granulating wound - any advice?

[anuvb]

My horse managed to injure his leg last week (ie skinned his leg) I'm currently managing it following vets advice by bandaging it, changing the bandages twice a day, cleaning it and applying Fucidan cream and giving antibiotics.

However, this'll be the first wound like this that I've treated before (most have been deep cuts rather than complete removal of the skin) and I was wondering what the normal healing process looked like and what to expect. The wound is now dry, and granulating nicely, but is there anything I can do to aid healing that little bit quicker? Or reduce the amount of scarring? And how long should I expect it to be before it 'stops' being so sore (ie - how long before I can start to say any residual lameness caused by the injury is not due to the wound, but might reflect underlying damage which could not be picked up whilst the wound was there?)

Any personal/professional experiences welcomed. Thanks

 

[glenruby]

Is it really Fuciderm gel/cream you are using/ or Flamazine? Fuciderm contains a small amt of steroid (which theoretically inhibits healing) - this is useful when trying to prevent proud flesh but that shouldnt be a great worry with a bad graze - moreso with a deep wound. Flamazine is better for superficial wounds ( as well as deep ones).
Really it depends on the wound as to when it should stop being sore but usually I would say no more than a week or so.

Also slightly surprised by the adice to change bandages twice a day (unless there is a huge amount of discharge?) as these days most vets chose to leave dressings on for 2-4 days - apart from perhaps the initial dressing. However, I guess if cold hosing is part of your treatment plan then more regular bandage changes would be required.

 

[Nari]

I had the same advice for a fairly deep gash to the inside of my horse's hind leg a few weeks ago. We actually didn't want it healing too quickly though as we were worried about proud flesh forming - on this particular horse that would probably be a nightmare to treat!

After nearly a fortnight we changed to Flamazine cream since the vet was no longer so worried about proud flesh & I also only had to change dressings once a day. Three weeks later I'm still putting cream on & changing the dressing daily but it's very nearly healed, if it wasn't for the fact that he'd probably knock it I'd probably not bother with the dressing now. I just can't face him opening it up again & then the flies infecting it though so I'll carry on with the dressings until it's fully healed.

 

[Achinghips]

Ask your vet for flamazine - it's a miracle in a tube for skin removal and encourages/accelerates new growth of skin. Can't be beaten.

 

[anuvb]

Thanks everyone - it's definitely not a graze bless him - more like a complete skinning of the fetlock area and a 2mm deep 'wire cut' above that. He's due to finish his antibiotics tomorrow so I think I'll get the vet out again to give it a once over, as although it looks like it is healing nicely I'm a bit worried he's still short in his trot. This might be just him trying to 'protect' himself by not overreaching onto it, but I think I need peace of mind! Plus I can ask about flamazine

Thanks again

 

[emma3870]

Hi. My mare took her hock out at the end of May jumping out of the field. we decided to give her a go - you could see the bone but it hadnt gone through the joint. she was operated on the next day at the vets with some being sewn and the rest debrided and cleaned and left open. this amounted to a large hand sized wound left open on a 13hh pony.

the wound was dressed with orthoband and changed weekly. the orthoband draws the liquid out to the outside of the bandage so the wound is clean and dry. vet came weekly to change the dressings as at first she needed sedation.

i am now changing the dressing myself, she has had the proud flesh cut back once and it is now about 1/4 inch wide in total.

i do have pictures if you want to see them. she has been out in the field all the time except when its wet and hopefully in the next month or so the wound will be totally healed.

cant thank my vets enough.