Facial injury- reducing scarring? (Gory picture)

[sheep]

OP, although it may look horrific to you, it's not actually a particularly bad wound in the grand scheme of things and your vet has done a lovely job of stitching/stapling it back together I'd leave it be. It should heal without any problems.

You're right- it is pretty tidy so I'm sure that'll help with the healing. I suppose it looks worse than it is, especially with the other swelling around her face- she looks pretty rotten at the minute!

Oh wow op, that's nasty cleanly done by the vet though! Manuka honey, good old cornucrescine, bio oil or palmers cocoa butter reduces scarring, I have no experience with camrosa, and would never use it on sarcoids but for cuts like this I hear it is spoken highly of, I have however heard that it has some pretty scary ingredients so double check what's in it before you use it

Wise advice, have to be extra careful on sensitive areas, don't want to irritate delicate skin and compromise the healing- obviously wouldn't put anything topical on it other than as suggested by vet without discussing it beforehand (much too early at this point to be putting anything else on it!).

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Also Faracat, sorry my 'before' picture isn't detailed enough- unfortunately the bf is notoriously squeamish and had to get someone else to take the pictures- I assure you the flap of skin was flopping about and covering her eye at times

I understand. I should have taken photos of my grey when she hurt herself, but I was in so much shock and full of worry that I just didn't think of it. I'm not squeamish but my Mum was in bits and really couldn't cope with tending the wound at all (she came over to 'help' me ). I finally took photos when it was nearly two weeks old and the staples were nearing removal time.


I think that before and after photos of injuries are actually very helpful to owners who haven't seen bad wounds before. It's very reassuring to see just what horses can recover from.

 

[jumbyjack]

Vaseline works just as well as expensive stuff, it's the massage that helps to keep it soft and aids the healing process.

 

[Foxhunter49]

That's nothing!

Try thus for gory!

This was Auguest 8th.

All the stitching broke down (nearly 4 hours work). Keeping the flies off it and stopping proud flesh was the dilemma. I started with Manuka honey but that was messy, everything stuck to it and it attracted flies and wasps. I then used Neem oil which did a good job.
I then heard about some stuff called Resolve Wound from USA and sent for some and cannot believe the healing prowess of the stuff.

The vet was looking at removing proud flesh possibly skin grafting and, only worrying about what to do with the open area after Christmas.

Using the Resolve Wound, it has healed completely, there is barely a scar,
this was the last picture I took three weeks ago. I will take an update next week when I clip along the scar as his winter woollies are in and hide what little there is to show.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

That is a top quality gorefest FH49, the after photo is amazing too.

The worst that I have seen IRL was horse V cattlegrid and I'm paranoid about riding past them (as far away as possible) to this day.

 

[Clippy]

Barring any infections, if you can keep that wound clean and dry then I think you'll be surprised how well it heals. I suppose if they're going to have an injury, then it might as well be this time of year! I'd give the honey a miss, you won't be able to cover it and it will just cause crap to stick to it.

I think i'd have to know what she did it on though, i'd be terrified of it happening again. We have mesh over the windows in our stables and didn't realise that the haynet was catching the corner of the mesh as one of the horses pulled at the net and it was turning up a sharp corner. I only noticed it when I cut myself!

 

[sheep]

To be honest Clippy, the only theory we can come up with is that she did it trying to scratch her face with her back leg, there is no evidence of anything in the stable that she may have done it with. My bf heard a lot of noise and when he got to her she was on the ground, so I think whatever she was doing, she lost balance and fell. Please don't take it as him being complacent, but when there is no evidence we can only speculate as to what may have happened.

 

[sheep]

Ps clippy I know you weren't having a dig!
Foxhunter... Wow. I look forward to 'after' picture when you clip. That's unreal.