Mare has been kicked leaving an open wound (pics a little eugh)

Bluebelle666

Bluebelle666

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My horse was kicked by another out in the field today. It has left a large fist sized open wound on her upper leg.

I have been advised that sudocrem should do the job. Do people think so or do you advise something else?

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Apologies for the big size. I have posted this under 'vet' also but as it is possibly more health and maybe not specifically vet I have only had one response so was hoping a may get more advice within this section.
 
My old loan horse had a similar kick injury (through a fence!) just above his stifle, I called the vet who sedated and would have stitched it if horse wasn't so upset about it. In the end we purple sprayed it and he prescribed antibiotics and bute as he was quite lame on it but he didn't really need the bute after 3 or so days.

This one was down to the muscle tissue and had stretched open, yours doesn't look quite so bad but it is quite big, is it more of a graze? Are the underneath skin layers in tact?

I don't know if I would do the same again as it was on a sunday and cost £174 altogether :-(but if the vet had stitched it would have been worth it.

Something like aluspray would be good rather than sudocream I think...
 
If it was me would flush the wound with a spray, I've got the hypocare spray. Then cover with a loose dressing to keep it clean. A nappy may do the job if you can keep it on. Then would leave her in for the night and assess in the morning. It doesn't look very deep or near a joint? Is she lame on it? I wouldn't put sudocream on as really you want it to dry up so it will start to scab
 
Saline wash and a light dressing. Be very careful though about infections! Just come through 5 weeks of difficulties with a similar wound on a knee which got infected. Lots of drama ensued!
 
It looks skinned to me. My nag has pretty much the same thing (in the same place!) but I found it later than you did - the surface had already mostly dried. I kept it clean and put some wound cream on for a couple of days, but now it's just waiting for the hair to grow back. Perhaps. One day. Hopefully.
 
Its difficult to tell from the picture whether the skin the skin has been scraped or whether it has been sliced and then gaped open. If it is the latter then I would get the vet to stitch it up. My mare was kicked on the shoulder about a year ago and it split the skin which then gaped open - the vet stitched it up and it healed in no time.
 
It looks like just a scalp wound - really a graze thats tidy. Cold hose to help keep the bruise from developing.

Flush with saline solution and then allow to dry and smear on some 'Activated Manuka Honey'

It should heal up pretty fast.
 
Tnavas said:
It looks like just a scalp wound - really a graze thats tidy. Cold hose to help keep the bruise from developing.

Flush with saline solution and then allow to dry and smear on some 'Activated Manuka Honey'

It should heal up pretty fast.
Click to expand...

Thing is, a lot of peeps don't just have 'Activated Manuka Honey' to hand! Op ask your vet over the phone what is the best course of action. :)
 
I agree re hosing, flushing with saline and then applying manuka honey, brilliant stuff and was recommended by my vet a couple of years ago so always keep some in my first aid box. You can get it at most supermarkets and health food shops.
 
I would iodine spray(just once a day) and agree flush with some saline first to keep clean and put some vaseline or sudocreme on it. I only put the cream on to keep the flies off, which arent around. Wouldnt dress it and allow air to it. A bit of cream just to help healing(moisture is needed so go easy on trying to clean it as most people end up washing away all that jelly new layer..years ago we use to disinfect wounds but were destroying the new layer trying to form). At least its high up away from mud. It looks nice and clean. Just think what would you do if it was you? Stitch, rush to doctors?
 
if you can wash the graze and then see if you can get your hands on some of this Flamazine cream, its from the vets but well worth getting hold of. My sisters TB has used this before and heals up cuts and grazes quite quickly :)
 
I'm guessing horse isn't hopping lame as nothing has been mentioned?
It's only a graze, however from how neat the edge is I suspect it was a shod hoof that did it. So I'd be expecting a fair bit of bruising & stiffness to come up. I'd cold hose for any bruising & bathe in salt water. Then just intrasite gel or even old fashioned blue spray. (the tetramyacin stuff, not the watery purple one). There's nothing for a vet to stitch together. I'd leave it open & keep horse in, unless field amazingly dry.
 
firstly i would trim the hair round the top of the graze right back, then wash with warm saline.

i would then either use Hypercal cream (by nelsons, combination of hypericaum and calendula) aids healing and reduces inflamation) or just spray with blue spray.

by the look of it it should heal very quickly and i wouldnt expect it to be evident once the hair grows back. ;)
 
I would agree it only looks a surface wound so probably wouldn't stitch. If she is not badly lame I would just keep clean and use intrasite gel. However, just as a warning, our pony was kicked when on loan, small wound but hopping lame, after 4 days of being walked out to be cold hosed she was x rayed and it turned out she had a fracture!
 
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It's not on a joint and doesn't look like an 'open wound' to me so I would just keep it clean and spray with antiseptic. She will be very sore.
 
That's just a graze! I'd flush with saline and leave it be personally. Hardly a wound at all :)

If you happen to have any flamazine you could put some of that on I guess
 
I'd put some intrasite gel or dermagel on it and then leave it alone. I'd also keep her out so she doesn't stiffen up.
 
thankyou all so much for your replies. She wasn't lame on it at all last night and it was when she was brought in for the night that it was noticed. She is in a dry field so shes gone back out again this morning. It is very clean and so I doubt there'd be anything for a very to try and stitch. I'll rinse with a saline solution and ask some of the other liveries who can see it directly about creams.

Thanks again for your replies, being that it was bonfire night there was no-one on the yard and having purple to ask is worth a million
 
I'd maybe get the vet out tbh? Kick injuries swell something terrible and it needs to be cleaned... Plus I'm sure your horse would benefit from some pain relief.

Good luck :)
 
The hair looks to be scuffed off leaving an abrasion to the skin, if it was mine id give a wash with a good antibacterial soap, and water, pat it dry and slap on some summer fly ointment.If youve got any oral arnica id be using that as well.
Im pretty sure its going to be bruised
 
:( probably not as bad as it looks. I would clean it thoroughly and then apply some honey. My vet told me to put honey (i used manuka) on a recent wound and it worked a treat. ;)
 
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