Some reassurance on these stitches please!!

Buds_mum

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Well vet came to change Buddy's dressing today, the wound is less swollen than it was on Wednesday but the dressing is pretty mucky. Vet said if it does not improve he will have to be readmitted for more intensive treatment which is the last thing I want :(
This is the wound before and after cleaning, the top is breaking down slightly and is leaking fluid... but nothing is coming out when pressure is applied (ie no puss or smelly stuff)

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There is very little heat, but I am so concerned. I will have the bandage to change on Sunday and will panicking until then!!

How is looking do you think? Its so hard for me to see it in perspective and vets are of cause being very over cautious!!

He is very well otherwise, weight bearing, eating well and enjoying in hand grazing and being good as gold.

I am a worried mess who is still convinced that his leg is going to drop off :(

He likes this part of the day!
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Thanks guys xx
 
To me that looks good - I am certainly no vet though! I would expect a certain amount of fluid.....and as you said if not pus....but as I said....certainly no expert......
However VERY happy to see him out and grazing in hand!!!!!! Bless :D
 
It looks great!!! Really clean and healthy looking wound. Honestly When my horse sliced himself open and the wound broke down, the pus and gunk was just unbelievable. It looks fab, dont worry too much :)
 
Looks absolutely fine to me

Me too. With a vertical slice like that, you will often find the bottom being more proud than the top - that's just physics and there will be fluid - serum - flowing from it for a while depending how deep it is. Healing flesh smells a bit like a squashed frog to me ( animal or human) and once you've smelt bad stuff - the two won't be confused!

Lovely chap BTW. Looks are though he can be cheeky - (readings come free from me! Hahah.)
 
They look a little tight to me, sorry. That said I usually deal with human patients! I would ask whether the tighter ones should be removed if the wound has already approximated. Check with your vet.
 
Not a vet but to me the stitches look clean and neat - no swelling, blood or puss. So i'm going to go with, yes it's okay. If I'm wrong, don't shoot me :D And don't take my advice on medical issues either! :o
 
They look great to me! Looks like its healing beautifully. Yes they are a little tight, but safer to leave them in until vet is 100% happy to remove them and risk a little discomfort. I've seen much tighter ones ;)

ETA - when are they due to be removed?
 
Looks good to me but i would be worried about the way the bandage has been applied to the actual hock! This can cause more problems than the would itself.

Watch this video and you will see how to do it correctly. If the vet did it then I am not at all surprised - very few vets know how to bandage correctly if they have not been taught outside of University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JP1nPpAgUg
 
Thanks everyone! I am a total panicker! 1stclassalan do I owe you £80 now for you detailed outline of my horses character? ;)

Stitches are due out Tuesday and will be removed then whatever the situation, the vets words 'they outlast their usefulness'

I just so want everything to go ok, so do not want him back in the hospital! He is very well in himself, we are one week post op now and he was pretty down till about Wednesday x
 
Foxhunter thanks for that, vet has done it thus far but I will be changing it on sunday. I will watch vid when back on comp, thank you xx
 
Oh my, that's NOTHING! Nice and clean, drainage not very puss-ey and everything coming together very well. How many days post stitches is this? If you can get them to 8 days without it breaking down you've got it licked. I'd be surprised if that even scars so you'd notice. I've seen some absolutely massive wounds that healed completely scar free, especially with such clean edges as that. Remember, a little laceration like that on something the size of a horse is comparable to about an inch on your leg. As they say around here, "it's a long way from his heart". Don't worry.
 
Looks good to me but i would be worried about the way the bandage has been applied to the actual hock! This can cause more problems than the would itself.

Watch this video and you will see how to do it correctly. If the vet did it then I am not at all surprised - very few vets know how to bandage correctly if they have not been taught outside of University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JP1nPpAgUg

She's done that a few times eh? Texas accent took me back to Fulmer!

Anyone with a strong stomach can have a look at these guy's main website here:- http://www.wallerequine.com/interestingcases.html DON'T LOOK IF YOU'RE EASILY UPSET - THESE PICTURES MADE ME WINCE!!!
 
...... 1stclassalan do I owe you £80 now for you detailed outline of my horses character?

Haha! Only virtually! Did I mention that I felt him feel the centre of attention recently and ....... er... a peculiar sensation in a leg - you should get that gate latch fixed!
 
Haha! Only virtually! Did I mention that I felt him feel the centre of attention recently and ....... er... a peculiar sensation in a leg - you should get that gate latch fixed!

Just popped back to say that along with my obviously lacking clairvoyant powers - I also missed your original post on how your horse received his clonk on the hock!

