...and when you let him back in he's got blood dripping down his hoof and from certain angles it looks like there is a very real possibility that his hoof has started to fall off.
(Ewwww! *shuddering slightly at the memory*)
That's what it looked like at our house yesterday, and yes... it was gross. It was one of those times when I wondered why I'm always the one that has to deal with the blood... sometimes I get tired of being the one who knows what to do with the first aid kit in the barn.
(I will spare you photos of Murphy's mess of a hoof... trust me, you don't want to see them... and post a few random photos of him instead!)
Anyway.... I feel pretty competent when it comes to doctoring Murphy's little cuts, scrapes, and the occasional minor lameness (often a hoof abscess, usually when the ground has gotten very hard....), but I had never seen anything like this before.
So after spraying the gaping wound with antibiotic spray and wrapping it up (just how much "vet wrap" would it take to hold a hoof on, I wonder?), I decided I should probably call the vet...
She came out and declared it (yet another!) hoof abscess and to do what I always do for abscesses. (Soak twice a day in epsom salts and water for three days, and he's good to go...)
I felt better when she said the first time she'd seen one like this she thought the horse's hoof was falling off too...
After she looked at Murphy, we had a nice visit... she took pictures of the pumpkin patch fence (she wants to build one like it) and R has an invitation to volunteer with her large animal practice this fall.
Although it started out somewhat traumatic, it ended up being a good (although slightly expensive) afternoon.
2 comments:
Poor you, your horse is living up to his name again. Hugs!
That is pretty gross. I'm pretty sure I am never going to own a horse now (it's okay though, I probably never was anyway.)
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