Warm foot in our new guy

[MartysMom]

Hi everyone,
I have a concern with our new fellow Marty, and would love your thoughts (while we involve vet and farrier).

When I was picking out his feet Wednesday evening I noticed the front left was warm, both touching the hoof and in his heel. He was moving around fine in turnout but sore on it when you ask him to trot. I talked to the vet who recommended to watch overnight and call in the AM. His temp was normal.

Yesterday morning and evening the hoof was the same temp as the other, but this morning it's warm again. It feels warmest on the heel and I can't tell if the heel is a little squishy, like there may be an abscess.

Other things I'm thinking about is that he does strike out with his fronts when the other horses come by, but he has been doing that less as he gets settled - he's not in turnout with anyone else yet. His hooves were "very overgrown with moderate dishing" when he came into rescue in December, and he has had several trims but they said he will be due this week. His feet look long to me and you can tell they were missshapen- farrier is coming out on the 17th. He does have a fissure in his frog that you can see on his heel and maybe because of this also accumulates balls of mud/poop in his feet which I have never seen in a barefoot horse. It looks like how some horses get snowballs in their hooves and his toes don't sit flush with the ground when that happens - this is why we have been picking them out twice a day. Also a touch of thrush I think and I put some thrushbuster on the other day.

No history of laminitis that I know of, he does have cushing's on 1/2 tab pergolide, body score 5 now, he is in turnout but not very lush grass and mostly weeds, and he was on longer greener grass in the rescue.

I'm going to call the vet again when they open but wonder your thoughts. I'm hoping it's something relatively simple like a sole bruise or developing abscess. We've only had him two weeks but just love him.

Thanks!

 

[Kelly]

My old biggie, 24yo, gets a warm hoof and a limp in his front. I had him on 24 hour turn out. He is on mostly weeds at night and then during the day more grass. It is turning out to be too much for him. I have to restrict him down to grass for 8 hours, a grazing muzzle for 3 hours and stall/dry lot over night. Is there anyway you could restrict his weeds/grass in take? Just to rule that out.

A couple of years ago I use to have him on lush green grass 24/7 with absolutely no issues. I guess the weeds here at my new place is higher in sugar, and the grass more stressed, IDK.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Do you have any boots? When my mare had laminitis, the vet told me to leave her boots on her.
You could try a dose of Banamine and see if it is a pain-thing.
If he is not laying down unduly, he probably isn't that uncomfortable. You are amazing for cleaning his feet twice a day.

 

[LostandFound]

Could be bad thrush, or a number of other things. I did a test with 2 horses that both had thrush and thrushbuster failed. The absorbine thrush product worked best, but you need to use it frequently, for maybe 6 weeks to see things heal up.

 

[MartysMom]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your thoughts.

Vet is coming out Monday unless he worsens over the weekend and we may do xrays especially to see if it will guide the farrier. She recommended dilute iodine soaks in cold water through the weekend. We've used the cow mastitis treatment "Today" for thrush in the past and she thought that was a good thing to try. Her preference was not to give him bute or banamine so he wouldn't overdo it and worsen anything. It's just strange that it was back to normal yesterday and hot again today.

I wonder if he has an infection deep in that sulcus on his heel (that foot is the only one with the sulcus of the frog visible on the back of the heel). It's a little tricky to keep him on a dry lot, especially because we are still trying to integrate him onto the farm. He has a small area (12x24) made of stock panels with a portable shelter that is his "stall" and we have been putting him in the round pen for 8ish hours a day - first week we did 4-5. The tricky part is he gets really agitated if we don't put him out in the morning and sometimes won't even eat. But today we had a lot of storms rolling through so he was only on "weeds" for about 2 hours and I brought him back in.

I have a tendency to spiral into anxiety especially when we have a new animal so I appreciate all of your support!

 

[MartysMom]

Do you have any boots? When my mare had laminitis, the vet told me to leave her boots on her.
You could try a dose of Banamine and see if it is a pain-thing.
If he is not laying down unduly, he probably isn't that uncomfortable. You are amazing for cleaning his feet twice a day.

Thanks Marsha, I don't see him laying down at all, and he got up and down a few times to roll today, so you're right I'm thinking it's not too terrible (fingers crossed). And he was a real pill about his feet the first week he was here so I'm also trying to get him practicing for the farrier coming next weekend.

 

[LostandFound]

I can't remember if I used today or tomorrow, but I did try one of them on a horse I used to have. That worked fabulously.

 

[MartysMom]

I can't remember if I used today or tomorrow, but I did try one of them on a horse I used to have. That worked fabulously.

Yes our vet was the one who recommended it. I think thrush is the winning diagnosis here. When I was getting the med into the cracks with the little tip all of a sudden the tip went in deep - like deeper than it should have been able to - and he jumped straight up.

Now, how to convince a 30 yo horse with a lifetime of bad or no handling to stand with his foot in a soaking tub? And he can only have soft foods...

 

[MartysMom]

This morning after filling all his hoof cracks with Today, packing with cotton balls, and wrapping overnight the hoof was not nearly as hot and he actually jogged alongside me on his way out to turnout! Hoping this is the cure.

