Second guessing myself now - should I be calling the vet?

[khalswitz]

So, yesterday out hacking, Mary fell over. She’s never been the most sure footed on rough rocky ground, and she spooked sideways at a sheep and tripped over, going down to nearly her knees. She scrambled up and walked and trotted on sound, but when I dismounted at the next gate there was a big scrape down the back of her off fore that had bled enough to look bad on a grey! Must have caught herself with her hind trying to get up - stupid of me not to have brushing boots on to be honest.

At home, I washed it with hibiscrub, and whilst it was mostly a scrape there was a couple of slightly deeper bits. It was a bit swollen too. Not too deep though, and not enough that I’d be worried if it was on me. I put on antiseptic salve, bandaged it, covered in duct tape and a brushing boot and turned her out (she won’t stay boxed).

This is what it looked like after washing:



This morning I cut it off and cold hosed it, washed it again with hibiscrub, but it looked far better and I decided to just turn out with salve on, because I hate having a bandage on in the field if I don’t have to.

This is what it looked like this morning, the green is from the salve!



Tonight I checked again, put more salve on etc. The limb is swollen and she wasn’t keen on me holding the limb but was fine to have salve out on. Still looks perfectly sound in walk although I didn’t trot up.

My second guessing comes in that when I mentioned this to my friend, she said that any injury over the tendons like that she’d have had the vet out for. Even one that is mainly a scrape like this. She was quite frank that she thought I was daft.

I’ll admit I don’t like where it is, but with it not being very deep and having improved a lot in 24hr’s I thought I was fine to continue. I’m used to managing wounds etc. So, am I being daft HHO?

 

[NR88]

I'd always err on the side of caution and call a vet to discuss an injury like that. They can advise of an OOH visit is required or if it can wait until Monday.

 

[ihatework]

Tbh I wouldn’t have called a vet out over the weekend (because I’m tight and it’s not an emergency), I have to say I would not have turned out in a bandage though.

I’d have iced it and put some medicated stuff on.

Whether I’d have turned out or not would have depended on whether I was confident it was superficial (or not). I’d have palpated and had someone trot horse up for me.

 

[Nari]

I have to say I'd have had the vet if she was mine, but then I do tend to fuss. The swelling would concern me since if shee struck nto herself I'd expect the wound to be more contaminated than I could clean and so infection becomes a risk.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Id probably have called the vet this morning but providing you have kept it clean, it will wait till tomorrow. Probably will get antibiotics for that just to ensure no foreign bodies in it.

 

[khalswitz]

I'd always err on the side of caution and call a vet to discuss an injury like that. They can advise of an OOH visit is required or if it can wait until Monday.

This is what my friend said too and why I’m now second guessing myself!

Tbh I wouldn’t have called a vet out over the weekend (because I’m tight and it’s not an emergency), I have to say I would not have turned out in a bandage though.

I’d have iced it and put some medicated stuff on.

Whether I’d have turned out or not would have depended on whether I was confident it was superficial (or not). I’d have palpated and had someone trot horse up for me.

I know turning out bandaged is controversial. This particular horse will not stay in alone without a good bit of sedation, otherwise I’d have kept her in with it overnight.

I had a good look and feel when I cleaned it out - I got in there with some swabs. I’m confident it’s mainly scrape with a very slightly deeper scratch in the middle. If it was deeper I’d have called the vet immediately, this was one I felt confident at the time could wait until today to reasses, and today it was much better looking. This evening, most of it has scabbed over, even with salve on.

She had a good trot up yesterday and totally sound. Didn’t trot her up today though.

I have to say I'd have had the vet if she was mine, but then I do tend to fuss. The swelling would concern me since if shee struck nto herself I'd expect the wound to be more contaminated than I could clean and so infection becomes a risk.

I’m confident in my ability to clean it out - no puncture or deeper wound that I felt was out of my ability to clean and assess. I’m confident that it was clean with no foreign bodies.

The swelling is the thing I’m watching, but so far the tissue looks very healthy. No changes in TPR and not hot either.

I felt very confident in my ability to handle this (unfortunately I’ve done a lot of wound cleaning and bandaging under both vet and my own steam in the past and normally feel very confident in what I can handle!), but I just feel totally thrown off by how adamant my friend was this afternoon.

I agree risk of infection is the worrying thing, but at this stage, other than giving an antibiotic and keeping her bandaged longer, I’m not sure what else my vet would have done - it’s shallow.

 

[alibali]

To me swelling and pain 24 hours after injury equals potential infection so I would have called the vet.

Also I'm another one who would not turn out bandaged and not with duct tape which would not give if the limb swelled.

 

[DabDab]

The fact that you airtight wrapped it with (presumably fleece) bandage will have caused it to get quite hot in there, and the swelling could just be from that.

In your situation now I would probably just antiseptic salve it and leave unwrapped for 12ish hours and see if the swelling goes down. If not then call the vet

 

[khalswitz]

The fact that you airtight wrapped it with (presumably fleece) bandage will have caused it to get quite hot in there, and the swelling could just be from that.

In your situation now I would probably just antiseptic salve it and leave unwrapped for 12ish hours and see if the swelling goes down. If not then call the vet

Not fleece - gauge dressing, then gauze bandage, then vetwrap, then duct tape. I unfortunately have a lot of experience with wounds and a large supply of materials! I assume it will have heated up under there for sure, but the bandage is now off and unwrapped for 12 hours and it’s still swollen. (Not horrifically, as in doesn’t look swollen from the front, just from the side)

The replies on here seem in agreement with my friend that I’ve probably been a bit cavalier - where this one is I maybe should have erred on the side of caution. I’ll see if the swelling has gone down in the morning, and if not call the vet and send over the photos and see what they think.

 

[khalswitz]

Swelling has gone down a bit today - still a little swollen compared to the opposite limb, but not too badly. The wound looks really good - the slightly deeper bit seems to have almost closed today and the rest looks very healthy.

I’m not worried. Nothing shouting infection.

Edit: she’s also totally sound in walk and trot!

Edit 2: Thank you HHO for helping me stop second guessing and fretting and settle into a plan. Also, we will wear brushing boots/overreach boots out hacking now!