Once UAT - I looked after a lovely but scatty mare for one of the younger yard members and she became used to me bringing her in - at that time her mare and mine were in different fields so no problems arose; however; I arrived at the yard very late one night with my mare still out - huge whinny from the dark and thundering hooves ( my usual greeting) went through the usual routine of the headcollar "put your little nose in there" ( despite it being the size of my head!) when all of a sudden the other mare came thundering down wanting to be brought in first and having big problem with my mare getting all the attention - cue flying feet, sparks, squeals and a massive clonk!

My mare came off worse and limped to her box on three legs - rang Vet, hot / cold water bathing while waiting - no skin break luckily but what had gone on inside??? Couldn't curse the other mare - but I could the stupid Y.O. for turning out together with no warning.

Slept with mare - well, outside her box, she didn't lay down all night, just leaned against the wall. Vet came back in the morning with X ray - no damage - big bones and the clonk was probably bourne equally across the whole hock rather than concentrated in one spot.

If you've not seen before here she is - slightly bigger than yours!http://www.flickr.com/photos/1stclassalan/8423708256/

Phew, spent hours water treatment and then massage with (Jeez, what was the stuff? My memory!!) BR embrocation? Made my fingers tingle slightly - went home four days later!!!

Yard rife with talk of my divorce and the likely correspondent!
 
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Oh my, that's NOTHING! Nice and clean, drainage not very puss-ey and everything coming together very well. How many days post stitches is this? If you can get them to 8 days without it breaking down you've got it licked. I'd be surprised if that even scars so you'd notice. I've seen some absolutely massive wounds that healed completely scar free, especially with such clean edges as that. Remember, a little laceration like that on something the size of a horse is comparable to about an inch on your leg. As they say around here, "it's a long way from his heart". Don't worry.
we are indeed 8 days post op now, he had a fair bit of damaged tissue removed so they are worried about, for want of a better term, what the gap left behind filling with infection.
Thank you for your post, feel much better :)

She's done that a few times eh? Texas accent took me back to Fulmer!

Anyone with a strong stomach can have a look at these guy's main website here:- http://www.wallerequine.com/interestingcases.html DON'T LOOK IF YOU'RE EASILY UPSET - THESE PICTURES MADE ME WINCE!!!

Nice, my morbid self enjoys looking at pics like this :o

Haha! Only virtually! Did I mention that I felt him feel the centre of attention recently and ....... er... a peculiar sensation in a leg - you should get that gate latch fixed!

Just popped back to say that along with my obviously lacking clairvoyant powers - I also missed your original post on how your horse received his clonk on the hock!

Once UAT - I looked after a lovely but scatty mare for one of the younger yard members and she became used to me bringing her in - at that time her mare and mine were in different fields so no problems arose; however; I arrived at the yard very late one night with my mare still out - huge whinny from the dark and thundering hooves ( my usual greeting) went through the usual routine of the headcollar "put your little nose in there" ( despite it being the size of my head!) when all of a sudden the other mare came thundering down wanting to be brought in first and having big problem with my mare getting all the attention - cue flying feet, sparks, squeals and a massive clonk!

My mare came off worse and limped to her box on three legs - rang Vet, hot / cold water bathing while waiting - no skin break luckily but what had gone on inside??? Couldn't curse the other mare - but I could the stupid Y.O. for turning out together with no warning.

Slept with mare - well, outside her box, she didn't lay down all night, just leaned against the wall. Vet came back in the morning with X ray - no damage - big bones and the clonk was probably bourne equally across the whole hock rather than concentrated in one spot.

If you've not seen before here she is - slightly bigger than yours!http://www.flickr.com/photos/1stclassalan/8423708256/

Phew, spent hours water treatment and then massage with (Jeez, what was the stuff? My memory!!) BR embrocation? Made my fingers tingle slightly - went home four days later!!!

Yard rife with talk of my divorce and the likely correspondent!

my lord what is she? Gorgeous girly, glad she didn't suffer too badly. Hope the marriage survived your devotion to your other woman :cool:

Your clairvoyant skills are abit hit and miss,redeem yourself, does he prefer his purple or blue bucket?!?!
 
Hi putasocinit, yes he is on 30ml alflox orally per day.
Looking better today, some discharge but nothing terrible.

And he is full of it! It's like leading around a rather large helium balloon! Xx
 
The wound looks clean and neat, the stitches look a bit tight but iys probably some swelling due to the wound trauma.
If youre concerned about the wound email or text the pics which are very clear to your vet for their opinion
 
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