 

[HersheyMint]

That is great to hear.

 

[MartysMom]

Just want to thank you all again for your concern especially since I am such a newcomer here! Marty's foot is still cool and he was still jogging to turnout this morning. We're going to keep up with the Today until the farrier comes next week but I feel hopeful.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Yes our vet was the one who recommended it. I think thrush is the winning diagnosis here. When I was getting the med into the cracks with the little tip all of a sudden the tip went in deep - like deeper than it should have been able to - and he jumped straight up.

Now, how to convince a 30 yo horse with a lifetime of bad or no handling to stand with his foot in a soaking tub? And he can only have soft foods...

If you know any nurses, the used IV bags work awesome. Cut the end off, slide it onto the foot. Lightly tape it on. Pour your soak mix in, then tape it firmer. Depending on the horse, you can get several uses out of each one.

 

[MartysMom]

If you know any nurses, the used IV bags work awesome. Cut the end off, slide it onto the foot. Lightly tape it on. Pour your soak mix in, then tape it firmer. Depending on the horse, you can get several uses out of each one.

Huh. That's an interesting idea. I can imagine him totally losing his mind with a wet bag taped to his feet but could also imagine our other horses tolerating it. Vet came out and did xrays, it is definitely deep sulcus thrush - no evidence of laminitis thank goodness. I was so proud of him though, he stood up on the blocks for xrays like a champ! He is highly motivated by scratches and seems to be a quick learner.

 

[Abby P]

Glad to hear it's "just" thrush!

Re: soaking apparatus attached to their feet...I recommend having them take some steps with it on, and empty, before you try actually soaking. They might FLIP OUT the first time they feel something on their feet like that. Then again with some plain water in it, some are bothered by the sloshing, and better to fling water everywhere than your expensive thrush treatment. I've seen a lot of horses who seemed cool with it and it turned out it was only because they hadn't moved - then they took a step and panicked. Usually after they get scared once they get over it pretty fast, once they realize it isn't actually chewing their feet off. And, refer back to scratches or whatever motivates them.

 

[Standards Equine]

So glad to hear it isn't a major negative diagnosis!! Thrush is treatable. I personally use a diaper boot for poultice. For minis, you need either premi or newborn diapers. Add your poultice where you need, put the diaper over top and then secure it with a good wrap of duct tape all around the hoof. I use them all the time when I have hoof issues and it's one of the scenarios for our equine first-aid classes. I'm glad to hear you could rule out laminitis - that's where my mind went to first, especially since he had experienced some neglect prior to coming to you.

Our little Jasmine has some chronic laminitic changes from neglect. There seems to be some weaking of the laminae about half way down her front feet hoof walls. The growth is really good until half way down, then it changes and there's visible white line stretching on her little feet. We've had her nearly 2 years and it's been persistent throughout her time with us. I'd expected it would grow out and correct itself, but that's not the case. Hopefully she'll remain sound on it though, as she is kept at a good weight and active.

I hope Marty continues to feel better and tolerate all the treatments. He's very fortunate to have landed in your home!

 

[MartysMom]

So glad to hear it isn't a major negative diagnosis!! Thrush is treatable. I personally use a diaper boot for poultice. For minis, you need either premi or newborn diapers. Add your poultice where you need, put the diaper over top and then secure it with a good wrap of duct tape all around the hoof. I use them all the time when I have hoof issues and it's one of the scenarios for our equine first-aid classes. I'm glad to hear you could rule out laminitis - that's where my mind went to first, especially since he had experienced some neglect prior to coming to you.

Our little Jasmine has some chronic laminitic changes from neglect. There seems to be some weaking of the laminae about half way down her front feet hoof walls. The growth is really good until half way down, then it changes and there's visible white line stretching on her little feet. We've had her nearly 2 years and it's been persistent throughout her time with us. I'd expected it would grow out and correct itself, but that's not the case. Hopefully she'll remain sound on it though, as she is kept at a good weight and active.

I hope Marty continues to feel better and tolerate all the treatments. He's very fortunate to have landed in your home!

We've done the diaper when our draft had an abscess, was debating where to find diapers small enough for this hoof!

Marty has a similar thing with his hoof where the sole is somehow growing in a way that it keeps his toes from sitting flush with the ground. The vet said it was from the white line being deformed from neglect and hopefully the farrier will be able to trim it back Saturday. Poor babies! I'm glad Jasmine is comfortable despite her issues.

 

[LostandFound]

I curious, what does the vet have you soaking the hoof in for thrush?

 

[MartysMom]

I curious, what does the vet have you soaking the hoof in for thrush?

We're not soaking anymore, but when I was talking to her on a Friday and she couldn't come until Monday - and I hadn't realized how deep the thrush was - she suggested soaking in an ice bath with Betadine to hopefully help with laminitis and/or thrush. Now we are just filling all his little hoofies up with Today.

 

[LostandFound]

Much easier than trying to soak, and probably works better too.