Advice please

[JCbruce]

Hello I will apologise in advance for the long post.
I have a 3 year old who has been on box rest for 4 months he had a cut to his hock (fully healed now) which I originally was bandaging then he started showing signs of a pressure sore so for two months a vet came and bandaged it. The pressure sore got worse he went into hospital they joint tapped ect which was fine and it started to granulate so they sent him home and said once it was fully granulated he could have the bandage off. Anyway they put a bandage on too tight and when we took it off at home the sore was even worse so he went back in. They couldn’t get it to heal to they operated on it and they removed all the dead tissue and scrapped the bone. They sent him home And told me to bandage it with a pressage bandage. It got loads better and started to heal well but the past two weeks it hasn’t got any smaller. It’s completely scabbed over and not seeping just staying the same and the rest of his leg is sweating and loosing hair in places. It’s swollen and slightly hot but it’s been swollen and hot for 4 months so not really any difference. The vets want me to keep it bandaged untill new skin is fully formed over it. They don’t want me to use anything to release the pressure they want me to treat it like a new wound.

I have very much lost faith in vets. The original vets prescribed me some really expensive strong antibiotic cream and then another vet came out and said don’t use this it’s for proud flesh and will slow the healing. The horse hospital initially made the sore worse and I recently found out two people are going through legal battles with that hospital for almost killing their horses from mis-diagnoses.

I have spend 10k already and have completely ran out of money I can’t afford more vet visits. Would you keep bandaging it if it’s scabbed, it’s now about the size of a thumb nail he’s sound on the leg. I have added photos

please no nasty comments it’s been a horrendous time as it is.

 

[twiggy2]

Hibestly, very few people would have dealt with a wound like that to be able to give you advice on here.
You really would be best to follow vets advice and speak to them.
The only person I can think of who may have some experience is Starzaan who may be worth you messaging.

 

[scats]

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this but this was my pony’s leg after she was hit by a tractor (pronged down to the bone), the proud flesh stage and the scar that is left.
She was treated with Manuka honey.

 

[JCbruce]

Thank you gives me faith! I am using manuka honey it’s a god send!

 

[JCbruce]

Hibestly, very few people would have dealt with a wound like that to be able to give you advice on here.
You really would be best to follow vets advice and speak to them.
The only person I can think of who may have some experience is Starzaan who may be worth you messaging.

Thank you I have given her a message she’s been massively helpful and reassuring!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Personally having dealt with a similar wound! I would either treat with manuka honey and loosely bandage it or I would silver spray it and leave it open l, this wound was a friends horse and the vet bandaged too tight, dont loose faith but just a piece of melolin and vetwrap to secure it should do the trick and as it looks drier, start with the silver spray! Its great its like elastoplast spray

 

[JCbruce]

Personally having dealt with a similar wound! I would either treat with manuka honey and loosely bandage it or I would silver spray it and leave it open l, this wound was a friends horse and the vet bandaged too tight, dont loose faith but just a piece of melolin and vetwrap to secure it should do the trick and as it looks drier, start with the silver spray! Its great its like elastoplast spray View attachment 98559View attachment 98559

Oh my god poor horse! I wish I went with my gut instinct earlier but I kept telling my self I need to listen to the professionals.

 

[AmyMay]

Just refreshed myself on your original thread. I’m really sorry you didn’t pursue the vet with this.

Either way, if the scabbed wound is as small as a thumbnail then no I wouldn’t be bandaging.

Are you still not turning out?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Oh my god poor horse! I wish I went with my gut instinct earlier but I kept telling my self I need to listen to the professionals.

Exactly! The vet overbandaged and I told my friend thats on too tight loosen it off , she said I cant the vet said ….
??‍ So after three weeks of the wound not healing! She got this pressure sore and it was worse than the wound! It does heal so much quicker with the air getting to it but needs to seal over before id feel comfortable leaving it open

 

[JCbruce]

No turn out yet! I have been hand watering his lordships paddock with old rain water so he has some grass when he can finally go out! Have a tube of Sedaline for when he does just hand picking him some at the moment. I have also submitted a compliant to the vets. What makes it worse for them is the head vet and the original vet gave me conflicting advice so I think their insurance may be having a field day and everyone is walking on eggshells around me!

