Page 245 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
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Figure 6.35 A badly bruised foot showing the discolouration on the bars
Bruises and corns can become infected. In these cases the lameness is usually much more
severe and increases until the abscess is relieved.
Treatment
The first step is to identify and remove the cause of the problem. If the shoe is suspected as
the cause or the problem is underneath it, then it is removed. In most other cases, the horse is
usually more comfortable with the shoe left on. Treatment includes:
• box rest on a clean, deep bed
• poulticing the foot for a couple of days or regular tubbing to decrease the inflammation
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain and inflammation
• light paring of the horn over the bruise or corn may alleviate the pressure and lameness;
in a horse that repeatedly suffers from corns, the horn at the seat of corn should be pared
