How to Avoid Abscesses - Ranvet's Hoof Food the best answer!

Posted by Ranvet NZ , 03 Aug, 2009

Grooming/Vet, Veterinary

We recently received a query from one of our Thathorse readers

"Hi I was reading about the product Hoof Food that you were advertising. I have a thoroughbred that is a nightmare every winter with abcesses. So far we have had abcesses on 3 hoofes at once and have just spent 8 weeks clearing those and now have an abcess on the 4th hoof. Do you have any suggestions on how to aviod abcesses or if there is anything to add to their feed that could help?
Many thanks Linda"

Ranvet's Nutrition and Animal Health Division Manager, Priscilla Spendlove has provided this excellent article to assist Linda:

Essentially, an abscess is a purulent (pus containing) inflammation of the corium, where the pressure produced by the accumulation of pus between the corium and the hoof causes the horse great pain, often leading to lameness.

Abscesses can occur in both shod and unshod horses the most common reasons for occurrence being;
• Piercing of the sole with a foreign object which then in turn allows infection to enter through the wound.
• Transition from the shod to the unshod hoof. This results in the corium/cartilaginous areas which have been compressed for a long period to die off. When circulation is returned, the dead tissue is removed from the living tissue and carried to the external surface by pus.
• When contract hooves open, sole and heel abscesses are common.

It certainly provides the horse relief from discomfort if the abscess is found and opened by an expert. A small round hole cut in the correct position will allow the pressurised fluid contained in the abscess to drain. The abscess should then be cleaned with a mild disinfectant, and the hole closed. Bandaging is not necessary and often can cause more harm than benefit due to restricting circulation. Movement on soft ground is helpful, as this increases blood flow into the hoof, promoting quicker healing. After 24 hours the hoof should be bathed, cleaning repeated and the hole closed again. Following this, the hoof should be left undisturbed for a few days and after approximately three days, the corium will be covered with a white/yellow skin/film which is the newly-formed sole horn. After approximately a week, the sheet of horn should be thick enough for the horse to walk on even ground however, care should be taken for uneven surfaces/stone surfaces which may require 2-3 weeks.

For abscesses which cannot be found, the application of warm poultices can be useful in order to soften the horn and encourage the abscess to the surface, releasing pus which will in turn provide pain relief to the horse.

From a nutritional perspective, there are a number of points to ensure, as it must be considered that the hoof too is a living structure and as such requires optimal nutrients via the bloodstream for health and repair. Hoof regeneration is very much an ‘inside-out' process in order to stimulate growth and repair and thereby normal circulation to the hoof and good blood supply. I have attached a features and benefits information sheet on Ranvet's Hoof Food for your reference and have addressed the components included in Hoof Food below;
• Biotin is a sulfur containing vitamin. In adult horses, biotin appears to be synthesised by microorganisms in the colon (Caroll et al., 1949). The dietary requirements for biotin in the horse are poorly defined, however responses have been reported in improving the hardness, growth rate and quality of the hooves and laminae strength, in conjunction with calcium, at the rate of 15mg per horse per day. Biotin has been proved to stimulate horn production, and to lay it down at a faster rate, not only in the coronary band but also in the laminae, thus improving the strength and integrity of the periople, hoof wall, sole, frog and white line junction and supplementation may be helpful in enhancing the repair of hoof defects and in preventing their recurrence.
• Gelatin is a product obtained from partial hydrolysis of collagen derived from natural sources such as skin, connective tissue, and bones of animals. In the pharmaceutical health industry, gelatin is used to make the shells of hard and soft capsules for medicines, dietary/health supplements, syrups, etc. It is highly digestible and serves as a natural protective coating for medications (GMIA, 2001).
• Sulphur is needed as a constituent of several amino acids (methionine, cystine, and cysteine) and vitamins (biotin and thiamine). The concentration of sulphur containing amino acids, and therefore sulphur is highest in hoof and hair, which contain the protein keratin which is 4% sulphur. Keratin is necessary for the maintenance of the skin, hair and hoof, helping to give strength and hardness to these protein tissues. In horses, tensile strength of hooves was positively associated with sulphur content (Ley et al., 1998).
• Methionine and Choline have an inter-relationship necessary for production.
• Zinc and Magnesium are co-factors in over 200 enzymes in metabolism, bone, cartilage and hoof formation and health of skin. Zinc improves hoof health through keratin synthesis and maturation, wound healing, and epithelium maintenance (Berger). Additionally, Yager and Scott (1985) reported that a deficiency of zinc may be a cause of hoof horn defects. Magnesium is closely associated with calcium and phosphorus and is an essential constituent of bones and teeth and is needed in many body functions as an activator of enzymes (Cunha, 1980). Low magnesium in the diet has been associated with laminitis (founder) in some species (Pfalzbot, 1005).

Hoof Food provides high levels of Biotin together with other essential pre-Keratins which are needed to promote hoof growth and repair. There are a number of Biotin supplements on the market, however many are poorly concentrated. Ranvet's Hoof Food is highly concentrated and will provide the recommended levels of Biotin as suggested by scientific research groups. It should be considered that overall improvement in hoof horn growth and strength generally occurs in 3-5 months.

Priscilla Spendlove BSc Agr/AnSc (Hons) PhD MAIAST
Manager
Nutrition and Animal Health Division
Ranvet Pty Ltd

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