So Now What?
Tucker is lame. He has a shoe on his front foot, but he is still lame. Scott said he had some evident damage from losing the shoe, and is concerned that he might still pop an abscess. All that aside, he is also worried about Tucker's other feet because the frogs have softened up...all this over the last few days and certainly after his shoeing just over a week ago. Scott says this can happen when it's been dry for a long time and then rains, but the puzzle is why is it such an issue for Tucker and not the other two Boys?
Either way, my vet is coming tomorrow and was supposed to try to see if he could figure out what is going on with Tuck's hind end, but now that he's lame in front, that may not be possible. At the moment, it looks as if I will have to put hind shoes on Tuck anyhow, but we will see. I am not used to having feet problems with my horses, so this is new territory for me. Sure, I've had the occasional lost shoe, and explicable abscesses, but never a horse with so many hoof things one after another. I have switched Tucker over to a low starch feed to see if he might be a bit insulin resistant, so I don't know if that can be a contributing factor...but that's another question for my vet.
For the time being, Tuck is in his stall, so that he doesn't aggravate the already sore foot. He was definitely sounder this afternoon than this morning, so I might luck out. But again, it's a game of wait and see.
Meanwhile, I have received a review copy of the "Horse Lover's Daily Companion," a wonderful new book by Audrey Pavia. I am working on a review for the blog and also for the Ansur Saddle Board at Yahoo. Today when I went to the saddle shop, I showed them a copy and left information suggesting they might want to get some copies to sell for the holidays. It is one of those books that would make a really nice gift for horsepeople in your life.
More later on that.
And for now, that's it. Nothing more to report until I talk to my vet.
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That is frustrating - abscesses and foot problems, and lameness, certainly seem to be making the rounds - I think the odd weather we've had this year, with the alternation of wet and dry, has made it harder on their feet.
ReplyDeleteIf it turns out that he is insulin resistant - we recently found out that Dawn is - we've been using a magnesium/chromium/selenium/Vitamin E supplement with some success.
Fingers crossed for Tucker that it is nothing.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about investigating his food. he might be more starch sensitive than Tobby and Chance.
Let us know. But if you have the $$$ I will still X-ray Tucker's hinds just to take the worry out.
Hope your vet can come up with a plan for Tucker to relieve his problems. Good luck with everything.
ReplyDeleteoh dear. hope it's something simple, but not really sounding it!
ReplyDeleteWould it be possible to put boots on Tuck's hind feet until the frogs improve? Or do you think that this is a chronic condition developing that would benefit from shoes? If so this might have something to do with his hind end issues.
ReplyDeleteAmongst other things a horse's foot is affected by the footing on which he lives which, of course, changes with the moisture levels. Soft frogs may reflect that footing. I have read that pea gravel is the best loafing surface for barefoot horses, not that very many of us can afford to provide that.
In Colorado it often is bone dry for weeks on end. Then when the moisture finally comes many horses get abscessess. The thinking is that cracks develop during the dry and then when it's wet again bacteria seep in deep enough through these cracks and start infections. I have no idea if I have helped but when it is dry here (yes in East Anglia it is) for a while, and then rain is predicted I squirt bleach on the bottoms of Tetley's feet. However, it probably is not enough and doesn't stay on long enough to protect him. Then again, if Tucker has an abscess it is probably due to the losing the shoe incident. NJ can't be that dry!
Hopefully it will ease off and its just been due to losing the shoe,footsore or a strain?
ReplyDeleteIt wasnt until going barefoot with Polo all those years ago that I realised how complex the hoof and diet actually are.