Could Magnetic Boots Have Caused This?

[Tarandes Bear]

Long story so I'll give the brief version. Horse had a very deep puncture wound to outside of hock area just over 3 weeks ago. Very very slow to heal but certainly making good progress. Not lame (was for the first 48 hrs, but now fine). Only in the last few days are we seeing the wound beginning to dry up and a nice scab appearing, hoorah at last! Seeing as the wound is now dry and scabbing up I thought it wouldn't hurt to put her magnetic boots on at night. Well, this morning all is not good. Her wound has burst open and has bled again. (There's blood on the floor and down her boots). But what is causing me concern is already the leg is crusting up again but this time with what looks to be a 'black' crusty scab! I can't helo but feel the boots have caused this. Any constructive thought out there please?

 

[fatpiggy]

Long story so I'll give the brief version. Horse had a very deep puncture wound to outside of hock area just over 3 weeks ago. Very very slow to heal but certainly making good progress. Not lame (was for the first 48 hrs, but now fine). Only in the last few days are we seeing the wound beginning to dry up and a nice scab appearing, hoorah at last! Seeing as the wound is now dry and scabbing up I thought it wouldn't hurt to put her magnetic boots on at night. Well, this morning all is not good. Her wound has burst open and has bled again. (There's blood on the floor and down her boots). But what is causing me concern is already the leg is crusting up again but this time with what looks to be a 'black' crusty scab! I can't helo but feel the boots have caused this. Any constructive thought out there please?

You should never put magnetic boots near open wounds anyway, but it could be the heat under the boot made her scratch her leg and reopen the wound. Slap some manuka honey on it and it should heal up pretty quickly.

 

[Wagtail]

I would never put magnetic boots on before a wound had completely scarred over. Also, leaving on overnight in any circumstance is too long IMO. A maximum of four hours is usually recommended.

 

[Tarandes Bear]

You should never put magnetic boots near open wounds anyway, but it could be the heat under the boot made her scratch her leg and reopen the wound. Slap some manuka honey on it and it should heal up pretty quickly.

Thank you for taking the time to reply but if you read the post the wound was fully closed, hence why I have waited until now to put the boots on. I think the boots may have caused too much pressure build up resulting in the loss of the established scab. I shall leave the boots off for a while and see how it looks. Thanks though, always good to hear opinions of others.

 

[Tarandes Bear]

I would never put magnetic boots on before a wound had completely scarred over. Also, leaving on overnight in any circumstance is too long IMO. A maximum of four hours is usually recommended.

Thanks wagtail. Maybe we've been a bit premature with the boots, even though the wound was bone dry and scabbing up nicely. Back in the drawer for the boots I think, I don't want any more nasty surprises first thing in the morning!

 

[twiggy2]

a wound with a scab is not fully closed it is an open would with a scab covering the opening,

 

[Tarandes Bear]

I think we all know varying degrees of what is open, healing, scabbed, closed, scarred, etc. IMO I was only trying to promote the healing from inside out. It would be very helpful if people could answer my original question. Do you think the boots have caused the leg to open again by over stimulating and causing a slight build up of pressure? Thanks all and no offence intended to anyone, thanks

 

[Gloi]

If the wound is deep it will need to heal from the inside so expect the scab to come off again a time or two before it is fully healed. I would leave it open to the air. The magnets in the boots are only a placebo anyway, any help to stiffness comes from the warmth of the boots not the magnets. I'd probably poultice it if it were mine and still gunky.

 

[Wagtail]

Magnets most definitely do work. I have an armadillo rug which I used before riding my horse with kissing spines. I would leave it on him 1 - 2 hours before riding and it really improved his way of going and virtually eliminated the violent reaction to the saddle and girth. I thought the same as you about the warmth and so tried him with a heavy fleece rug instead and also with the armadillo rug without the magnets. He was awful. Then went back to the magnetic rug. I also tried a Cyclossage rug on him but that actually made him worse. Usually those work wonders. But for my boy the magnets were by far the best.

OP I don't know if the magnets would have caused the wound to break up like you describe. I think it far more likely that it was the irritation from the boots causing the horse to rub. But magnets are counter indicated near to open wounds. Though I realise your horse's was almost healed.

 

[Holly Hocks]

OP I would suggest that the magnetic boots could have caused the issue. My understanding is that magnets increase the blood flow to the affected area so I think it would be possible. Maybe leave for a while before trying again.