Horse injured! Have Question?

braggscowboy · #1 08/18/12, 03:56 PM

During a storm recently (3 weeks) horse fell and cut leg really bad. Been doing own veting. Everything has gone well, but have tried twice to leave open because it was doing so well, but then she chews on it and I have to start over again. Happened this morning. I use Fursion medication with vet wrap and we do well until open. Any suggestions to keep her fron chewing on the wound?
Horse injured! Have Question? - Homesteading Questions

Horse injured! Have Question? - Homesteading Questions

unregistered41671 · #2 08/18/12, 04:11 PM

They make a collar similar to a dog anti chew collar. Don't remember what it is called. It is made of wood dowels and is held together by leather or nylon. Wider at the shoulders than the front. They can't bend their neck very well with it on. Maybe a lg animal vet would have one and loan it or let you rent it. They do work. I used one on a young mare 15 yrs ago.

braggscowboy · #3 08/18/12, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Possum Belly

They make a collar similar to a dog anti chew collar. Don't remember what it is called. It is made of wood dowels and is held together by leather or nylon. Wider at the shoulders than the front. They can't bend their neck very well with it on. Maybe a lg animal vet would have one and loan it or let you rent it. They do work. I used one on a young mare 15 yrs ago.

My brother has one, but they are a lot of trouble, may have to use. I am hoping for something more simple, like pepper, grarlic or something?

Cliff · #4 08/18/12, 05:23 PM

You should post this in the horse forum also. Lots of very knowledgeable horse people there.

Helena · #5 08/18/12, 05:49 PM

Is that what the injury looks like now ?? I would get a vet to take a look even if it is more healed than picture shows. Did you give the horse any tetnaus shots..or antibiotics..??

luvrulz · #6 08/18/12, 06:38 PM

I would call the vet out....is that what the cut looks like now?

julieq · #7 08/18/12, 07:12 PM

Sorry, but if that was one of our horses (we got out of horses a few months ago), our vet would be overseeing care. That's a serious wound.

where I want to · #8 08/18/12, 09:57 PM

Well- they do make a vet wrap with a chew stop agent in it. I have one but have never used it so I don't know how it works.
That is a difficult place to bandage. If it's too tight, it will really bind when she folds her knee to lie down. How are you doing the bandage?
I have never taken care of a wound that large. Did the vet say to use an ointment? That sounds like it might actually delay healing but as I said, I have never taken care of one that large.

braggscowboy · #9 08/18/12, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helena

Is that what the injury looks like now ?? I would get a vet to take a look even if it is more healed than picture shows. Did you give the horse any tetnaus shots..or antibiotics..??

Had tetnaus, three pennicillen shots and this the day it happened. Has been much better and looked great this morning, until she messed it up. Still better than it was. I have done about anything a vet would do. She is well taken care of with feed, hay, water and a barn to get in. I know it is healing and itches I would guess and irritates her. As I said it is much, much better and this is the way it looked this morning.

Horse injured! Have Question? - Homesteading Questions

where I want to · #10 08/18/12, 10:27 PM

Have you ever done a stovepipe bandage? I'm still thinking that the tight bandage may be what is bothering her so she chews on it.

MARYDVM · #11 08/18/12, 10:49 PM

She actually did herself a favor by chewing off the proud flesh. Once that bubbly red tissue grows above skin level it prevents the skin cells from growing in from the wound margins (epitheliazation) and the wound won't close any further. That red oozing proud flesh will continue to grow out, and you'll have a permanent mess on your hands.

You need to put a proud flesh treatment into the open wound (like wonder dust) and keep it bandaged. Changing wrap and reapplying treatment regularly. If the proud flesh ever grows above skin level again, you might as well let her gnaw it off again. The alternative is to have the vet cut it back (debridement) and that won't be cheap. And it probably won't be as clean as she has made it. That wound is going to be a month or more healing. I would continue the antibiotics until that wound has gotten much smaller.

braggscowboy · #12 08/18/12, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARYDVM

She actually did herself a favor by chewing off the proud flesh. Once that bubbly red tissue grows above skin level it prevents the skin cells from growing in from the wound margins (epitheliazation) and the wound won't close any further. That red oozing proud flesh will continue to grow out, and you'll have a permanent mess on your hands.

