Slim has been battling osteomyelitis in his coffin bone for a couple of months now. We thought we were seeing improvement but then he hit a snag with another recurring abscess just below his coronary band. No matter how much soaking and pouticing we did, the abscess just kept draining and Slim continued to be mildly lame on that leg even with pain medication on board. Dr. Fleck decided that he needed to dremel part of the hoof wall away to open it up and allow for more efficient drainage.
Dr. Fleck came out about a week ago, sedated Slim, and used his dremel tool to open up a hole about the size of a nickel. We were instructed to flush it generously with hydrogen peroxide, apply epsom salt poultice ointment to the hole, wrap, and repeat every few days until healed. We’re cautiously optimistic, but it seems like it might have done the trick. The abscess has now stopped draining and Slim’s lameness is gone. We’re hopeful that maybe we’re finally turning a corner with this foot.
For now, Slim will remain on the long-term antibiotic course that he was prescribed when this all began back in July. Hopefully this dremel procedure will keep him on the right track and we’ll get to discontinue the medications soon. But at the moment the future is still unclear. Thankfully, Slim is a patient guy and he doesn’t mind all the fuss. He really enjoys all the attention he gets with his twice daily medicating and frequent bandage changes!
