Anyone experience of chest impalement?

[Spyda]

And how long they took to heal?

My filly ran at speed through two electric fences and into a high hedge in the dark. She's ended up with a deep (about 5inch depth) puncture wound to the left of her chest, just where the foreleg attaches. Although deep and swollen, thankfully it's a clean wound. She's very sore but walking about cautiously. She's on antibiotics and Bute for 7 days, and the wound is being washed out with mild saline twice a day, and I'm turning her out at night to keep her moving and keeping her in during the day to keep the flies at bay. I just wondered if anyone else had experience of such a deep wound and how long it took to heal fully?

 

[AmyMay]

The only impalement I have experience of is one through the girth up in to the chest cavity. This was done by a fence post (freek accident) and took about 7 months in total to heal. The wound was very severe, and I can't believe the horse survived - but he did fully.

 

[vroutledge]

A horse my mum had years ago got a wooden stake through her chest luckily missing the heart and it was a very clean cut through the top of the foreleg (armpit) and out the other side she had to have it hosed daily and you could fit your fist inside to start with but it healed remarkably quick and i think the horse was back showjumping within 6-12months once the vet gave the all clear.

 

[AmyMay]

A horse my mum had years ago got a wooden stake through her chest luckily missing the heart and it was a very clean cut through the top of the foreleg (armpit) and out the other side she had to have it hosed daily and you could fit your fist inside to start with but it healed remarkably quick and i think the horse was back showjumping within 6-12months once the vet gave the all clear.

Sounds very similar to the injury I was talking about.

 

[classicalfan]

It all depends on the horse and whether any complications occur. Youngsters can often open the wound up again when they start to feel better, just by tearing around. Important thing to make sure is that it heals from the inside out. If the external tissues heal before the deeper tissues then there is a chance of an abcess wich can be very serious.

Good luck!

 

[TarrSteps]

I've looked after two that have been "staked" but with larger wounds - from broken fence rails - so in some ways messier but easier to keep "open" so they heal from the inside out and don't trap infection. (One, I could put my hand in past the wrist and had to do so every day to break the adhesions and encourage the wound to stay open and draining! ick.)

One horse - two at the time it happened - healed without even a scar. The other had a dent in the muscle but was fully functional. So long as nothing "important" is damaged (I've also seen that but you'd know by now!) it heals well because it drains and the area is not under constant pressure, vs say, a hip or back injury. It may take some time and nursing but I'd be optimistic for a full, healthy return to function.

 

[Event rider]

I used to ride a sec D mare who had a horific chest impalement when she was 2yrs old.Not sure how long it took to heal, and although she had a slightly odd trot,she happily competed pc tetrathlon,HT,ODE,DR and would jump the top of the wings.She was an absolute star and was never lame and always very happy in herself.

 

[Spyda]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds as if it'll probably heal okay but will just need time. Bit of a bummer since she's just backed and been hacked out just a couple of times so far. Guess she'll have to be turned away for the rest of the summer and be brought back into work again when she's almost 5. Not what I planned for her but ho hum. Horses eh!