Footgate 2018 Update

Finally, some news trending positive!

Well, ish.

I texted the picture from my last update to the vet, and since she was coming out a day later to look at another horse, she tagged Tristan on to that visit.

Never a good sign when the vet’s immediate response to your photo is “yes, I’ll see him ASAP.”

I could not get away from work, but by reports she was happier with it than she had expected to be, but the bell boot rub on his pastern was not great. She poked and prodded and said that now she was worried about summer sores. Of course. So he got some deworming treatment to apply directly to the wound.

That was 6 days ago, and we’ve been doing regular bandage changes and treatments since. Because part of the heel grab was right on the coronet band, that’s opened up a bit – much like if he’d blown an abscess there. So he’s getting some stuff squirted into that hole, too, to keep it clean.

Even with all of that, though, yesterday’s bandage change showed progress.

So, yeah! It still looks pretty gross but it is actually better. There’s real new skin and everything. We’ve got a ways to go yet but it’s encouraging to see it on the mend.

As for the toe hole…that’s stalled out a bit. Yesterday was his one month since getting the hole dug out. We had a brief email chain with the farrier, surgeon, and my vet talking through next steps that I think resolved in favor of treating for white line? But it’s really kind of unclear. I shot another email off to the farrier asking another treatment question and saying I’d love to talk and see what he thinks the next time he trims him. He remains sound. No outer indications of any other problems.

I’m guessing at least two solid weeks more of healing on his foot wounds, at least. Probably a little more. The vet said if we wanted it to really heal as fast as possible we’d cast his foot and put him on stall rest. Obviously that’s out of the question! So the slower healing time means he still gets turnout, still gets treated normally except for having it wrapped. I did ask her about putting him back into work and she was really iffy. It’s a high mobility area of his leg and each step would stretch the skin over and over. So I opted to just continue to let him be off.

Sadly, this is what his back looks like right now. Topline gone. Hay belly. Still shiny, still decent muscle tone, but horribly out of shape. Cushings sucks. This is after about 3 weeks out from full work. I grant you, he did not have a perfect topline before, but he had something, at least.

Anyway. Onward and upward. Keep buying more supplies, keep taking care of him, and I have my fingers crossed for September.