Terrible Wound - What to treat with? *Graphic Pics*

3Beasties

3Beasties

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2008
Messages
15,574
Visit site
My horse has had an accident in the field which has left his leg in a bit of a mess. Vet has been and cleaned it up and bandaged it but it can't be stitched due to the location and size.

I've heard that Manuka honey is good for wounds and also Aloe Vera Jelly? Can these be bought in normal shops and if so is there any particular one I should get?

The vet is due out again on Wednesday to change the dressing so I'd like to get some in time to use for that. Any advice would be much appreciated please, I've never had to deal with anything like this before :(

Before Vet arrived
20140901_083226_zpsnx1dcxau.jpg


20140901_083237_zpseseajtys.jpg



After the clean up
20140901_101819_zpsep0fcf7s.jpg


20140901_101830_zpsmocfzje9.jpg
 
Manuka honey is very good but needs to be medical grade however I would be dicussing this with your vet as they have access to a lot of good preparations
 
Bumping for you as there is a great thread on here about a horse with a horrific injury (worse than your) and the healing process and one with a horse that can opened himself on a gate catch ! with the rib bones showing ! and it healed down to a very small scar.
I'm sure you know you don't want it to heal quickly as all the gunk needs to come out of the edges, then slowly cover over from the outside - medical grade honey I have heard good things about but as above the vet should hopefully help.
It doesn't look too deep so hopefully he'll be right as rein in the long run
 
Have a google of Equaide - it's american but there is one UK supplier. It's not cheap, but I've used it on a couple of quite nasty wounds with proud flesh and the results have been amazing, and a little goes a LONG way! Really can't rate it enough.
 
My horse had a similar injury over a year ago which didn't heal with the vet coming twice a week to bandage and apply manuka honey dressings. Eventually I managed to persuade the vet to refer him for hydrotherapy - cold water spa treatment and it finally turned around. One year later and he has a neat scar on his leg and is back hunter trialling and dressageing.

null.jpg


Now

510f737120e9b78b21965cf6c2303b0e.jpg


Good luck with your horse
 
ponymum said:
My horse had a similar injury over a year ago which didn't heal with the vet coming twice a week to bandage and apply manuka honey dressings. Eventually I managed to persuade the vet to refer him for hydrotherapy - cold water spa treatment and it finally turned around. One year later and he has a neat scar on his leg and is back hunter trialling and dressageing.

null.jpg


Now

510f737120e9b78b21965cf6c2303b0e.jpg


Good luck with your horse
Click to expand...

Wow ponymum! That's quite something. Well done all involved.

Medical grade manuka can be really useful but I would discuss with your vet first as it can create proud flesh very easily from what mine said and she opted for gel instead. I think it was dermagel, but I will check tomorrow as I still have it. It still allows the wound to breath, but acts as a barrier to infection and worked wonders with Fly's pastern wound. When I say wound...chunk gouged out that couldn't be stitched.

I'll look in the morning and let you know what it is, but what is your vet saying?
 
Equimed Ag do a wound dressing on a roll which contains silver and is amazing apparently. Have a look on their website at the before and after photos.
 
Activated Manuka Honey will be fabulous for this, and you really don't need the medical grade, but do buy the original sort that is produced in New Zealand.

Then you'll need disposable nappies, they are great for joints.

Put on a support bandage below the knee before bandaging the knee.

The best type of bandage for this area is a spider bandage - link to a video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc-Wg9jrE1A

My youngster cut his hock open a couple of years ago. I bought a 4litre pump spray and after sterilising it kept it full of saline solution (1teaspoon salt to 1pint water) I sprayed the wound until clean each, never touched it at all during treatment.

Put the honey on the nappy and place over the wound, use the sticky tabs to secure. You will need plenty of gam gee to pad the whole area before bandaging.

Secure the spider bandage, making sure that you tighten each tie enough to secure the tie. Use half knots unless you are good at reef knots. When you get to the bottom tie in a bow and tape ends with sticky tape or vetwrap.

Eventually you'll find it will develop proud flesh, to keep this under control you will need some Copper Sulphate crystals and a soft paint brush. Mix the crystals in cooled boiled water until it will not dissolve any more.

Clean the wound with saline and allow to dry. Smear Vaseline all around the outside of the wound and below. This protects the good skin from the caustic effect of the Copper Sulphate. Paint the Copper Sulphate Solution onto the proud flesh.

Each day remove the scab that will form and repeat the treatment. Once the proud flesh is level again with the healthy skin, stop the treatment.

Continue to keep wound clean and again when the proud flesh grows above the healthy skin repeat the Copper Sulphate treatment.

Proud Flesh has no nerves in it just masses of blood vessels so this treatment does not hurt the horse.

His wound will take time to heal because he will constantly open the wound when bending the knee.
 
ONLY what the vet has said you can put on it.
There is a lot of new thinking about wounds and creams are not normally good for them- manuka honey can help wounds but do NOT put anything on a wound without vet approval - most creams will just slow healing.
 
From a nurse point of view I would say that this is a wound which needs to be kept moist and there are lots of dressings and preparations which could be suitable such as hydrogels. Have a search at tissue viability or the moist wound environment for more info. It definitely needs kept covered and I would steer clear of any creams etc. unless your vet approves. Irrigation with saline is a good way to clean it and agree with above poster never to touch it. Good luck and hope it heals up soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top