Keratoma

Pinky is now securely resting in her "palace" (aka the big stall, and soon to be known as the jail cell).

We picked her up this afternoon and Dr H. showed me how to change the bandage.  While we waited for the vet I read selections from Equine Podiatry.  The description of keratoma fit to a tee. 

Some things I remember were that the keratoma can cause the tissue to bump up at the coronet band. 

see how the hair sticks out at the top of this picture

The keratoma can make the white line deform around the area of the tumor, actually growing inward into the sole area.

directly below the divet in the hoof wall, the white line bows inward

 The keratoma can make the hoof wall itself deform.  The white stripe is actually a high spot the the farrier has rasped to keep smooth, in hopes that it would not collect debris and cause further abscesses.

You can see an old abscess hole, grown out about 1.5 inches from the coronet.

The keratoma can cause chronic abscesses.

You can see the last abscess hole, the pink tissue at the coronet.

Here are a few pictures post surgery.  Of course my camera battery was almost dead, so not as many pictures as I would have liked.

Hmmm, doesn't look too bad yet. 

 Pink has a hole in her hoof, top to bottom.  The keratoma had grown from the coronet downward.  She is sporting a cast for 3 weeks, at which time we'll remove the cast and replace it with a bar shoe. 

It actually looked a lot better than I expected.  Now, to keep it clean!



The cause of much grief.

  Pink got a shot of long term sedative and I picked up some Ace to hopefully take the edge off on re-wrap days.  I will change the bandage out every 3 days and will take some pictures of the healing process.  Wish us luck!

I've been so busy dealing with stuff, I haven't had a moment to blog lately!  I have been keeping up on my blog reading and have been enjoying it

In brief,

Todd and I went to Arkansas and visited my parents.  We had a great time and I do have a few pictures to post later.

Cartman went to Shawn while I was gone and came back lighter and more responsive than ever!  He really seems to be advancing by leaps and bounds and is SO FUN TO RIDE!  Cartman is learning the basis of a spin.  Ha ha, the thought of my big boy "reining" is pretty funny

I'm going to start taking a lesson a week to keep improving  Cartman and work on my horsemanship- I'm really excited for this.
.
I went to the local St. Judes benefit trail ride and had a great little 5 mile trail ride.  I did get to experience a first "buck" from Cartman.  Glen said he got about 1 1/2-2 feet of air.  C was a real gentleman about it.  Just gave the little buck and then came right back to me.  We then proceeded to do a little loping in the sand before continuing on a nice relaxed ride.

We hauled in reject gravel and some sand into our winter sacrifice paddock. Again. Ugh.

I cleaned out the barn and back stalls.  Taking out dividers between two stall to create a 14 x 24 stall.  More on that later.

Pinky blew yet another abscess.  I might have mentioned this abscess stuff before.  She had had a chronic absecess in her left front foot for over a year now.  It was x-rayed July 2010 and no bone inffection found.  The front of her hoof was resected and the abscess infection cleaned out.  I had to wrap her foot for 3 weeks and that is when she stomped and crushed my big toe, resulting in an abbreviated ride season for me last summer.

So, last week I hauled Pink to Greshem to the vet.  He took a look at her foot, rasped a bit of toe and said it looks like a Keratoma.  The x-ray confirmed the diagnosis.  A benign tumor between the laminae and hoof wall.  Mystery solved at last.n

Monday I hauled Pink back to the vet for surgery.  They called and left a message that she came thru great and I will pick her up tomorrow at 2pm.  I will have pictures.  She will be staying in that big stall I made for her last weekend for 3 weeks to a month.

Cartman and I did about an hour ride in the sand and jogging path today.  It was wonderful!!!