Please don't jump on me. Hock injury advice please.

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Mongoose11

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Ok, so I have never, ever had to deal with a kick before. Olive rarely lets another horse get close enough to kick and I have just been lucky, no cuts, scrapes, nada, nowt!

So, big gelding got in with them today as her field companion is in season and I think Olive is coming in too. They have obviously had a run around and Liv has a slight 'scratch' on her hock, it is curved and looks like the cap of a hoof may have caught her. It has removed a very slight layer of skin, had to dig into the coat to see the pink line, very very slight swelling to the cut but nothing noticeable. Not lame, and will turn comfortably.

I have cleaned and cold hosed but wondering if I can do anything else.

I am sorry that I am a worrier but these sorts of things are straight forward if you have dealt with them before. I have been very lucky that she spends all day scoffing and so doesn't get into any scrapes. The questions are only easy if you know the answer or so they say. If this was anyone else I would be saying cold hose, check, cold hose and repeat until it worsens or subsides....

Added to this, I have been dreaming of colic :( last night Camilla Naprous tubed her in the garden as Olive had colic, lunged her and then Liv laid down and sicked up a lot of dog biscuits and then she was fine. Camilla then turned her lose on the beach to go and play in the surf with the stallions. Weird.

ETA - can you imagine if I had something serious to deal with? I wouldn't sleep. Kudos to all of you dealing with infected joints, de-gloved hocks and broken stuff!
 
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Sounds like shes been scuffed as opposed to taking a right smack, id cold hose 2-3 times a day and observe for any increase in the swelling or lameness developing, theres not much more you can do, unless you get vet checked, but if horse was mine id be happy to nurse this myself
 
I'd cold hose, and if it's broken the skin I might slap on a little bit of something like filtabac (antibacterial cream) although probably more for my mental health than out of real need, and then I'd just keep an eye on it.

Don't ever worry about worrying, or about coming across something for the first time. :) The next time you'll know exactly what to do!
 
Im afraid I would look at it, decide it was a scrape, and do nothing, bar having a look at it regularly to make sure it was healing fine.
 
Billie1007 said:
:)

I have read far too many 'looks like nothing but turned out to be a pts injury' threads on here!
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I've never lost one yet because I have failed to correctly identify and treat a wound that was more serious than it appeared at first glance!

I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong - its good basic wound care. I was simply saying what I would do when faced with a superficial scrape, with minimal swelling and no lameness. I think the prognosis for a complete recovery within approx 24 hours is pretty high ;)
 
I would cold hose a couple of times a day, check for heat, keep an eye on swelling, observe if there is any lameness, if there is a cut then a bit of cream to keep dirt out and the flys away from it and if no better or gets worse call the vet.

I worry allot as well...and reading the vet books, the mooching on the Internet and even forums sometimes can be worse than not going with your gut instinct ...by the end of reading up about things your horse has some strange tropical disease, it's legs will drop off ( if they haven't already!!) and it will cluck like a chicken...oh and it's highly infectious!!!:rolleyes:

Just remember that you don't need to know the ins and outs of surgery or the cure for every disease, that's a vets job. As long as you know basic wound care (get yourself a first aid book) and know when to get a vet out you'll be fine.
 
I'm another one for leaving it. At most put purple spray on it and cold hose for a god 10-20 minutes, and then turn them out. Make sure you do turn her out as, being on a joint, she could get stiff and restricted movement could make the swelling worse :)
 
Our tb had something like that, we cleaned if cold hosed it and three days later had to get vet put as it was hot and swollen......vet pulled scab off and a load of puss came with it.


From now on any hock cut I will be on phone to vet for advise.
 
Don't want to be doom and gloom but my horse was kicked on the hock some years back. Was a small cut which i cleaned up and it looked fine. However, he went lame a few days later so got the vet out who said he had to go straight to horsepital. Ended up staying for 5 days. He's fine now but I'm very wary of hock injuries now. Might be better to just to get him checked out by the vet.
 
Billie1007 said:
Ok, so I have never, ever had to deal with a kick before. Olive rarely lets another horse get close enough to kick and I have just been lucky, no cuts, scrapes, nada, nowt!

So, big gelding got in with them today as her field companion is in season and I think Olive is coming in too. They have obviously had a run around and Liv has a slight 'scratch' on her hock, it is curved and looks like the cap of a hoof may have caught her. It has removed a very slight layer of skin, had to dig into the coat to see the pink line, very very slight swelling to the cut but nothing noticeable. Not lame, and will turn comfortably.

I have cleaned and cold hosed but wondering if I can do anything else.

I am sorry that I am a worrier but these sorts of things are straight forward if you have dealt with them before. I have been very lucky that she spends all day scoffing and so doesn't get into any scrapes. The questions are only easy if you know the answer or so they say. If this was anyone else I would be saying cold hose, check, cold hose and repeat until it worsens or subsides....

Added to this, I have been dreaming of colic :( last night Camilla Naprous tubed her in the garden as Olive had colic, lunged her and then Liv laid down and sicked up a lot of dog biscuits and then she was fine. Camilla then turned her lose on the beach to go and play in the surf with the stallions. Weird.

