I am pleased with the amount of growth though. I have actually trimmed the foot twice now and it is still far too long. The hole in the foot is already reaching the ground, which means there has been at least a half inch of growth in the past few weeks.
I am nervous of trimming more however, because the sole of his foot where the original abscess was is also dying off and a large hole has developed there. It is connected to the hole in the side of the foot and it is clear that a large section of the hoof, including wall and sole is going to slough off and eventually be replaced. I don't think any of us were expecting that. I am just a bit worried that too much hoof will fall off all at once and weaken the entire hoof capsule.
It is amazing how much a hoof can regenerate given a chance, but there has to be enough hoof to support the animal and maintain cohesion while it grows. Ramsey is sound on it and it is growing at an amazing rate so I think it is OK, I just don't dare trim it more. If you look closely, you can see a hole in the sole that connects with the hole in the hoof wall. What doesn't show in the photo, is that quite a bit of the sole around that hole is spongy and dead. I can peel it off with my fingernail so it clearly is not doing anything. I removed the really soft portions, but left anything that might help maintain structural integrity.
Ramsey is due (overdue actually because of the holidays) to go back to Cornell for a checkup and a new set of x-rays. I am going to be making an appointment for him on Monday. I am hoping to have the farrier there examine and trim the foot and hopefully, he can show me just how much I can trim back without causing harm. They had talked about putting an acrylic patch on the foot if it is healed enough on the inside and I think it may be time for that. The patch would replace the dead hoof and support the foot while it grows out.
The heel bulbs are still tender, but have healed well. The white-ish stuff you can see here is my beeswax salve which has helped a great deal. I think it has helped with hoof growth as well. Every time I change the bandage, I massage the salve into the entire coronet band and I have seen a dramatic increase in growth since I started doing that. It may not look pretty yet, but it is healing and most importantly, it does not bother Ramsey much at all now. It's progress anyway
Ugh a scary time, not knowing what is going to happen there, but the site of the surgery looks really good & clean, I am sure it must be going in the right direction. The acrylic patch will probably do the trick & protect the internal structures while the hoof & sole regenerate.
ReplyDeleteIs he sound now?
I'm so glad Ramsey is sound on it. It will be interesting to see the patch.
ReplyDeleteLooks good! You've done a great job with him!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching Ramsey's progress, his foot is looking good. It's nice to have pictures that show it. Your hesitation with trimming is understandable. I would think they would "plug" the hole at this stage as well. I assume the hoof continues to grow, and "pushes" the fill out, like a human fake nail would. You've done an absolutely amazing job helping him heal, what a lucky donkey!!
ReplyDeleteLook at how TINY his hoof is!!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so glad he is getting better. I was wondering if anything could be done about the hole in his hoof, but didn't think about what would happen when it grew its way down to the ground level. Thank you, as always, for keeping us in the loop!
ReplyDeleteI think this is unbelievably great... you have done such a very good job of taking care of him. The acrylic patch should support him enough that he can still use it while it keeps healing.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, you're doing a terrific job. Great photos. The acrylic patch should be very helpful. Glad that he is sound
ReplyDeleteYou have certainly become an expert on this subject. I am proud of you for stepping up to the task - even though you had no choice really.
ReplyDeleteThis is all very interesting and educational! His little hoof does look a lot better. It will be interesting to hear about his next appointment.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it's coming along great! I'll be interested to see the patch. I wonder if something on the sole would be more helpful than a patch on the side. Since the hole in the side and bottom are going to merge soon it's going to put flex stress on the top of the side hoof hole with each step. I'd think something to bridge the gap between toe and heel that would keep them from spreading apart would be good.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a fantastic job!
Such a little foot in your hand! I am glad Ramsey's hoof is healing well. He has a very good MomNurse. The patch sounds great.
ReplyDeleteWow! Very interesting pics and you have done a super job! Pretty intense stuff.
ReplyDeleteWould golden seal in the salve help? It's amazing stuff ..
I have never used Golden Seal, but it might be a good addition. I went with what I had in the cupboard:)
DeleteBoyfriend's feet had only self trimmed when I got him as a long six year old. He ended up losing a huge chunk of wall on the front quarter of a front hoof during the time he was getting foot broke and then trained well enough to tolerate the farrier.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at what a large portion of his foot could be affected and he was still perfectly sound. Obviously Ramsey's situation is very different, but I hope that it grows through just as nicely as Bif's gaping laminae. As you know, the resilience of hooves to correct themselves if given the proper chance is amazing.
Continued good wishes for your handsome little guy. :)
I know, it amazes me how much hoof can come off and still be OK. I just worry about keeping that coffin bone stable since it is still so exposed. He is sound on it so I think all is OK. I hope.
Delete