Will scratches cause hoof pain

[2brickie]

Hi just need some help. We have a reined cowhorse, of course right in the middle of show season. She has been sore on her back leg and hoof, which is white with pink skin. The vet came out, hoof tested her and said she had a hot nail or maybe a close nail. The farrier came right away and took the shoes off, but said he didnt see anything. Now mind you if he did I wouldnt have been surprised, we have been fighting a thin wall on her since she was 3 and the day she was getting shoes she was being terrible. Had seen the dentist and chiropractor previously so was irritated. We delt with it, but did have a time. Okay so we took the shoe off, I soaked it for 4 days with no improvements. Seemed to keep getting worse. Then she got a little better and was doing well, then boom really lame. Vet came said she was still sore with the hoof testers but I wasnt convinced, her leg was swelling and I have never seen that before with a hot nail. We put her on bute, still not better. So the vet suggested because she was wearing her toe off dragging it, we try to get a regular rim shoe on her. We did no problem. But while putting the shoe on we found what seems to be scratches. The vet came right out and said it is actually dew poisoning, caused by the wet grass and the sun.

Okay here is my question. Will scratches or dew poisoning make her very sore on that back leg? She is no different with the shoe or without the shoe. She has no heat on her hoof, and now Im treating the dew poisoning. She is on steroids, clipped the hair from her leg, and am treating it with an ointment from the vet. She is still sore. Just hoping this is normal and will get better soon.

Also with a hot nail or a close nail wouldnt I be able to feel heat in her hoof? The farrier cannot find anything. He did say her hoof did not look good, but he thought that might be from the scratches/hoof poisoning.

[Rick Burten]

Okay here is my question. Will scratches or dew poisoning make her very sore on that back leg? She is no different with the shoe or without the shoe. She has no heat on her hoof, and now Im treating the dew poisoning. She is on steroids, clipped the hair from her leg, and am treating it with an ointment from the vet. She is still sore. Just hoping this is normal and will get better soon.
While this is truely a veterinary question and I hope Dr.Myers sees it and replies, it has been my experience that scratches/dew poisoning can indeed make a horse quite sore/lame
Also with a hot nail or a close nail wouldnt I be able to feel heat in her hoof? The farrier cannot find anything.
Technically, yes. But some horses just don't get a lot of heat in the foot unless the inflammation is quite severe. You should also have been able to feel and increased digital pulse, and, that pulse should have been stronger on the side where the assumed hot/close nail was driven.
He did say her hoof did not look good, but he thought that might be from the scratches/hoof poisoning.
Could you give a bit more detail? Also, if you can post some photos it would be quite helpful.

[HoustonFarrier]

Raising Clydesdales, I am very familiar with scratches. They will indeed make a horse sore. Some horses will get aggravated to the point that they stomp the foot of the leg with scratches, in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms. Most scratches (Pastern Dermatitis) episodes are best managed with daily or every other day cleaning with a mild soap (we use Kirks Castille Soap) and drying the leg thoroughly, and keep the horse out of the mud.

From personal experience, I've seen horses with heavy parasite loads suc***b to scratches more readily, as a result of their depressed immune system, so, check/modify your worming schedule.

I have rearely ever seen any kind of salve/ointment/magic potion do very well. They *may* bring some short term benefit, but in the long run, they end up making things worse.

Steve

[2brickie]

To answer the question, it was the bottom of her foot, so would be hard to take a photo of. It just looked flaky, but nothing from this mare's feet would surprise me or the farrier. We have been fighting her hoof thin wall since she was 3. She is getting better, is on some feed for her feet, this just came up.

I just spoke to the trainer and he said his horse with scratches, gets severly sore and will not try and work. He said he usually gets them once a year. But hasnt had trouble this year as they arent turning him out. My show mare is usually not out, but my husband decided to turn her out for a few days and then we got this.

She was stamping her foot acting up for a few days. What a mess this is, but she seems to be doing better this afternoon with all her treatments.

She had no pulse in her hoof, no heat, and the farrier could not find anything when he removed the shoe the first time. I soaked this foot and still nothing. She never improved, she just got worse, and then I found the sore on the back of her leg when it started to oose stuff out.

[John Emsley]

When I hear of a horse dragging it's toe and wearing it off, I think of a "Jack" or bone spavin. This is a calcium deposit on the inside of the hock and usually restricts the flexion so that they drag their toe and wear off the hoof in a blunt fashion. A shoe is necessary to protect. Perhaps this is just developing or has she always dragged her toes? Just a thought. John

[2brickie]

the horse hasnt always drug her toe, she is doing it I think because she is in pain with the scratches. She is normally good that way, but would calcium deposits make her lame?


I am treating for all kinds of things, but nobody including the vet is quite sure what all is going on with her. I just need to get her healed up. Would an xray show me if its a hoof problem or a leg problem?