Posted by Todd King on September 18, 2001 at 23:54:56:
In Reply to: Re: seeking other opinions on treatment for hoof slough posted by Denise on September 18, 2001 at 11:23:20:
: : : Yesterday I did a trim on a 9 yo Arabian gelding that has not been trimmed since last May when it (supposedly) first foundered (approx 4 months ago). It had founderd to the point of sole penetration on all four. The horse has lost one hind hoof capsule and will lose the other hind capsule soon. The fronts appear to be slightly more stable but he will probably lose those too. I have sought-out some opinions on this horse regarding protection for the sloughed hoof but would appreciate other opinions. Also, how does one determine whether a hoof has gangrene? There is some blood supply to the sole corium on all four feet but the laminar corium seems to have no blood supply.
: : : Denise
: : :
: : Denise, if you can stabilize the hoof, then new hoof growth should begin underneath the sloughing hoof and help to provide a better foundation for the foot. I have had best luck with shoes, but knowing you don't use them, I don't know how to best advise getting them stabilized. I would say that if the foot is trimmed so that it is balanced and there is good support to the entire sole- including frog, then it may stabilize enough to begin the rebuilding process. As for gangrene, I would think that a competent vet should be able to recognize this and possibly treat if it isn't too advanced. If there is advanced gangrene, then there isn't likely much hope. While there may not appear to be blood supply to the laminar corium, I can assure you that there is some amount, and with the stabilization, it should greatly increase.
: : Todd
: Forgive me for the silly question, but how does a shoe stabilize a loose hoof capsule? I can understand how it would limit expansion/contraction but what about when the horse lands and the hoof capsule is forced up because of the extremely weak laminar connection-(I can actually see the hoof capsule moving up and down when the horse shifts weight on and off the feet). Since the shoe limits expansion/contraction does it prevent the coffin bone from descending within the hoof capsule? Maybe, just maybe, this would be one of the few cases for shoes then. And since I don't shoe (yet), maybe I should just walk away from this case. I did recommend the owner tape on styrofoam on the three hooves that have a hoof capsule. Placing tape around the exposed coffin bone on the sloughed hoof (to secure styrofoam) would probably not be a good idea? I would hope a vet could recognize gangrene-I was just wondering what it looked like-or even smelled like-does it smell similar to dead feet? (These feet are worse than any cadaver feet I've ever seen or smelled and certainly worse than any abscessed feet I've dealt with). They are literally rotted.
: Denise
On the foot with the exposed P3, you could try to rebuild with Bond-n-Flex or another type epoxy. Walking away would certainly be an option if you think you are in over your head. With some of these types, if you know they're gonna be put down anyway, then they can be great for experimenting and educational purposes, but you have to rectify with yourself and the owner the additional suffering if you can't pull them through.
Todd