ETA - can you imagine if I had something serious to deal with? I wouldn't sleep. Kudos to all of you dealing with infected joints, de-gloved hocks and broken stuff!
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I think you should listen to some of the very good advice that has been posted here re hosing, bit of cream to ward off flies/infection, turn out.:)

But that's not going to keep your horsey well if you insist on feeding her dog biscuits........................and who's Camilla Naprous?:D
 
Billie1007 if its a scratch I wouldn't panic! Even me now after Bud's injury. His was serious as it was a puncture wound into the joint.
Although the amount of people who have told me they wouldn't of called the vet is astounding, you get a gut feeling and you just know.

As for dreams, I am having stress dreams about my sister wedding which is next year and has very little to do with me!! Keep waking up in a panic thinking I've forgotten the flowers ect. So god knows how I would cope in an actual stressful situation! Lol x
 
Auslander said:
Im afraid I would look at it, decide it was a scrape, and do nothing, bar having a look at it regularly to make sure it was healing fine.
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Me too.

Mind you, I once left Fergs for 10 days after a kick which took a massive chunk out of his radius. I even rode him twice...

In my defense, he was completely sound and the cut itself healed fine, very quickly...
 
Thanks all :) had this been another person's Ned I would've been 'meh hardly worth noticing' but it's OLIVE the wondercob and love of my life and so I spend every waking moment worrying out the giant heiffer! :) one 'f' in heiffer?
 
JFTD said:
Me too.

Mind you, I once left Fergs for 10 days after a kick which took a massive chunk out of his radius. I even rode him twice...

In my defense, he was completely sound and the cut itself healed fine, very quickly...
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I've done this - small bone chip on radius from kick. I'm usually a paranoid get the vet out to be sure type but on this rare occasion I didn't bother becaus ethe outward wound wasn't that significant. :eek:

He wasn't overtly lame but when I rode he didn't feel quite right. Vet said it probably wouldn't have shown up on xray immediately in any case but did when it started to calcify.
 
Is definitely warmer in the hock tonight :( not lame, hosed again twice and will continue to watch. She did have a 20 minute hook around the field not wanting to come in tonight! Argh, bloody horses!
 
Remember heat = healing, so not necessarily a bad thing. But to be honest if you're worried I'd call the vet (I know I'm like a stuck record). As an aside I nearly lost a horse to a very innocuous cut.
 
What you described in your opening post, to me sounded like a scrape not a cut, the heat could be anything from mild inflammation to infection starting, its not just the one sign and symptom its how you put together and assess the whole range of signs and symptoms, if youre not comfortable doing that it might be better to get someone more experienced to check it, or get the vet
 
It is a cut, I can see that now. The cut looks about 2/3 mm deep, is clean and stressing me right out. Have just phoned the vet and they have advised to trot her up in the morning, cold hose 3 times a day and phone again if heat increases or doesn't start to subside in the next 24 hours.

I'll let you into my head for a minute. Haven't ridden for a long time due to weight which is still steadily coming off, I had planned to start riding again in three weeks. Now I am imagining this is going to turn into a fracture, bone chip which will get infected and Olive pops off over rainbow bridge. THAT is how much I worry! :o oh and it's all punishment for being fat. I am insane, I tell you.
 
Billie, Billie, Billie. (((((Hugs))))) ((((((slap))))))) ((((((get a grip))))))

She will be fine, you have done all the right things, and asked the vet. Just keep an eye on it. :)
 
FfionWinnie said:
Billie, Billie, Billie. (((((Hugs))))) ((((((slap))))))) ((((((get a grip))))))

She will be fine, you have done all the right things, and asked the vet. Just keep an eye on it. :)
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Where have you been woman!? I know you've been busy but jeez! Did my madness draw you out of your cave? Glad you are back :)
 
Billie1007 said:
Where have you been woman!? I know you've been busy but jeez! Did my madness draw you out of your cave? Glad you are back :)
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Yeah I saw your post and thought for gods sake she needs some brackets and a slap, I'm the only one who can save her :D

I just puts some vids in comp and training with a note about my absence Miss :o:p
 
Billie1007 said:
It is a cut, I can see that now. The cut looks about 2/3 mm deep, is clean and stressing me right out. Have just phoned the vet and they have advised to trot her up in the morning, cold hose 3 times a day and phone again if heat increases or doesn't start to subside in the next 24 hours.

I'll let you into my head for a minute. Haven't ridden for a long time due to weight which is still steadily coming off, I had planned to start riding again in three weeks. Now I am imagining this is going to turn into a fracture, bone chip which will get infected and Olive pops off over rainbow bridge. THAT is how much I worry! :o oh and it's all punishment for being fat. I am insane, I tell you.
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Oh dear god, you need to cut yourself some slack :eek::eek: stop being so hard on yourself this is a minor blip in your road, your vet is helping you observe and treat what you find, take it from there 1 day at a time :)
 
Auslander said:
Billie - why don't you put some pics up. Once people can see the extent of the wound, they may be able to advise better
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Will see if I can get some tomorrow. I'm not that technically advanced but with CT's help I may be able to post pics!

I am such a doofus, always ready to be the calming voice of reason. Until it has anything to do with Olive!
 
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