Abscess Pedal Osteitis HELP PLEASE. vets are suggesting PTS

long story short, my mare has had constant abscesses in both front feet for nearly 3 years. always present at the toe. She will be sound or 1/10 lame whilst they are draining but crippled when they stop driaing every month or so. we have tried everything! soak in epsom salts, poultice, sugardine, shoes on, shoes off, box rest, field rest, diet, magnetic boots, herbal remedies (desperation i know), 3 different farriers, xrays, re-section and finally a referal to an equine hospital with a diagnosis of septic pedal osteitis. she had the infected pedal bone removed from both front feet and was placed in heart bars. After 6 months of recoperation she looked good and was returned to VERY light work.

she has now relapsed and in the last 2 months has had 3 abscesses at the toe on each front hoof. x-rays show abscesses tracking up the hoof wall toward the pedal bone again but no obvious sign of pedal osteitis. she's been in heart bars but presently has her shoes off to allow the abscess to drain. one foot is still draining but she is sound enough to go out for a couple of hours a day.

my farriers and vets have seen nothing like it before and are at a loss. i'm exshausted and bankrupt. she still has a tiny part of the hoof that was cut away to go grow out. i am being advised that if she is still producing puss once this has grown out to have her put to sleep.

has any one heard of a cse like this before. is there anything should be suggesting at this point or anything that could have been overlooked? i just want to consider everything before i PTS as i know it will eat away at me otherwise.

my mare is 19 and an irish draft. grows good, strong hoof. Kept in nice dry fields, stabled when she cant go out to play. she is now becoming lame in her back legs where she is constantly trying to shift her weight, not helped by poor confirmation and sloping pasterns in the hind.

Any suggestions good or bad????????this really is the last chance saloon.

Sounds like you really love this mare, it also sounds like you have tried everything and should not feel guilty in the slightest sometimes the hardest choice is the best choice. Sorry I cant be of more help.

At age 19 a draft horse is already a geriatric. Their immune system is not as strong as a young horse. I believe you have done everything in your power and done right by your horse. But despite that the circumstances remain grim.

With regret and sympathy, based on the history you have provided, if I was your farrier at this point I would strongly encourage you to humanely euthanize the horse and I would thank you for giving her a good life and doing the right thing by not prolonging her suffering when there is not a good chance of her ever being comfortable again.

yes, and the outcome is not good and the one that I know of; they did a strong antibotics and it foundered as well.