Cut to lower hind leg - should we be doing more?

[flower]

Our TB mare came in from the field 10 days ago minus a shoe and sporting a cut to her near hind - it's on the front/slightly to the side area and is just above where a brushing boot would end. It's not huge, I'd say about an inch and a half to two inches long and half an inch wide and not particularly deep.

It was swollen from the cut to the fetlock area - not huge but you couldn't see or feel the tendony bits that run down the leg and it was hot. She was sore on it but not hopping lame. There was/is a hard lump just at the top of the cut.

We've been hosing it and the cut still looks clean. However I am a bit concerned that there maybe the start of proud flesh. It seems to be taking a while to heal and it still looks quite gaping and looks very wet and shiny and there was something on it last night that was like lumps of jelly (as described by the girl that works there - I faint at blood so she was poking it about)!

She's not sore on it now unless you really poke it about and the swelling has got better - all there is now is a puffy fetlock overnight which goes down as soon as she is turned out and moving about on it.

We have been turning her out as she gets stressy standing in and would be the only horse in all day, but I have just been investigating proud flesh on the internet (big mistake!) and it says that you should immobilise the horse to help quicker healing and suggests bandaging would help.

I have phoned the vet but it's our usual vet's day off - he's back tomorrow.

So, is this proud flesh? Should we be doing more? I'm guessing as she has lasted 10 days waiting another day to speak to my vet won't be the end of the world? She's not at all lame on it.

 

[AmyMay]

I would have had the vet on day one, because of the proximity to tendons, and also the requirement for antibiotic cover as a precaution.

Difficult to say if you have proud flesh forming - it could just be part of the healing process. Have you a photo??

 

[flower]

Nope, no photos.

We didn't get the vet as it was a Friday evening so would have been emergency call and didn't feel it was an emergency. It's on the front of the hind leg and not particularly deep and did seem to be healing OK hence the reason we've not had a vet out to her yet.

I've always been advised not to just give antibiotic for the sake of it or just for precaution ... ????

 

[K27]

I always ask for Antibiotics for cuts that are taking ages to heal- some horses seem to heal better than others- One of mine takes ages to heal if he gets a cut (more than just a graze or nick!) so i always get Antibiotics and I've never had a problem in doing this. It probably is the proud flesh that is forming on your horse once its healed your vet could may be able to give you a cream to stop any scarring. I would definately speak to your vet about it even if it doesn't warrant him making a visit.

 

[flower]

Thanks.

We've not had her that long and she's not cut herself before so we weren't really sure if she was one that took ages to heal or not.

I'll call the vet tomorrow and if they want to scan etc she can be run up to them with no hassle.

Maybe I wasn't clear in the original post - the cut is slightly above where the top of a brushing boot is - not at the bottom in the fetlock area.

 

[Daisychain]

Im sure she will be fine, if she is eating and drinking well and the swelling is shifting after exercise, cuts often do go abit proud, but its just part of the healing process, it will settle down. Just keep purple spraying it and keeping it clean really. Im sure she wouldnt need antibiotics now as she has no signs of infection and the vet wouldnt be able to do alot either as it would be far to late to stitch up. Nature usually does a good job of minor cuts, can just look messy for week or two!

 

[_Libby_]

my mare had a similar sounding injury which took a good few weeks to heal, their legs are so far away from their heart the area does not have great blood flow and takes a while to heal.
I would ring your vet and ask her opinion I am not sure it warrants a visit. I eventually was given Intrasite gel from my vet and it worked a treat.

Hope it gets better soon.

 

[GreedyGuts]

Leg wounds are notoriously poor healers for a number of reasons, but it doesn't sound like you've made any major mistakes in managing it. With regards to joint/tendon sepsis, pain is one of the most useful indicators, so if your mare is getting sounder then this is highly unlikely that is is anything more than a flesh wound.

Antibiotics are not indicated as a precaution in simple flesh wounds. Unless there is evidence of infection their use will not speed healing.

10 days after an injury is still the early days as far a wound healing goes, so I wouldn't worry too much if she is sound and the wound is clean. Beware of using detergent based products like hibiscrub to clean the wound as these will slow things down. If the wound is clean, hosing can probably be stopped as this can also disrupt the wound bed, instead just clean around the wound with saline (1 tsp salt in a pint of water) and gently swill off any wound contamination. Your vet might suggest bandaging with various dressings to immobilise the site and improve conditions for healing- a degree of moisture promotes the migration of new skin cells across the wound.

At this stage it is difficult to tell whether proud flesh will be a problem. If it does become the case there are loads of things that can be done such as a single application of a steroid based cream, trimming he exuberant tissue back and skin grafting (much simpler than it sounds).

You don't say how big the wound is, and it may just heal without fuss given time, but if you are concerned get your vet out to have a look and advise you. It doesn't sound like an emergency though.

Best of luck with it.