# abscess poultice



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Can someone teach me how and tell me what I need for a hoof poultice?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You can soak the hoof for perhaps 20 min 2x daily with epsom salts. Just enough water to cover the hoof. If you offer hay the horse will be more inclined to keep his hoof in the bucket - a plastic or rubber bucket, not metal. Or if he doesn't like the pail, get the biggest zip lock bag, place it over his hoof, add the solutions and zip out and duct tape it barely snug to hold it in place.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

You can make a paste from Epsom Salt and water then apply a big gob of it to a baby diaper and duct tape it. I would put the duct tape on the diaper first then you can just slap it on. Then I would wrap some vet wrap over the top to help keep it on.

I think they make soaking boots too.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

COWCHICK77 said:


> You can make a paste from Epsom Salt and water then apply a big gob of it to a baby diaper and duct tape it. I would put the duct tape on the diaper first then you can just slap it on. Then I would wrap some vet wrap over the top to help keep it on.
> 
> .


Instead of diapers I use kotex maxipads. 
I also add iodine to my poltice and the soaking water.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I've been soaking with epsom salt and warm water but I was told to add betadine? So I can just make a thick paste w/ the epsom salt? What about gauze and duct tape? Or does it need to breathe?


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Ps- I will grab a diaper from my babysitter tonight. Trying to picture a maxi-pad on my horses foot!!!! ****!!!!


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I used to do Epson salts soaks and wrapping with icthamol. The last abcess I had, my farrier gave me stuff to try called clean trax. It's a soak, took 45 minutes in a boot, then another 45 minutes bagged (fumes continue to kill the yuk) and then a few days of putting desitin baby cream on the sole. Cleared it right up and was a lot less work. I'm thinking it was 20 bucks for a bottle.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Sugardine {sugar & betadine} or Epson salts & bran,2 i've heard of that make good poultices .Had an abscess with my gelding this summer,Soaked foot in epson salts then later dressed hoof using the sugardine mixture.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

farmpony84 said:


> I've been soaking with epsom salt and warm water but I was told to add betadine? So I can just make a thick paste w/ the epsom salt? What about gauze and duct tape? Or does it need to breathe?


This may be incorrect but I put duct tape all over so he doesn't wear out the diaper on the bottom. The diaper only has to come up over the sides of the hoof enough to hold the poultice and so the duct tape is on the sides. (not up in the coronet band) I don't think it has to breathe, I change it twice a day.

And yes make it so its a thick paste, not sure where I got some stuff but it already was in a paste..more like a slime...


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> I used to do Epson salts soaks and wrapping with icthamol. The last abcess I had, my farrier gave me stuff to try called clean trax. It's a soak, took 45 minutes in a boot, then another 45 minutes bagged (fumes continue to kill the yuk) and then a few days of putting desitin baby cream on the sole. Cleared it right up and was a lot less work. I'm thinking it was 20 bucks for a bottle.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I am going to try this next time....hopefully won't be a next time though.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I may run by tractor supply and see if there is a ready made mix. Otherwise I do have the stuff to make an epson salt paste. Doesn't sound too terribly hard!


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

COWCHICK77 said:


> I am going to try this next time....hopefully won't be a next time though.


That's what I say, hopefully there isn't a next time. It worked well. He said he's seen good success using it for white line & bad thrush cases too.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Good tips there. In all the years of owning horses, not one absess. Uh oh I said it! Dang!


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

You just jinxed yourself Wares. I've dealt with 3 in the last 5 or 6 years, only remember one in the 20 before that.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Pistol has had 2 abscesses in the 25 years I've had him. At six, Riley is on his second! 

I made a vet appointment for tomorrow. Today I soaked Riley and then I turned him out in the yard to graze while I cleaned stalls and set up feed for tomorrow. Pistol was begging to come out so I let him... That 28 year old beast took off like a mad man! He raced around bucking and being silly, which of course got my three legged lame beast going. All the racing around popped the abscess though. There was yucky bloody ooze coming out of the heal bulb so I'm hoping that by morning he'll be feeling way better and I'll be able to cancel my vet appointment.....


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## Tnavas (Nov 29, 2011)

For the 'Tubbing' use hand hot water in a shallow bowl add a good handful of Epsom Salts. 

Scrub the foot clean and place in the bowl of water, try not to have the water so deep that it goes over the coronary band as you want to encourage the abscess to drain downwards.

Disposable nappies are brillient as a containment for the poultice, I usually use the premade poultices like 'Animalintex' purely because it is easy to use. You can use equal volume of grated soap and sugar, mix together with a small amount of water and apply to the abscess, cover and wrap well. Below is a really cheap and effective poultice boot, wears well and helps keep the moisture in to draw the abscess.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I would suggest farrier over vet- and don't bute or antibiotics either, as it can form a capsule around anything left of the absess, and it won't pop..

Soak for 20mins in epson salts- I walked Duffy on hard ground for 20mins before soaking so a)she got the swelling in her leg down b)bit of excercise and c) see if it would loosen/encourage more stuff to come out.

Soaked, and then I couldn't use a diaper- none big enough, and she scraped them off, so used some huge cotton wool thing, wrapped it round and taped it to her hoof, normal bandage around to keep it in place and duck taped that, then used a rivanol tablet that had been disolved in water- poured that in as it encourages stuff to come out (however DOES stain foot yellow xD) and it cleared in 4 days... once you're confident nothing else is coming out, and the absess 'hole' is starting to heal, I would maybe leave the poultice off during the day, and put a dry one on in the evening, and soak for a couple of days after just so nothing nasty gets in!

Hope it clears


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i buy a tub of epsom salt poultice from my vet. it doesnt look very big, but it lasts me a long time ! its like a green thick gel. you just soak the foot with epsom salts, then slather a bunch of the poultice on, then wrap with vet wrap, and duct tape. no diapers or pads needed.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I cancelled my vet appt because the abscess is draining. Vet suggested continued soaking and ichthomal. I'm planning to turn him out tomorrow but to stall each night. I'll continue wtih the soaking and ichthomal until he is sound. I ordered a new tube of bute just because I am low. Farrier is coming on Thursday and I think we are going to put steel shoes on him. (Shoe season I use aluminum).


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

gypsygirl said:


> i buy a tub of epsom salt poultice from my vet. it doesnt look very big, but it lasts me a long time ! its like a green thick gel. you just soak the foot with epsom salts, then slather a bunch of the poultice on, then wrap with vet wrap, and duct tape. no diapers or pads needed.


I had that stuff too..the green slime, I can't remember the name of it.
I also used it when I had horses with Pigeon Fever to draw out the abcesses.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Glad to hear it is draining. Hopefully Ri will feel better soon!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I didn't have a diaper so I used a puppy pee pad... teehee!!!

I think he's irritated!


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

poor pony ! did you duct tape the sole ? that will make it last a little longer


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I did. I'm hoping it will last all night and maybe even tomorrow day. I won't have time to soak in the AM....


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Good luck chica....he don't look _that _miserable...lol


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Eating.. how can he be miserable lol!

If that stays on, you are super lucky 

Duffy made it a challenge to get every one of hers off.. I caught her lifting her hind leg and chomping on the poultice  

When I duck taped it to the hoof and had nothing on the sole, it soon stopped though muahaha:twisted:


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

It stayed on all night! I brought him in and stalled him today because rain was in the forecast and it took me FOREVER to cut it off! I'm going to soak tonight but I think he's stuck in a stall all night as well because it's going to be muddy. Can't turn him out in the mud right?


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