Odd one: moisturiser causing old scar to open??

[little_critter]

This is a bit weird and could be a total coincidence.
T has an old scar on his pastern where he trod on himself. Has been healed and all ok for 4 years.
I thought the other day I'd put some moisturiser on it to keep it supple (nothing triggered me to do this, no unusual observations, I just happened to have the moisturiser in my hand and popped a dab on. Forever Living Aloe Propolis if that makes any difference)
The next day, or maybe 2 days after I noticed a bit of serum had oozed from the area. Didn't really think anything of it, cleared the dried serum off and popped another dab of moisturiser on.
This morning the scar has lifted and there's a bit of fresh blood visible. Not enough to ooze, but enough to get a streak of blood on cotton wool if wiped over. It's certainly lifted the bottom half of the scar.
So it's been cleaned with water and wound cream put on it today.

It just seems very coincidental that a 4 year old scar has reopened just days after putting bog standard moisturiser on it.
It could be that he's just trod on himself in the same spot again.....but the serum on day 2 makes me suspicious.

Anyone else had anything like this??

 

[tda]

Not seen anything like this before, but is there a chance there is a foreign body in the wound, and the cream has just softened the area

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

Old scars opening up again can be vitamin C deficiency but in horses there would be an underlying cause of that as usually they make their own. Does he have any other scars you can examine?

 

[little_critter]

A few other minor scrapes, and a small dent in his rib cage. Nothing else looks unusual (ie none of the other marks on him are showing any sign of reactivating)

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

A few other minor scrapes, and a small dent in his rib cage. Nothing else looks unusual (ie none of the other marks on him are showing any sign of reactivating)

It sounds like something peculiar to that scar then. Maybe a foreign body as tda said.

 

[little_critter]

I think it’s a thing. It’s happened again.
Different cream this time, aqueous cream…you can’t get much more bland.
He had greasy shins so to soften up the grease I slapped aqueous cream on and went for a hack. When I came back I shampooed and scrubbed them (hind legs only).
I then slapped a bit of cream on his front shins…just cos but didn’t wash or scrub them.
That evening his hind legs were warm to the touch.
I also noticed that one of his front legs had a bit of weapy serum on it…where he has a small scar on his knee.
Now one of his hinds also has some dried serum down the shin.

Now I accept that my shampooing and scrubbing could have caused something, for the patch of serum on the front in the scar area is interesting.

My theory is that he’s sensitive to something in moisturisers and either historically damaged skin (ie scars) or skin that has been irritated by scrubbing is more susceptible. (I only used a sponge to shampoo the shins, but had previously - ie the day before- used a plastic magic brush to try to brush out the grease and that probably caused mild scratches to the skin)

 

[foxy1]

Just to say, aqueous cream is no longer recommended for use as it contains ingredients that are irritants causing itching and thinning of the skin

 

[little_critter]

Just to say, aqueous cream is no longer recommended for use as it contains ingredients that are irritants causing itching and thinning of the skin

Thanks, I found that when I was googling after the 2nd incident. I think I’ll be keeping creams of any sort away from him from now on, it seems he’s a sensitive boy.

 

[alibali]

I bought bio-oil to put on my mares scar, it is also about 3 years old. It opened slightly at the bottom. I stopped using the bio-oil sharpish and it healed up again. I have decided to leave it well alone!

 

[Goldenstar]

I think the cream will have exfoliated scar tissues causing it to seep serum and some blood .