Anyone with cast experience?

[DebbieS]

Listo will get his cast removed on Monday - finally!! It will be 3.5 weeks since the vet put in on his foot. It covers the entire foot (bottom of foot is covered up about 4 inches, then wrapped with stretchy bandage). Someone I know had her stallion in a cast for a few months and his hoof rotted inside the cast and it took a year before he had a new hoof - had to have special shoes made :(

I know Listo's won't be that bad, but is his hoof going to be soft or mushy? I would love to take him out of his stall, but we can't get the cast dirty or wet, so he has to stay in where it's dry. He isn't favoring his foot at all, so that's good.

Any advice for when it's off??

[Terry Wallace]

You won't know till you get it off... I'd likely keep him stalled on soft shavings for the first few days....

[Heidi]

I've never had a cast, but I've had one kitty who had a cast on a hind leg. When the cast came off, his leg swelled. (swelled so much his toes were all pointed out) Do keep Listo in the stall for a few days because chances are his hoof will be very tender when the padding of the cast is removed.

I would think if his hoof was casted while clean and dry that it would not slough off. ...as long as it remained dry in the cast.
Heidi

[GeorgeGuns]

The worst thing about it may be that the softness will equate to tenderness. Talk to the vet about simple pad options - what you can put on with duck tape. Definately do the stall thing, as his hooves dry they will re-toughen, but the tenderness may continue until the hoof re-callouses on the sole. If he is normally shod, talk to your farrier about pads - not full pads but rim pads that extend a little inside the shoe. If barefoot, just make a few layers of ducktape and wean him off. Callousing may take a few months so be carefull of what footing he is on. Abcesses may happen, don't let it rattle ya. If his foot is stinky, do some 50% apple cider vinegar soaks to prevent thrush. If you don't want to pad him, you can use Keratex hoof hardener - great stuff - on the sole. Also, dont' be surprised if you see some spasming - the deep digital flexor tendon may have a time getting back "online" - if you see this, it will look like he is pointing his hoof, toe on ground, and leg spasming. A simple support wrap will help this a lot.
Hope this helps!

[motorgypsy]

Think of how soft a newborn foal's hoof is but it hardens right up once it's exposed to the air, I would suspect that it would depend on how clean the hoof was when it was casted because if it was loaded with bacteria they'd go wild in that damp environment but if it were clean and sterile you'd think it would just soften, then harden right up.

I do remember that when we moved Brandy and Chinook to a new barn they developed gas colic from the clover and we had to keep them stalled a lot and we couldn't keep stall dry because she drinks huge amounts of water (all tests were normal) and her feet actually got so hydrated they softened and spread way out. It's taken about four years for them to go back to their original shape so you might ask about some kind of support that is porous for his hoof to stop it from spreading.

Let us know please how he is doing!!

[CarolU]

I've used the Keretex Coreen recommended before and it is good stuff. I also agree with the pads if your ground is frozen into bumps or if you have gravel-size rocks. Otherwise, if he's on hardpack, I'd leave him barefoot. If he starts to limp, you might limit his outdoor activities and then back into soft footing, and gradually build up the time outside. BUT, 3.5 weeks isn't supper long. He may just be fine with no treatment at all.

[DebbieS]

Thanks for the advice! I'm sure everything was sterilized before it was casted, so that shouldn't be a problem. I've tried really hard to keep his environment clean and dry (mucking twice a day, replacing aspen bedding every other day). His stall is pretty large (12x14) so he has room to do his duties in the corner (must be a leftover stallion trait).

I talked to someone else who had the same surgery (same doc) done last spring and she said he put her horse in a soft wrap for a few days after the cast was removed. So, that means he'll still be stalled. He normally doesn't wear shoes, and I do have Keratex on hand (I use it when we're riding more).

I hope this mud dries up soon. It looks like we still have a few more days of precip though :(

I'll let you know how things go!! I know he's going to be really energetic when he gets out of that stall!! Gee, I can't wait for that first ride - just in time to get ready for the expo :roll:

[pnalley]

I'm sorry I missed why he was casted.

We had a TB mare here that had a hairline fracture in her coffin bone (I think). She was casted for about 6 months, it was changed every 6 weeks or so. She was turned out if the ground was dry, but was in if the ground was wet. we noticed no rotting. she was a bit tender but more like a horse that has always worn shoes & had them pulled. She got normal shoes and has returned to light duty riding (no 5 ft jumps anymore)

[dana]

Say, Debbie? if you are going to wrap one leg, do them both. if you just wrap one, the other seems to take the abuse. wrap both after the cast is off would be my advise. JMPO

dana

[DebbieS]

Paula - He found some metal siding on an old chicken coop up in the woods and decided he would paw at it until he got it free from the building :roll: . Well, that stuff slices like a razor blade and he cut into his heel bulb (and the main artery, of course) and cut his tendon sheath. Luckily, there was no tendon damage but his vet believes in casting, so no infection can get into the cut while it's healing. Lucky for him it was 18 below that morning, or he could have lost a lot more blood than he did.

The farrier was out today and trimmed the other 4 horses. Listo got off easy today but Eric is coming back in 2 weeks, so he's trimmed up for the expo. By then, he should be back to normal, I hope.