Fetlock wound - still not healed after 6 weeks

[magicmoments]

My mare caught herself on the inside of her fetlock. Only a small wound. Took ages to heal for such a small wound. I was nearly at the point of calling out a vet. I think due to the amount of movement in the wound area, and the fact I think she caught it with her other leg on occasions too, hindered considerably it's healing time.
My own personal view is that sometimes we mess with wounds too much after the initial day or too. Certainly with my mare I try and leave alone

 

[Reacher]

What kind of bedding do you use? If you use straw, it could be scratching at the area and essentially rubbing it open?

Is he perhaps opening it up/rubbing it when he lies down?

Thanks- He doesn’t seem to lie on that side - it doesn’t look like it is getting scratched or damaged - when I was on my twice a day cleaning , I was cleaning it first thing in the morning and there was no sign it was getting rubbed or scratched.
But I could cover it with a soft over reach boot at night as a precaution.

 

[soloequestrian]

I wouldn't worry about dirt - it's not actually an open wound, it has a protective layer over it. Bandage if you are worried but turn out and let the thing run its course!

 

[Reacher]

Is there any 'proud flesh' that might need trimming back that's stopping it healing over?

I don’t think so - though TBH I’ve never had to deal with proud flesh so not sure if I’d recognise it. Am about to go out and clean and will try and get a decent photo (though my photography skillz are somewhat lacking).
I have had my RI out to clip it fortnightly and she has never commented on any proud flesh

 

[Carrottom]

Another vote for honey. Ime if it is going to help, it does so within a few days. I usually reapply every few hours ad it tends to run off as it warms up.

 

[Highmileagecob]

A deep scrape, such as this, heals from the outside to the centre unless a skin graft is done. This is a relatively superficial wound, and will take a few weeks to skin over.

 

[TPO]

I’ve not heard of those socks - thanks, I’ll look them up, mud gaiters are a good idea too. Yes it’s really frustrating , I know you’ve been through it yourself unfortunately x

Home - Sox For Horses!

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If you email pictures Kim is brilliant at replying or phoning to talk through a course of action and with advice.

Mud Fever Boot

Another Innovation from Woof Wear!Woof Wear@s Mud Fever Boot is a Breathable @ Waterproof turnout boot which keeps your horse@s legs clean and prevents and aids recovery from Mud Fever.The Boot seals the leg between the knee and below the heels. The loose fitting breathable and waterproof fabric...

www.woofwear.com

Those are the boots that the sox website recommends but they'd work just as well alone to keep the joint clean I think. Typical bad timing that I've just sold Vinnies unused set or could have posted them down.

Years ago circa 2009 I had a TB who badly injured his fetlock just missing everything essential. After removing the proud flesh his wound wasn't a dissimilar size to yours but perhaps a little deeper. Anyway my then vets gave me Vulketan. Honestly it was amazing.

it's a clear gel that was applied daily without cleaning off the old stuff. Eventually the crusty lot would fall off and the wound would be smaller and knitting together with no proud flesh.

I've only had a quick Google but it seems hard to get now. It wasn't a prescription cream iirc. It seems to be available from Germany? I also found an old hho thread from 2014 singing it's praises for the exact same wound healing abilities. It might be worth asking the vet about or trying to source?

As an aside I emailed you last night because I'm a useless human who only found your last email last night. I am so sorry that I'm rubbish.

 

[scats]

Manuka honey is amazing stuff. My mare had a serious accident down to her bone and it was healed with Manuka honey. The scar left is unbelievably faint for the level of injury there was.

 

[Reacher]

Is there any 'proud flesh' that might need trimming back that's stopping it healing over?

So I have just taken this photo - the surface is lumpy but I don’t know if I’m looking at tissue dying off that wants debriding or proud flesh? There is a scab covering the bottom half.

(I have been very lucky apparently in that the 5 horses I’ve owned plus others I’ve loaned over the past 30 years have had very few injuries - but it means I sound clueless )
I
I will get either my RI and/or the vet to look at it next week.

Anyway I’ve now put some manuka honey on it.

 

[Hackback]

I know I sound like a broken record but vitamin E might help. Its great for boosting the immune system and they can only get it from fresh grass so a horse on box rest won't be getting any.

 

[Patterdale]

I would never have kept him in for that either.
As it is now I would spray with engemycin and turn out, and just respray each day.

