[BlueDiamond]

My mare Suzie got a nail in her frog today. In my 10 years of horse ownership this is the first nail in a hoof i have ever dealt with.

I called our Vet and the large animal Vets wouldn't be available till Friday. They have me call the town on the other side of me, and they tell me that they don't have a Vet that works with equines. So i call make to the first Vet and ask for the next best place to call. So i call the Vet that is 40 miles from me. And he tells me i should be able to pull it myself and tells me what kind of antibiotics to get and how much to give her. So i head over to our normal Vet to get the meds and then head home to pull the nail.

My mom and dad got home in time to help me hold her and talk to her while i pulled it and gave her the shots. It was about an inch long. There was blood on the tip of the nail. (maybe 1/8 or 1/4 inch) So I'm hoping that is a good thing. It bled a little which i know is a good thing. She is still putting full weight on it every few steps and her leg is only slightly swollen. So I'm thinking she will be ok. I have to give her a shot everyday for the next 4-5 days.

So I guess the point of all of this is that i would like to hear a nail in hoof story that turned out well. I'm a little worried and I'm praying that it doesn't turn into anything serious. So anyone have a good story?

[belsenj]

Yes, one of the horses at my barn got a nail in his hoof this past summer. Vet came, nail removed, some antibiotics and he was good as new within a few weeks.

I hope the same happens for you. The fact that blood came out is a good thing as it's the bodys natural cleansing. Keep an eye out for lameness and try to keep that hoof dry for a few days so it can start to heal.

[RickB.]

Shame on your veterinarian. This is an emergency situation, and s/he should have responded ASAP. Or sooner.

The blood is not a good thing. You will have to monitor your horse very closely and at the first sign of heat, pain, non-weight bearing, you will need to have your vet out immediately.

I hope you are keeping the foot fully bandaged. Did the vet suggest the application of any antibiotics to the wound proper?

One of the problems you face is that because no radiographs were taken, there is no way of knowing where the nail went once it punctured the frog, or which structures are involved.

Another problem is that puncture wounds tend to seal at the top (entry point) trapping whatever pathogens are in the track and allowing them to flourish. And, the administration of systemic antibiotics is often not enough to counter the infection if one develops.

Here's an article you should read so that you are well informed of what you face.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/hor...o-not-mix.aspx

I sincerely hope this turns out well for you and your horse.

[Banat]

I've actually never had a horse get a nail in it's hoof, however, a horse came to my house with severe lameness, and we x-rayed the hoof for diagnostic purposes. I remember my vet talking about the possibility of a street nail operation should we find evidence of a punctue wound. I also remember her telling me to not remove an object (if possible) until radiographs could be taken if it ever happens in the future.

That was a while ago though, and I'm betting someone with more complete and accurate knowledge will answer shortly.

[Banat]

Well, speak of the devil.

Rick and I were answering at the same time. Listen to him, he knows more about this than I do.

[Dancers Mom]

This same thing happend to me this past spring, only we did not discover is was a nail until about 3 days later. It was in just so you could not see it, literally is was almost the same color as her hoof. Anyhow, we pulled it out, no blood or anything but we treated it as though she had an abcess. We cleaned it really good, put ithmacol on it, put cotton, then vet wrap then duct tape. We changed it about every other day, if needed everyday depending on if she tore up the bandage work, and a week later, no infection, she was fine.

It did not enter her frog but was right next to it angled at the hoof wall. We were lucky as the farrier was there doing someone elses horse that day and he told us what to do and based on how it was angled in the foot we decided to watch her for a day or two and then call vet if needed. She had already had shots a few months before.

[BlueDiamond]

Originally Posted by RickB.

Shame on your veterinarian. This is an emergency situation, and s/he should have responded ASAP. Or sooner.

The blood is not a good thing. You will have to monitor your horse very closely and at the first sign of heat, pain, non-weight bearing, you will need to have your vet out immediately.

I hope you are keeping the foot fully bandaged. Did the vet suggest the application of any antibiotics to the wound proper?

One of the problems you face is that because no radiographs were taken, there is no way of knowing where the nail went once it punctured the frog, or which structures are involved.

Another problem is that puncture wounds tend to seal at the top (entry point) trapping whatever pathogens are in the track and allowing them to flourish. And, the administration of systemic antibiotics is often not enough to counter the infection if one develops.

Here's an article you should read so that you are well informed of what you face.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/hor...o-not-mix.aspx

I sincerely hope this turns out well for you and your horse.

I'm assuming that my normal Vets weren't in town or something. Normally they are out as soon as they can.

I am keeping a close eye on her for lameness and swelling and all that good stuff.

The Vet i talked to that told me to pull it myself and said i didn't need to bandage it. I specifically asked about that. He did tell me to keep a close eye on the entry point and to keep it open.

As far as i know to even get the whole X-ray type things i would have had to have trailer my mare over an hour from here. I don't live in a very horsey area. Most of the vets around here are small animal or Cow, Pigs, and stuff like that. It's not like i didn't try to get a Vet out here. I called 3 different clinics. I don't think anyone any further away would have came. It was 4pm when i discovered it.

I put her on stall rest for the next few days. If anything starts to turn south i'll be finding someone to come out.

[*BaRrEL_BaBE*]

I hope everything turns out okay.

My neighbor's mare got a nail in her hoof and had to be euthanized. I do not know the exact details, but she got poisoning from the nail and was in a great deal of pain.

[BlueDiamond]

I was really hoping to hear some good story. As in everything turned out ok.
Having the horse die would not be one of them.

[*BaRrEL_BaBE*]

Originally Posted by BlueDiamond

I was really hoping to hear some good story. As in everything turned out ok.
Having the horse die would not be one of them.

Sorry! I just woke up from a nap and will admit to having skimmed the post.