Dealing with cuts.

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littlen

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Recently my horse has been coming in with a number of kick or bite marks. He hs recently moved to a new field and has had one or two disagreements with another horse. He is always bottom of the pecking order, therfore always getting cut!

Yesterday he came in with 2 rather cuts, they wernt deep and were more like grazes where the top layer of skin, although they were wide, hair was removed. One was a little swollen around the cut but nothing serious. No lameness, a tiny bit of heat.

I decided not to call out the vet, mainly because i saw them as superficial cuts that would not be able to be stiched due to the fact they were not deep, and was criticised for this by other liveries.
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I bathed both cuts in antiseptic, put on some purple spray and he seemed fine in himself.

So heres the question, am i just a cruel owner, should i have called the vet out for a cut or scratch?
How do you treat minor wounds such as this?

Thanks.
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I have a young horse who is always getting himself into trouble! Like yours he often comes in with cuts and at the moment has one which sounds quite similar to yours. He has taken off the top layer of hair and skin but it is more like a graze than a proper cut. He is not lame and is completely happy. I have just washed it sprayed it with antiseptic and finally put come camrosa on it this morning to keep the flies off.

You are definitely not a cruel owner and I don't think the vet would do any different. If your horse was a human he wouldn't be going to the doctor would he?
 
Good grief! Some people don't half over react don't they? I wonder if they would rush to the doctor if they grazed their knee or cut their finger? No, they'd wash it, slap some antiseptic cream and a sticky plaster on and get on with it. Why call the vet? I must be a really awful owner as I only call the vet if horses need antibiotic shots or painkillers or it's obviously serious. Wounds get washed, treated with antiseptic and if necessary covered. That's it. Too much antibiotics breeds resistance anyway.
 
Thats what i thought, it cant be stiched, he isnt dying therfore a good wash and some antiseptic should sort it. Its obviously a little sore but all a vet would do is have a poke,tell me its fine and to clean it and charge me £80 for the privilage

I just wondered if anyone else treats wounds like this or whether i am infact in the wrong.

The cuts are quite big and angry looking as they are wide, but they are not deep as they are more grazes than sharp cuts .
 
Wash it off with betadine then slather antiseptic cream over the top is all I do unless it is gaping or obviously beyond first aid.

My Vet has a brand new shiny truck, I think I have paid for at least a wheel of it recently!
 
Gosh, if I called my vet everytime lukey cut himself i'd never be off the phone! This weeks injuries have been washed with hibiscrub, dried, and covered in sudocrem... X
 
Bella has a lovely graze on her nose (think itch and gate
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) that I treated by cleaning and slapping antiseptic cream on



O and for what its worth I'm a first time owner
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People who get the vet out everytime their horse gets a superficial cut or graze must have more money than sense!

My rule of thumb is 'if it was on my leg, arm, etc, would I need to go to the doctor or would I clean it up and put some anticeptic on it'.
It always works for me. If I thought for a second it couldn't be administered by first aid I'd get the vet out.
 
I always bathe with warm salty water then dry off and and apply Dermagel - recommended by my Vet. Always works and salt water is healing in itself. I swear by this method and has always worked so far.
 
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