I didn’t think we could get any more unlucky, but here we are. Baldur was a little lame yesterday, so I decided to give him over night to see if he would be better today. Surprise, surprise. He was so much worse this morning. He wouldn’t put any weight on his foot at all, and when he walked, it looked as if he would fall with every step. So I didn’t hesitate to call the veterinarian for an emergency appointment.
I was literally so stressed out. Seeing how painful it was for him to move made me tear up, it was horrible. Thankfully the veterinarian came fast and checked him out. He was scored on the lameness scale to 4 out of 5 grades lame. She checked for broken bones, but it turned out it was all coming from one place – the hoof. The veterinarian pinched around the hoof and we found out he has something similar to a hoof abscess, but without the infection.
In other words, he has stepped on something hard and taken damage from it. Almost like when us human hit our finger with a hammer, and the finger gets blood under the nail. So we have to drain out the blood and put on a cover with a special kind of compress-like band-aid that will drain out the blood and relieve his hoof. He was given a strong dose of pain relief and to make him feel better faster, he also got some local anesthesia on both sides of his fetlock.
I am so thankful that it wasn’t as serious, this is actually a best-case-scenario. It could have been tendons, bone, or something else. So I am so relieved that it’s not something super bad. The veterinarian told me he should be better tomorrow, and that he will be healed in probably a week.
So this cover he has around his hoof will be changed every morning by me, and hopefully he will recover completely. It’s amazing how we have gone almost 3 years with Baldur being in tip-top shape, and all of the sudden everything crashes on us. First cancer, then this abscess, what’s next?
Photo above: This is how I found him. He stood like this, not wanting to put his leg down at all.
Photo above: You can so easily see it on his face that he is in so much pain. He usually has quite a relaxed face, so his expression here really pains me.
Photo above: Putting on the cover. You can clearly see where the anesthesia was put, and he reacted very fast with putting his foot down and letting it take some weight.
Photo above: His expression here is definitely more relaxed than before.
Photo above: The finished work after the veterinarian left for the day. He is supposed to be shod in a couple days, but due to the abscess, we have to push it a week just to make sure his hoof is okay.
Been there and done that. You will become an expert with the duct tape wrapping. That thing where they go three legged lame overnight is often an abscess. It will resolve. We’ve had a couple of horses with it at my barn possibly caused by wet weather and wet mud and puddles in the paddocks.
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Thank you for reassuring me! I was so, so worried at first! He is doing better today, so he got to be outside in a smaller paddock. He is still a bit lame, but it seems like he is on the road to recovery!
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So glad it isn’t anything more serious. “If you put a horse in a padded room, he will find a way to hurt himself.” 😀
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Haha, indeed! I am so thankful it wasn’t too bad!
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I am so glad that you are there for him. I love that you can read his face and see that he is in pain. Hugs to you. How wonderful for him to be looked after so lovely. I am so pleased he is on the mend. He would have been so happy to put some weight on that leg mate.
Mel x
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Thank you so much! You could really see how relieved he was to put his foot back down, yes! He was literally shaking in his leg from being in pain, not good at all! I just came back from the stables now, and he is putting normal weight on his foot and is acting very pleased!
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This makes me so happy to read. He is so lucky to have you.
I can’t wait to read that he is completely mended and 100% better
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There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your horse suffer. Glad to hear Baldur is on the mend though.
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Indeed! Thank you so much!
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Gosh it does put your heart in your mouth doesn’t it! What a relief that he is doing well. Excellent horsemanship you’ve shown!
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It does! And, awh, thank you! It does really mean a lot!
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Aw bummer! At least it was not a full on abscess! I know how you feel. Sometimes, when it rains it pours, but it will all be right in the end.
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Thank you! Yes, I am very happy that this wasn’t the worst case scenario! That would be really bad!
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Poor baby! Hope he heals quickly and it was not anything too serious.
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