Diarrhoea: Effective/safe way to bandage tail?

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flintfootfilly

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One of my boys is poorly and is producing liquidy droppings. Vet saw him yesterday and I've asked to catch up with the vet again today.

I know there can be problems with tail necrosis if a tail bandage is left on for too long and/or too tight.

There's only the receptionist in at my vets this morning and she couldn't help when I asked if there is a recognised good way to cover a tail 24/7 in a horse with diarrhoea.

Hoping that someone on here may able to offer suggestions, please, from first hand experience.

I wrapped it loosely in vetwrap yesterday, and changed the bandage twice. Overnight I decided I'd rather have a pooey tail than leave it on fully overnight (especially as the loose wrap had started to come too lose).

What happens in vet hospitals and intensive nursing situations? Is loose vetrap the best way, or is there something else, like I don't know. .. maybe trying to fix a bag on with a plaiting band.

Oh, he's an oversized Dales gelding with a massive thick tail. I've chopped the tail off to just below his hocks so at least there's less length to get manky.

Grateful for any help.

Thanks.

Sarah
 
My mare had diarrhoea last year because of a haylage issue (now solved, hurrah). In the really cold spell she was ending up with poosicles in her tail. I started plaiting her tail from the end of the tail bone down - just one big plait - and then bandaging just this bit i.e. BELOW the tail bone, so it was just the hair that was covered. The shape of the plait and being able to bandage tight, because it was just hair, meant that the bandage stayed on well.
 
PLait tail up and drench in baby oil, then wrap with cloth securing by feeding tapes into the plaits. Apply plenty of baby oil or vaseline around the anus and buttocks to protect the skin from the corrosive effect of the diarrhoea.

If the diarrhoea doesn't improve ask the vet to tube drench with a fresh dropping from a healthy horse - age old but very successful remedy.
 
In the equine clinics they are put into rectal gloves usually secured with Elastoplast used with no tension. ie just gently apply the Elastoplast to the top - do not pull it tight. The rectal glove will keep the ta clean.
 
plait it down to bottom (pref when clean!!) and fold it up and secure with tape .. a bit like when you go hunting in heavy ground. i would agree with some form of barrier protection of skin down the back legs til this problem is solved. has your vet given you pre and pro biotics to help the gut function esp if on large doses of A-Bs. Best of luck. try to keep horses back end as clean as poss using warm water and gentle shampoo.
 
Many thanks.

Have opted for a bit of a mixture!

Plaited the tail below the dock. Folded it back up to just below the dock and bandaged the tail hair with a regular tail bandage, avoiding going anywhere near the dock. Then put a rectal glove over that up to the top of the tail, and applied vetwrap over that as loose as I could with it still holding.

We'll see how it fares overnight.

Must admit I worried about trying any of the travel tail guards because I guess they're really designed to just be used for a few hours at a time, and I'm hoping I can avoid pressure points more easily with a cohesive bandage...... but like I say, we'll see how it holds tonight.

Thanks.

Sarah
 
Thanks Leviathon. Have looked at the link, and those tailgaitors do look quite interesting. I guess they'd keep the worst of any diarrhoea off the lower part of the tail, so I'd only have to bandage the top part.

Do they wash well?

Sarah
 
yes they do wash well:)

i plait their tails then once plaited i pul the 2 velcro straps through the plait ( different sides ) then velcro down i do this just under the bone so a bandage over the tail bone will protect this ,

In a stable you can leave it in the bag for longer as its dry in there

The tail bags are easy washed or sponged down so you can leave the tail bag for up to a week longer if ness i find over 2 weeks if its been raining allot the tail inside goes like a human plait wen wet shrinks up into tight knots but dry weather you can leave on up to a month .

I ride in mine and turnout with it as 2 of mine have white tails.


I have even done sponsored rides in my tail bags
If you buy the fold up bag ( I do) it makes the tail hang shorter so less likely to get poo down it as its up level with fillet string or higher so might not get into a mess anyway.
 
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