 

[AmyMay]

Is there a reason he can’t go out?

 

[JCbruce]

Is there a reason he can’t go out?

The vet wanted it to have new skin before he went out

 

[Barton Bounty]

Is there a reason he can’t go out?

Turn out and getting the blood flowing round the leg would be a great idea ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

The vet wanted it to have new skin before he went out

Honestly even if he just gets out for a little but , it will make all the difference. It will heal so much quicker

 

[JCbruce]

Turn out and getting the blood flowing round the leg would be a great idea ?

I was thinking of starting to hand graze but although he’s a good boy he is a 3 year old who has been on box rest now for 4 months and may be like flying a kite ??

 

[Barton Bounty]

I was thinking of starting to hand graze but although he’s a good boy he is a 3 year old who has been on box rest now for 4 months and may be like flying a kite ??

Even with that I would have been handgrazing and walking him ?

 

[ycbm]

I am so out of kilter with vet treatment of wounds these days. I wouldn't be stapling half the wounds I see being stapled, I wouldn't be bandaging them and risking worse issues with bandages than the original wound and I wouldn't be keeping horses in with wounds that aren't going to be reopened by movement.

I would have turned your horse out long ago, I'm with the others who say get him out, but we are all older and quite possibly out of date.
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

This was BB , cut in a fence, thankfully superficial but I have no doubt in my mind that if I continued to bandage as the first vet said I would have had a pressure sore, I re bandaged it as BB couldnt move to flex his leg at all,different vet visited to Check 5 days later and said she woulda done exactly what I did and I had done a perfect job in healing it. He was turned out after day 3 , once there was no seepage or wetness,

day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Day 6

 

[Barton Bounty]

I am so out of kilter with vet treatment of wounds these days. I wouldn't be stapling half the wounds we see being stapled, I wouldn't be bandaging them and risking worse issues with bandages than the original wound and I wouldn't be keeping horses in with wounds that aren't going to be reopened by movement.

I would have turned your horse out long ago, I'm with the others who say get him out, but we are all older and quite possibly out of date.
.

Your not mrs! Honestly what they over protect themselves with mostly will be harmful, the way they did things years back still works, i wouldnt have called my vet had he not needed antibiotics, i would confidently treated my wound myself ?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

My retired horse got kicked on his forearm. I kid you not, you could put your fist in it. If it had been lower It would have shattered his leg. Vet came out, cleaned it and tried to bandage it. It was summer time so couldn't leave it open. Could get a bandage to stay on because of where the wound was. I ended up gluing a square of dressing on. Vet came out go check the wound. Not sure if he was impressed or not!! Once the wound started to heal I took the bandage off and used manuka honey. The wound healed really quickly. Horse was turned out 24/7 as usual that time of year.

 

[Barton Bounty]

My retired horse got kicked on his forearm. I kid you not, you could put your fist in it. If it had been lower It would have shattered his leg. Vet came out, cleaned it and tried to bandage it. It was summer time so couldn't leave it open. Could get a bandage to stay on because of where the wound was. I ended up gluing a square of dressing on. Vet came out go check the wound. Not sure if he was impressed or not!! Once the wound started to heal I took the bandage off and used manuka honey. The wound healed really quickly. Horse was turned out 24/7 as usual that time of year.

Thats also a good idea for glue , ive also kept something loosely on with a scrunchie , ribbon or a string out my hoody lol

 

[Fieldlife]

My retired horse got kicked on his forearm. I kid you not, you could put your fist in it. If it had been lower It would have shattered his leg. Vet came out, cleaned it and tried to bandage it. It was summer time so couldn't leave it open. Could get a bandage to stay on because of where the wound was. I ended up gluing a square of dressing on. Vet came out go check the wound. Not sure if he was impressed or not!! Once the wound started to heal I took the bandage off and used manuka honey. The wound healed really quickly. Horse was turned out 24/7 as usual that time of year.

