Flappy pastern wounds- from a wire fence :( advise please

Toffee44

Toffee44

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Samba went through a wire fence at the back of her field. Three sides of her field are post and electric. One side is wire with two strands electric infront; some how my cob who must have had a thoroughbred moment put her foot through the 1foot gap at the bottom resulting in this ::

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I was at work and the girls hosed her,,hibisrubbed her and wrapped her up until I got home from work at 9pm. She normally gets done by YM when I do that shift.

I Flushes out with normal saline, appeared clean, appears just skin and just re bandaged and managed to get vet for first thing Friday morning (she did the injury between 5-7 on Thursday evening).

She's on cefenil injections then at least a week of another antibiotic. As I don't have transport couldn't just whip her off to vets for X-ray. She was lame on it but happily rested the opposite leg and fully weight beared all four feet when stood still.


So today it's looks really pink and clean but still flaps open which I am not sure whether to worry about or not. Re dressed with flamazine coated over it and a dressing.

Just wondering what people's reactions of such an injury is, it's just an awkward place to heal I think and praying it's not going to have done damage to more than just skin.

Also learning to dress a whole lower leg as in my 15years I have even very lucky and not had many big injuries.

Just wondering I am keen to use manuka on it at some point ? When best to start? At the moment using 4 soffban, bandage, and then vet wrap? And then duct taping round hoof (entirely all wrapped)

What do people think? I'm rubbish at this, can cope with massive obstetric emergency at work but my horse being poorly I have fallen apart a bit.

Plus I am not sure who is struggling with box rest more, me or her.
 
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One of my horses did something like this as a 2 yr old although it was to the side and nearer the coronet. The flappy bit was cut off. He was on antibiotics for a week, bandaged for 4 days, then left open but sprayed daily with the silver spray (is that flamazine?). Was out 24/7 but weather was dry. Healed perfectly with no scar and no lameness. Try not to panic.
 
The flap will probably die off, the healing underneath sounds good and the vet has attended so unless it starts to look infected, unlikely with antibiotics, or she starts to become lame I would not be that worried, it is an area that has little real movement so should heal nicely with possibly a small scar.
I would probably stop bandaging once the flap starts to wither away and underneath has healed a little more, then use the honey to promote further healing and hopefully reduce any scarring, a few more days and I should think it will look very much better and she should be able to go out with a bandage on to keep it clean.
 
Take a peep in the pictures of HHO horses who have tried to kill themselves and/or frighten their owners half to death.

You have a nice neat wound treated promptly and AB'd for good measure. Soreness will be exactly that. Allow to close in the air if you can keep it clean. Stop worrying! Sounds all under control to me.
 
I consider myself a reluctant expert in leg wounds now, thanks to a masochistic youngster who likes to experiment in limb amputation. I would be relieved if her efforts were as neat as yours.
As others have said, try to keep wrapping to a minimum as it needs to have air to it. My vet gives me Dermisol for mine, but I have heard excellent things about Manuka and might try it for the next time (I'm sure there will be a next time :rolleyes:)

Don't worry, I sincerely doubt there will be any long term evidence of it, even being as close to the hoof as that.
 
My old girl had huge v shaped scars on both front fetlocks, undoubtedly from getting tangled in a wire fence. Just watch out that the scars (when they form) especially in the summer as they sometimes split and reopen - scar tissue is not as elastic as ordinary skin. It might pay to rub something like olive oil into them to keep them moist and supple.

100% recommendation from me for Manuka honey where wounds are concerned. The year before she went, mine was booted to oblivion by a new mare and I treated entirely with Manuka at night (no flies) and aloe vera gel at night. No stitches, in fact the vet never saw her.
 
I would manuka honey and bandage, keep bandage on to try and get wound to knit, so avoiding flap dying off, too late for stitches anyway, replace bandage daily and do not turn out until on the bandage change it has knitted together.
 
Manuka honey is a super wound healer but please use it sparingly if you are going to on any wounds in horses below the knee/hock. It promotes granulation tissue and in horses this can lead to proud flesh which is excess granulation tissue.

This wound has been dealt with correctly and as previous posters have said don't be alarmed if flap dies off. Keep it clean and don't add to much moisture and it will heal just fine.
 
Thank you for all of the brilliant replies! I love this forum for that very reason.

She had her last sachet bute Sunday AM and was sound today. Enough to spook at a drain cover and kick away flies. So hopefully tis but a flesh wound.

I have calmed down about the whole thing now. Just scared me that in my years of owning I had this I actually have no idea what to do moment.
 
Hi, just to echo some of the earlier messages - my youngster did a real number on one of his forelegs a three weeks ago. Lovely couple of slashes round the pastern plus the removal of a fair amount of flesh above the heel. I'd anticipated quite a lot dying off. Hopping lame unsurprisingly. He is still bandaged - treated with manuka honey and yesterday silver nitrate to deal with the surprisingly small amount of proud flesh that was developing. The wound shrinks with every dressing though - I've been incredibly impressed with manuka. Weather permitting he's allowed out for an hour tomorrow though so here's hoping the Sedalin works!! Good luck with your ponies recovery!
 
Highest strength you can get is correct answer. In reality I think anything that has higher than 15 factor is medicinal. Holland Barrett do the 20+ stuff and you will only need a small amount so will last for a good while.
 
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