Injuries not healing

Hot_Toddy7

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2010
Messages
229
Location
In the sea.
Visit site
As above really!

I have a grey TB (compulsive self/rug-harmer). He went through a phase, when my old boy was still around, of getting various minor cuts. My old boy did bully him rather at times, but now he's gone, TB is pretty much injury free! The cuts weren't at all bad, no vet needed, and were mostly only just breaking the skin. Cleaned and used antibacterial jelly on a daily basis.

The other thing to mention, is that he has vitiligo (or girly eye shadow as we call it), and the skin around his eyes and muzzle is white. This does vary, and gradually the skin affected changes, so sometimes it will return to black, whilst other pink-skinned areas expand.
A friend recommended putting him on a copper supplement, so for the past 4 weeks, he's been having a Pro Earth supplement.

This does seem to have had a small impact on the vitiligo, but upon reading into copper deficiencies, I have discovered that it can be the reason for poor injury recovery.

So far, there doesn't seem to be any improvement in the scars on the supplement. They are slightly raised and the hair has not really grown back properly. Where there is new hair, its darker and the scars are obvious. I'm hoping to do some more showing with him, but the scars are a little unsightly and do make him look a bit scruffy.

Like I say, the original injuries were no more than minor scratches and a couple of them date back to over 2 years ago.

Does anyone have any idea why his skin can't seem to heal properly?

Thanks and tea and shortbread for all that got this far! (The systems have crashed at work so I have far too much time on my hands!).
 
Are the wounds still open, or have they healed with scar tissue?

If it's scar tissue. then there's not much you can do. CM cut her leg in 2006 and now has scar tissue with no fur there.

RE the supplement - I had thought that you need to have the minerals balanced. EG Zinc:Copper 3:1 (although do look this up - don't trust my rubbish memory), which is why in many cases it's easier to feed a Vit&Min supplement that's already balanced correctly EG Pro Hoof (also from Pro Earth).
 
Thanks for your reply. The wounds have healed with scar tissue.

The supplement I put him on was Pro Copper, which I assumed was balanced, I'm likely wrong though! I didn't think Pro Hoof contained enough, that's why I went for the Copper one. He does have very poor feet (have tried a few supplements for this to no avail) so maybe you're right.
 
I can't work out how old these injuries are- I've inferred that they are a couple of years old, although I could be wrong! In which case, it's scar tissue, so you won't get hair regrowing as it's not "skin".
 
Haha, sorry, I put too many words in and made it a little confusing!

Some of the injuries are more recent, some are older. I just find it strange, as my mare has aqcuired minor scrapes before and most have healed so well, you can't see them! He just seems to have poor heal-ability.
 
Not a disaster - some people just supplement Copper, Zinc and Mag Ox. Some supplement just copper because their black horses have turned brown due to a lack of copper. I'm just wary, mainly because I don't understand the relationships/ratios etc... so went for a pre balanced multi Vit&min. It is possible to get your forage analysed so you know what your grazing is short of and then just supplement those.

ETA - there are people who say that all these supplements just make expensive pee. ;)
 
Not a disaster - some people just supplement Copper, Zinc and Mag Ox. Some supplement just copper because their black horses have turned brown due to a lack of copper. I'm just wary, mainly because I don't understand the relationships/ratios etc... so went for a pre balanced multi Vit&min. It is possible to get your forage analysed so you know what your grazing is short of and then just supplement those.

ETA - there are people who say that all these supplements just make expensive pee. ;)
Thanks for that, I think I'll look at a soil and forage analysis. You're right, it probably just makes expensive wee wee! If he starts urinating gold, I'll let you know :D
 
Top