What kind of glue did you use?

Wondering if strips of Polster around a dressing also work?

 

[Barton Bounty]

What kind of glue did you use?

Wondering if strips of Polster around a dressing also work?

I bet plaster would, or surgical tape

 

[shortstuff99]

When mine had a horrendous hock injury the reason why she couldn't go out in the field was the constant movement would make the wound open up constantly as it was in a very mobile area.

The other reason for keeping the wound covered was when they are exposed to the air they heal with a lot of proud flesh.

 

[Fieldlife]

When mine had a horrendous hock injury the reason why she couldn't go out in the field was the constant movement would make the wound open up constantly as it was in a very mobile area.

The other reason for keeping the wound covered was when they are exposed to the air they heal with a lot of proud flesh.

Mine had a puncture wound over an inch deep, 0.5cm below lowest hock joint. I turned out in a presage after a few days, over night. Think wore it fit 2 weeks, being changed every 12 hours.

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine had a puncture wound over an inch deep, 0.5cm below lowest hock joint. I turned out in a presage after a few days, over night. Think wore it fit 2 weeks, being changed every 12 hours.

Yeah you could fit your whole hand in my fillies wound. She would be dead if she had been turned out after a couple of days.

Here it is after healing for 6 weeks ish I think

 

[still standing]

Manuka honey is amazing stuff, I really recommend it.
Twice now since he retired, my old horse has managed to get caught in electric fence tape and got a bad cut. One on his forearm, the other on the inside of his hock. Immediately we used Manuka honey on the wound, loosely covered with dressing initially to protect from insects while healing took place. If I hadn't seen the speed of recovery for myself, I would never have believed it. Both wounds healed from the inside out, so no infection built inside and no granulation tissue. (We stopped using the honey before the wound was totally closed over, to stop the new tissue growing too much).
No scar at all on one site now and only a tiny scar on the other. He was box rested initially for about 2 weeks in each case but taken out daily in hand to have some grass, then normal turnout.

 

[Red-1]

I would sedate and start hand walking. We had to do this with a mare I had, we did a munch and a mooch, so out walking for an hour at a time, in the arena, with 2 hay stations with the opposite in of what she had (so haylage instead of hay, or hay instead of haylage) so she was keen to eat. We would have a munch, then a mooch to the other pile, then a munch again. The other end of the day was half an hour.

With that much time out of the stable, and the hay as a distraction, the hand walking was tolerable. We started with a person at each side, with hat/gloves and toecaps, and a long rope. If she 'kicked off' the ropes were long enough to contain it and with a person at each side, we could keep each other safe.

After being in this routine, she became relaxed and we could do it solo. It had more the feeling of hanging out with her, rather than walking. She did get a leg stretch though, and a change of scene.

I would perhaps swap to a Tubigrip, held up with sticky tape, but with some time naked. Polster really sticks, you can remove with surgical spirit to dissolve if you can't soak it off.

I say this as what you are doing is no longer working, the wound is small, the skin on the leg is breaking down, there is some swelling. I would inform the vets of your plan and the reasons why.

 

[SusieT]

I would speak to your vets who operated now and ask them the next steps.
From your pictures there's still a chunky wound - more than a thumbnail sized amount unless there is a more recent picture than those? It does look a lot better than before.
Lots of people are often keen to recommend lotions and potions and this or that - but its important to know what you are aiming for with each one as they all do different things. Vets might have different opinions but if you trust them enough to operate, maybe trust them enough to do the aftercare?

 

[ycbm]

Vets might have different opinions but if you trust them enough to operate, maybe trust them enough to do the aftercare?

I have spend 10k already and have completely ran out of money I can’t afford more vet visits.

.