without damaging the corium as this will cause bleeding and slow down the healing process. It may be necessary to remove a small section of wall to help with the drainage. Once the abscess has been drained you should see a rapid improvement in the horse and it will be a case of poulticing and/or tubbing the foot to keep it dry and clean until it has healed.

Photo - Equi-ads

Solar Penetrations

A foreign object which has penetrated through the sole of the hoof. These can be potentially serious/life threatening and may cause damage to the following structures:

• Navicular Bursa
• Digital Flexor Tendon Sheath
• Deep Digital Flexor Tendon
• Coffin Joint
• Pedal Bone

If your horse suffers from a solar penetration it is very important that you leave the foreign object in the foot until the vet arrives. Leaving the object in the foot will allow the vet to see where the object has gone in, at what angle and which structures will be damaged. It will reduce further damage to the foot by trying to pull it out and it will more importantly reduce the amount of blood flow if the injury is severe.

Solar penetrations can cause:

• Severe lameness
• Increased digital pulse
• Heat in the foot
• Swelling up the leg
• Systemic signs (such as an increase in temperature overall or the horses seems off) if deeper structures have been damaged. 

Diagnosis and Treatment

As with abscesses, your vet may use hoof testers and/or use a nerve block if the object is no longer there to try and locate the pain. X-rays with the use of contrast media at the entrance of the wound or an MRI scan could be used to see how deep and exact location of the injury. By using an MRI scan your vet will be able to identify whether the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon has been damaged.

Depending on the seriousness of the injury there are a number of treatments available from flushing out the wound, packing it and keeping it dry along with a course of antibiotics to requiring surgery to remove dead bone fractured off the pedal bone from a solar penetration injury. 

Photo - EquiPodiatory

Other topics covered in the workshop were: 

• Quittor
• Kertoma
• White line disease
• Canker
• Hoof wall cracks
• Laminitis
• Navicular Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Fractures
• Collateral Ligament Desmitis
• Digital Flexor Tendon Sheath

Which of the above topics would should I cover next? 

My boy Bailey had his share of foot issues, he suffered with an abscess at one point and collateral ligament desmitis which sadly never healed. 

Has anyone's horse suffered with any of the above issues? If so, leave a comment and share your experience! 

Jess x