 

[Goldenstar]

That looks to me as if it needs more time .
I would not use honey but I might swop to a silver spray from the flammazine .
Slow healing is best for this type of injury If you have small area turnout that’s dry ( not a surface) I might chance that .
i think I would ring the vet again .

 

[bluehorse]

That looks to me as if it needs more time .
I would not use honey but I might swop to a silver spray from the flammazine .
Slow healing is best for this type of injury If you have small area turnout that’s dry ( not a surface) I might chance that .
i think I would ring the vet again .

I’d agree with silver spray. I had a fetlock wound on my horse, very deep so he had to be box rested until it had filled in. Once it had thought it was silver spray and turnout. It healed very well.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Looking good, and healing. Keep the surface clean, and get him moving. The yellow at the top of the wound could do to come off, but as you may have good healing tissue underneath it, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[SusieT]

I would get the vet - not the riding instructor- to look. Riding instructors sometimes think they know more about healthcare than they do.. You wouldn't ask the vet to teach your child to do a rising trot .

 

[Reacher]

Sorry I’ve not had a chance to reply to everyone, but I’m reading and digesting everyone’s thoughts which are all appreciated.

@ycbm and @Patterdale - yes I think my RI would agree with you re turnout - but I kept him in the yard as that was the vet’s advice, to keep clean and that too much movement would slow the healing down / possibly encourage proud flesh. He could potter around while keeping it clean.

That looks to me as if it needs more time .
I would not use honey but I might swop to a silver spray from the flammazine .
Slow healing is best for this type of injury If you have small area turnout that’s dry ( not a surface) I might chance that .
i think I would ring the vet again .

Thanks - He is currently in a yard by his stable . I finished the flammazine about a week ago and I’ve been using hydrogel up to now. I think I’m going to email the vet the most recent photo and get her out on Tuesday if I can (I’m not around on Monday).

 

[Reacher]

I know I sound like a broken record but vitamin E might help. Its great for boosting the immune system and they can only get it from fresh grass so a horse on box rest won't be getting any.

Thanks - He is on forage plus so should be getting nearly 2000 IU of vit E .

Looking good, and healing. Keep the surface clean, and get him moving. The yellow at the top of the wound could do to come off, but as you may have good healing tissue underneath it, I wouldn't worry too much.

Glad it looks healthy, it didn’t seem to be making much progress in the 10 days since the previous photo (last photo in post 1)

 

[Reacher]

Home - Sox For Horses!

soxforhorses.com

If you email pictures Kim is brilliant at replying or phoning to talk through a course of action and with advice.

Mud Fever Boot

Another Innovation from Woof Wear!Woof Wear@s Mud Fever Boot is a Breathable @ Waterproof turnout boot which keeps your horse@s legs clean and prevents and aids recovery from Mud Fever.The Boot seals the leg between the knee and below the heels. The loose fitting breathable and waterproof fabric...

www.woofwear.com

Those are the boots that the sox website recommends but they'd work just as well alone to keep the joint clean I think. Typical bad timing that I've just sold Vinnies unused set or could have posted them down.

Years ago circa 2009 I had a TB who badly injured his fetlock just missing everything essential. After removing the proud flesh his wound wasn't a dissimilar size to yours but perhaps a little deeper. Anyway my then vets gave me Vulketan. Honestly it was amazing.

it's a clear gel that was applied daily without cleaning off the old stuff. Eventually the crusty lot would fall off and the wound would be smaller and knitting together with no proud flesh.

I've only had a quick Google but it seems hard to get now. It wasn't a prescription cream iirc. It seems to be available from Germany? I also found an old hho thread from 2014 singing it's praises for the exact same wound healing abilities. It might be worth asking the vet about or trying to source?

As an aside I emailed you last night because I'm a useless human who only found your last email last night. I am so sorry that I'm rubbish.

Thanks I’ll ask the vet about the vulketan.

No problem at all re email! (I’ve not checked mine yet, I’ve been faffing about with the elecy fencing)

 

[Reacher]

I would get the vet - not the riding instructor- to look. Riding instructors sometimes think they know more about healthcare than they do.. You wouldn't ask the vet to teach your child to do a rising trot .

Haha yes that’s a good point!

