Hollow wall

A hollow wall is a disease of a horse's hoof or the claw of an even-toed ungulate . The cohesion within the horn wall is thereby loosened, namely between the leaflet horn of the wall segment and the tubular horn of the coronet segment. This detachment usually begins just below the crown and can extend over the entire hoof wall.

The causes of the hollow wall are mainly inflammation ( pododermatitis , laminitis , nailing), which, however, was a long time ago and may have already subsided. Lameness therefore only occurs when inflammation processes start again, for example because dirt penetrates the cavity. The cavity is visible when it reaches the supporting rim. Cavities further proximal (towards the crown) can be recognized by tapping ( percussion ).

Healing requires normal horn formation on the hoof wall, which takes a long time (up to a year). To prevent irritation of the sclera from dirt particles, the hollow wall is completely removed and the edges of the healthy horn are beveled. The defect is closed with putty. A horseshoe with a wider contact surface has a supportive effect.

literature

• Hanns-Jürgen Wintzer: Diseases of the horse: a guide for study and practice . Georg Thieme Verlag, 1999, ISBN 9783826332807 , pp. 323-324.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !