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offrdford
06-20-2005, 05:20 PM
Hi all,
About 4 months ago we experienced a horseman's nightmare when our 8 year old mare got loose and into our metal barn. We had nearly 3" of rain shortly after 10" of snow so the ground was saturated and the mare stepped down along the edge of the barn sinking 6"-7" with her left rear hoof at the coronet band catching it on the edge of the metal. Realizing she was caught she panicked and pulled violently which dismembered her entire hoof with horseshoe attached. The vet arrived ~45 minutes later and after his assessment he thought it would be best to put the horse down. Being the stubborn animal lovers that we are, we said no and asked him to just stop the bleeding. By this time the horse had lost nearly 3 gallons of blood and the vet proceeded to wrap goz and bandages around the now exposed coffin bone and gave her a shot of antibiotics in addition to a couple of other shots.
The mare barely made it through the night going in and out of shock but she made it. The vet was surprised and decided that it was best to leave the wraps on for a couple of days to assure that the bleeding had nearly stopped. After cleaning and looking at the dismembered hoof closely we noticed about a 3mm x 7mm fracture from the coffin bone still inside the hoof. We knew this was not good but the horse was showing good signs of blood circulation to the hoof area continuously through the weeks that have followed.

It’s been 4 months and almost half the hoof has grown back now and the mare is in really good shape, we are optimistic that she is going to make it. We have been using a Nitrofurazone dressing, Povidone-Iodine Solution every time we change the wraps which is twice per week. I would like your opinions on whether or not this is a good maintenance procedure and what we can expect over the next 4+ months. The hoof is growing back very nicely everywhere except for a small disfigurement on the side where the coffin bone was missing. We really want this mare to make it and we are open to suggestions.
No Hoof-No Horse non-believer.

Ronald Aalders
06-20-2005, 05:52 PM
Hi, I wouldn't know about the dressing and stuff, I would ask a vet. I would like to be sure its ok to use povidone-iodine related medication on wounds that deep. But I guess if the foot heals favourably its ok, besides you're 4 months down the track by now........

At first hand I guess your biggest worry now should be bloodflow in the foot. The damage done will likely have affected it but how much is something you need to find out. Perhaps a venogram, or an arteriogram is something you could discuss with your vet.

Further you'll find that even when the foot appears to heal fast, this much damage may well be a cause for lameness even when visualy everything is healed ok. Because of lesions in the foot lameness may well be a permanent problem.

Could you post pictures? I for one would like to see more about this case.


Ronald Aalders

Red Amor
06-21-2005, 12:07 AM
I heard two Vets talking about a donkey down here that had lost its entire hoof capsule through founder and the exposed cofin one was wrapped in a sugardine preperation the hew hoof that grew was in this case better that the other three hooves

Please post some pictures as I like our Ron am very interested and keen to hear that this horse does well
good luck and good on you both for trying

offrdford
06-21-2005, 05:15 PM
Ronald and Red,
Thank you for your replies. All I currently have are Polaroid’s but I'm working on getting a digital camera to take pictures of the hoofs progress next time we redo the dressing & wraps. We saved the hoof so I'll also try to get some good pictures of it as well.
This mare went to the state barrel racing finals the last couple of years and if she does end up lame, but able to bare her weight and the weight of having a foal we will most definitly breed her. Of course we're hoping for the best senerio.
Steve