My horse has a painful hoof growth and is favoring a leg. What to do?

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear this happened to Cody. It does sound like it may be an abscess. Sidebone rarely causes lameness so I doubt it is that. Ringbone is a possibility depending on where the swelling is located (front of the hoof, one of the sides or over the heels); this swelling is usually very firm to the touch. You just said there is a lump above the coronet but not where on the foot so that makes it harder for me to be helpful. If you want to post again with a photo we may be able to assist you better. Regardless of the cause, I suggest you get a vet out there to check him. In the meantime you can soak the foot up over the fetlock in a bucket of warm Epsom Salt water for 10 minutes twice a day to hopefully draw the infection out (if that is what it is). If it is not an abscess this won't hurt but it won't help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I can’t be sure from the photo but this looks like a fungal or bacterial infection. Horses often get this from irritation and moisture. I recommend scrubbing the affected areas twice daily with iodine based shampoo, or another anti bacterial and fungal shampoo. Scrubbing the skin to remove the scales and debris will make it look more inflammed but will let the air get to the skin and speed healing. If this hasn’t cleared up in a week or two then please get a veterinary exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Diamond.

Unfortunately it looks like Cayenne has significantly damaged the part of her hoof from which the growth starts - her coronary band. Additionally the part of the foot that attaches the hard part of her foot to the deeper living tissues, the lamina, appears to also be damaged. The most likely cause of this was a bad bout of laminitis and, possibly, ongoing damage over the intervening years. When this happens, the coronary band cannot produce a normal hoof and the laminar damage makes the foot grow abnormally. These problems can also set her up for chronic foot infections along the white line. To maximize her comfort and health, you need to partner with both a veterinarian and a farmer. The veterinarian can do some tests to try and see why this happened and prescribe medications, if needed, to reduce the incidence of flare ups. They will also take x-rays to assist the farrier in providing the best foot trim and, likely shoes. This condition cannot usually be cured, but management can help make her more comfortable. Thank you for using pet coach!

Thanks for using pet coach! This is a hard picture to interpret - but it appears that there may be an injury to the coronary band with a 'mass' there. You need to have a veterinarian take a good look at it - if it were me, I would clean the foot up completely which will allow me to better evaluate it. I would also like to take radiographs of the area to see if there is any bony involvement underneath the mass. In addition, I would like to assess if Cayenne has any lameness in this foot/leg. I would be suspicious that this mass is granulation tissue (best case scenario) secondary to an old wound, but it could also be a type of cancer (sarcoid or squamous cell carcinoma would be high on my suspicion list). I would recommend taking a biopsy to figure out what the mass is and thus the course of treatment. All of those potential diagnoses easily bleed and can look similar. So please find a veterinarian to come and examine Cayenne soon. Thank you for using pet coach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without being able to examine her. This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

This looks like the result of a chronic trauma or infection creating a proliferative skin inflammation (that is why it looks like a lump). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths.

Hello. It is very difficult to tell exactly what you are trying to show because of all the hair there. It does somewhat resemble a plantar wart, but I am afraid a hands on exam will probably necessary to truly identify what this is. You can try bandaging up the paw in essence creating a sneaker to protect the area, but do try to have this looked at in the near future in case additional treatment is necessary. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.