OUCH!!!!!!!!

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

Just back from the vet.  Last Thursday while marking trails Kaboot cut
his coronary band.  Looked like a tiny nick, but he quit wanting to trot
and rested it a lot.  It took us 6 more hours to get off the trail after
he slowed down, and there was still an occasional trickle of blood from
the top of it.  Soaked it (tried, he was totally uncoperative) and had to
leave to manage the endurance ride.

Got home Sunday and it looked infected.  Just a little pus coming from
the top of the cut.  The cut was about 1" long, with the top half being
on skin and the bottom half going through the soft area of transition
between skin and hoof.  I washed it, tried to soak it, put ichthammol on
it and wrapped it and locked him up.  It swelled a little that night.  He
hadn't been "off" since the day he did it and wasn't resting it.  I
washed it good twice a day with antibacterial soap, ran cold water on it
15 min. morn. & evening, and kept applying ichthammol.  This morning
after a good scrubbing there was still pus oozing out so I loaded him up
for the hour haul to the vet.  Told him I thought something was in there.
 I could see a tiny black dot, but wasn't sure it wasn't dried blood
since he wouldn't let me mess with it.  The vet had to deaden it pretty
good, Kaboot wasn't cooperating (he holds his liquor good and takes lots
of drugging), then he took his forceps and pulled out a HUGE junk of
wood!  At least, huge for that spot.  Picture the stem of a golf tee,
sort of squared off, over an inch long!  Don't ask me how it entered at
that angle, since the cut was verticle, but the stick went in 1/2" above
the hoofline and went horizontally straight towards the coffin joint. 
The vet shot an x-ray and the stick had stopped just short of the joint
but was headed right for it. >whew!!!!<  Looks like it all came out.  So,
antibiotics, bute, and trying to keep it clean while it heals.  What the
heck, what's money? >g<  Just happy to get it out of there.  Can't
believe the poor guy's been walking around with that in there for 6 days.
 I've had people describe stuff like this, but it was a first for
me...for the vet too from the way he acted.

Angie

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