does anyone still use wound powder?

ivandenisovich10

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When I was little wound powder was used for everything, cuts, grazes etc etc, seems now its suggested to use creams, and keep moist. So does anyone still use it? And does it still have a place in the equine first aid kit?
 
I don't use it, tbh I wouldn't put any sort of powder on a wound on myself, so I don't put it on my horse's wounds!
 
I do! It's excellent for drying out cuts and making them scab over some of them these days are too gunky and actually cause more problems than solve!
 
I don't use it, tbh I wouldn't put any sort of powder on a wound on myself, so I don't put it on my horse's wounds!


this. I dont really want wounds crusting over and healing at the top before the underneath is ready.


Ive not even seen any for years
 
I've been known to use a cream then put powder over the top to form a gunky mess which hardens and keeps the flies off in summer...
 
Yes, I do.

Worst offence ever IMO is sudocreme in an open wound - why do people do that? the horse doesnt have nappy rash.
 
Nope - went to the Vets on Tour lecture near me last summer, and the one who did the lecture on emergency care/ wounds/ triage was saying its one of the worst offenders for causing molehill type wounds to become mountains.
 
As above, powders are way out of date now. The body can react badly to powder as it treats it like a foreign body & it can then cause problems. Much,much better things to use now.
 
No
Went to a vets first aid lecture and the advise was use nothing, clean preferably with sterile water and leave.
If you really really feel you need something you should phone the vet.
And if your going to ignore all that, make sure its something that you would use on yourself.
 
Putting powder on an open wound is out of date. Wounds should be covered and kept moist with a suitable product such as intrasite gel. Wounds heal from the margins and a wound needs to be kept moist, though not soggy. Sudocrem is not for open wounds. I am a nurse and have been involved in a lot of wound management. There has been lots of research done to back this up. For cleaning we were taught to use warm saline which came in a spray.
 
Not seen it for sale for ages, chucked a load that was years past it use by date a few years ago. Didn't know they still made it.
 
I do. My cob came to me with thrush and has quite deep clefts in her frogs. I'd been trying various sprays and balms until my farrier suggested washing the frogs then squeezing wound powder into the clefts. It dries them out and her feet are getting much better. I'd say it certainly has its place.
 
Ooh interesting question! I use it, i find it quite handy for shallow wounds. It does dry them well and after cleaning i kinda like the idea of some antiseptic powder lurking in there for a little while.
My boy quite often hits himself when he's pratting about in the field, even with boots on he can 'chop into himself' Over reaches are not uncommon. If they don't need stitching, (often cuts a flap) i flush it out well and pack with wound powder. Being around the heel / foot area, it wants to dry pretty quick and I find it does a good job.
 
Absolutely! For minor cuts it keeps the mud and flies off. I've tried all kinds of creams but always come back to vet powder for small cuts and honey for deeper ones. Honey seems a real winner, Manuka Honey in particular.
 
I don't like the stuff. I did have to use it when looking after a friends horse a while back, and she asked me to... it made me uncomfortable putting it on, as there was a flap of skin and the powder was just blocking it up, surely just making it more difficult to heal. I wouldn't use it on myself and i wouldn't use it on a horse unless i had to.

I have used sudocrem/ savlon, i use it on me and it works well so i don't get the whole thing against using a bit on horses from time to time. It's not ONLY for nappy rash. There are no udders on your horses lower leg either, but udder cream is fab for mud fever :p (sudocrem is good for this also!)
 
As others have said, vets advise against using wound powder. It is a well out of date treatment & the wound should be kept clean & moist & it will heal a lot better.
 
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