The Daily Regimen

I wrote about our big canker adventure in my last post.

I have been doing daily bandage changes/medicating since last Thursday and this is what things look like now....

The white stuff is a remnant of the powdered antibiotic. The crevice right in the center is the normal sulcus, although there is a bit of thrush in it.  That is being treated as well.

The curved crevice just to the left of the central sulcus is where the canker was.  The wedge shaped piece between the crevices is the healthy frog tissue.  It looks rather naked as it is normally covered by thick, callused frog.  Hopefully it will be again.

I have never treated canker before and there is no real data about what to expect from this treatment so I can't really say if this is progressing well or not.  The first couple of days after surgery, I could still detect some of the odd, musty odor that comes with canker, but I can't any longer.  I am taking that as a good sign.

Each day, I pack the area with the crushed antibiotic pills and I pack it down into those crevices as far as I can.

I cover this with gauze soaked in the acetone/benzoyl peroxide mixture and wrap the whole thing with elastikon.  I never use vetwrap for wrapping feet anymore as it won't stay on in the field unless you cover the coronary band as well.  I don't like to do that, it is not good for the foot.  Elastikon is a bit more expensive, but it stays where I put it and can take a lot more abuse.

Ben is still sound on the foot and doesn't seem to know there is any problem with it.  He is still feeling good and is very well behaved about the whole wrapping procedure.  He gives me very mournful, long-suffering looks when I start messing about with his foot again then stands stoically with a deep martyred air about him.  He generally gets a cookie when all is done though and the martyrdom miraculously disappears and all is forgiven.