You need to put a proud flesh treatment into the open wound (like wonder dust) and keep it bandaged. Changing wrap and reapplying treatment regularly. If the proud flesh ever grows above skin level again, you might as well let her gnaw it off again. The alternative is to have the vet cut it back (debridement) and that won't be cheap. And it probably won't be as clean as she has made it. That wound is going to be a month or more healing. I would continue the antibiotics until that wound has gotten much smaller.

Thinking slack lime would be good on the wound? What do you think?

ani's ark · #13 08/18/12, 11:05 PM

My rescue mare came to me with proud flesh the size of a tennis ball growing on her leg from a similar injury, debriding was expensive and VERY bloody. To stop proud flesh growing out of a wound once it's started takes compression bandaging for months until proper skin has grown right over the wound. She could never do more than light work again. If the injury goes to the bone it could lead to infection in the bone or tendon sheath, and that's serious. I would still get vet advice even if you email them those photos to make sure they dont suggest a low dose antibiotic or anti-inflamatory. If it's itching her there could be some inflammation?

MARYDVM · #14 08/18/12, 11:06 PM

That stuff can cause chemical burns and could potentially mess up her tendon sheaths.

Every feed store carries a proud flesh treatment, or you can order online. You don't want to risk crippling that leg.

Ness · #15 08/19/12, 12:38 AM

Agree with above, if you can't get the vet out find a knowledgeable horse person in your area who can help assess & show you how to wrap.

janetn · #16 08/19/12, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ness

Agree with above, if you can't get the vet out find a knowledgeable horse person in your area who can help assess & show you how to wrap.

Agree. I dont know if its the angle of the picture or not but that knee looks swollen as well as the cannon below the injury.. She may be chewing it off because its too tight. Or you could have some injuries you cant see withthe naked eye. A vet really needs to evaluate that leg.

ShyAnne · #17 08/19/12, 03:17 AM

Firstly, That wound *looks* a lot better now than it did. Yes, you need compression However it doesnt need to be tight. There is a wonderful product called Equaide
Proud Flesh - EQUAIDE
That can be used with great success, Ive used it on several horses, one who WAS under vet care and developed serious proud flesh from a wound that ran 14 inches long down the back leg. 6 inches of this wound was open to the bone.
It looks from the 2nd picture like only the wound area is wrapped, and it looks like the wrap is on the wound? I suggest using the Equaide, putting a NON stick pad over it, then that fluffy gauze, then vet wrap. I personally would wrap up over the knee with the gauze and the vet wrap.
Ive never used wonder dust to treat proud flesh, but know of some who have. Same directions would apply with the non stick pad and the gauze, then vet wrap.
I agree with a second course of anti B's.
And not sure how your taking care of the wound now, but remember proud flesh develops faster than skin cells so I wouldnt clean the wound every day anymore, but every other day. Then, take a soft terry cloth, or a soft sponge, use bentadine & water and gently scrub the area, it will bleed. Then rinse the entire leg with cool water for 30 minutes. Pat the area dry, then apply the medication and wraps.

stockdogtta · #18 08/19/12, 06:49 AM

I also vote for using Wonderdust...its good stuff for proud flesh.I'd spray the wound with some blue wound spray to give the Wonderdust something to kinda bond to....then Wonderdust it..then light spray again and then a salve over the whole thing. Do it everyday faithfully.

countryfied2011 · #19 08/19/12, 07:27 AM

I had a wound like that years ago on a horse I owned but it was right below the back hock. It started as a small cut but the flesh started dying and it got almost as big as yours. The vet had me cold hose it twice a day, put a spray inside the wound to promote healing, then put a powder on top of that to help the proud flesh and last a spray Cantron to keep flys off of it. The cold hosing keeps it clean and washes off any proud flesh starting along with the powder. He didn't have me bandage it because of the location.

It took several months of doing this to heal it to small scar.

Cliff · #20 08/19/12, 08:41 AM

I agree about using wonderdust - it really helps. Also I've read from several different sources that spanish moss packed on a wound like that will help it close right up. Do some research on it. For me it would be worth a try.