 

[Peglo]

My TB got a similar cut and it actually got a bit infected. The vet just wanted me to syringe it out with salt water twice a day. I thought she would need antibiotics but the vet was right, it healed up really quite quick with salt water. I kept her in her normal routine of in at night, out through the day. Our fields weren’t great either but being in dry over night seemed to be enough to get it to scab over.

 

[Reacher]

Looking good, and healing. Keep the surface clean, and get him moving. The yellow at the top of the wound could do to come off, but as you may have good healing tissue underneath it, I wouldn't worry too much.

The red area at the top looks slightly raised above the epithelial cells at the periphery. Will the raised red cells block the epithelial cells covering it?

(I emailed yesterday’s photo to the vet suggesting she might come and look at it again but probably won’t get a reply before the end of the day. I’ll update the thread when I hear back from the vet)

 

[Reacher]

Update - we had an emergency vet call out to my other horse this morning! (Possible colicy symptoms or possible narcolepsy)

it was the same vet who saw the wound originally. She has put on a manuka dressing to kick start healing and is coming back on Thursday to look at it again.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

That sounds good about the injury did the vet say he can go out now?

Sorry about your other horse I hope you get it sorted.

They certainly know how to raise the stress levels

 

[Reacher]

That sounds good about the injury did the vet say he can go out now?

Sorry about your other horse I hope you get it sorted.

They certainly know how to raise the stress levels

Thanks for the good wishes, It was mr Reacher who dealt with it as I’m at work though I spoke to vet on the phone. I’ll ask about turnout when she comes back to look at it later in the week though TBH I think she’ll not be in favour . Just been to the horsey shop to see if they have any mud fever boots to cover the wound but they don’t.

Re the other horse - they have taken blood sample to test. She is 22 year old TB and is prone to mild colic, but this is the 2nd attack in a fortnight which hasn’t happened before. If it is in fact colic, vet wasnt entirely sure last time.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks for the good wishes, It was mr Reacher who dealt with it as I’m at work though I spoke to vet on the phone. I’ll ask about turnout when she comes back to look at it later in the week though TBH I think she’ll not be in favour . Just been to the horsey shop to see if they have any mud fever boots to cover the wound but they don’t.

Re the other horse - they have taken blood sample to test. She is 22 year old TB and is prone to mild colic, but this is the 2nd attack in a fortnight which hasn’t happened before. If it is in fact colic, vet wasnt entirely sure last time.

I would just turnout even for a few hours a day it will probably do him the world of good.

I hope the bloods come back with nothing serious.

 

[leflynn]

I've used equiade on similar and its good stuff for healing and protecting

 

[SweetDreams]

If you’re cleaning the wound daily then use salt water only, don’t use treatments such as hibiscrub

 

[Flowerofthefen]

If you’re cleaning the wound daily then use salt water only, don’t use treatments such as hibiscrub

Agree. Hibiscrub is really harsh. My vet is very much against using any sprays, creams on wounds. They say it inhibits healing. Just gently keep clean so you don't keep disturbing the wound. I did use manuka honey with great success on a really nasty wound tho.

 

[Reacher]

Hi thanks - I had been using (home made) salt water, however last week the vet asked me to use just plain water to clean, then to rinse off with an IV drip bag of saline…. Her reason being home made salt water might not be the correct concentration etc.

If you’re cleaning the wound daily then use salt water only, don’t use treatments such as hibiscrub ☺

Thanks, I’m not using any creams on it, just keeping moist with hydrogel (vet’s instructions).

Agree. Hibiscrub is really harsh. My vet is very much against using any sprays, creams on wounds. They say it inhibits healing. Just gently keep clean so you don't keep disturbing the wound. I did use manuka honey with great success on a really nasty wound tho.

 

[Reacher]

Quick update in case anyone is interested -new regime for the past couple of weeks - the vet has come and debrided it a few times then put on a moist dressing and bandaged. I replace dressing every 2 days.
Also she took a swab at my request - am waiting for the results.

BTW From the dirt on the bandage I can now see that he does lie on it and perhaps was rubbing the wound so it’s good that the bandage also protects the wound

What kind of bedding do you use? If you use straw, it could be scratching at the area and essentially rubbing it open?

The debriding and moist dressing has helped kick start the healing I think, the wound looks healthier and appears to have contracted by a few millimetres.