Would you call the vet?

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vicm2509

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Baron came in last week (Thursday) with a cut on his leg at the bottom of his pastern/just above the heel, looked like the type of cut you would usually expect from and over reach injury. On closer inspection he had a few more tiny prick like cuts higer up on the outside of his cannon. All on front right leg. Looked like possible barbed wire. The one on pastern looked like a slice, others I think were tiny puncture wounds.

It was swollen around cannon area but not pastern, tiny bit of heat.

Cold hosed, and put on antiseptic and stabled him.

Next day, more swollen, again just in cannon area. Cold poulticed all day, nothing really came out but a bit of blood. Was more sore to touch (he picked it up if I poked it) but still bearing weight. Not lame in a straight line. So 2 bute given in his tea, followed by one the next morning and one the next night.

He has been kept stabled with just walking round yard every day, swelling almost gone, but cut on pastern still quite open. No longer sore to touch and tiny amount of heat.

Friend put him in walker on Sunday night. Said he was ok, but after 10mins he started to chuck his head around and looked very lame. She hosed it and put him to bed.

Yesterday I trotted him up, sound to my eye. Turned him out in menage, sound. Put him in walker, sound. Still a little heat just around cut on pastern but doesnt appear sore.

She is riding him tonight in walk and trot. Told her if he is lame to ring me.

If he is lame should I call vet? I am thinking yes but not sure if I am being a bit paranoid? I am just worried incase the cuts have gone deeper than I think? The do look superficial and there is not enough heat for me to be overly concerned. But if he is lame, with not a lot of heat I am inclined to think it may be worse than I think????

He is not usually a lame, wimpy type of horse.

Opinions please
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vet will be called Wednesday and not tonight.
 
i would get it checked it by a vet anyway in case it has any infections in there caused by the instrument that has caused this
incase he needs a course of antibotics for any infections that he could possibley have
he made not have any but its better to be safe then sorry
 
dont forget, punctures are ofen worse than they look because infection gets in deep and is trapped inside, unlike the slice which can drain easily...
 
As a general rule, puncture wounds and cuts on a bone should really be seen by a vet. The reason being that the former can introduce infection below the surface which cannot be washed out, no matter how you try and cuts on the bone can repeatedly tear open if they are not held together.

It does sound like the cut on the pastern should have been seen. It's too late for stitching now, but I certainly wouldn't be riding a horse with an open cut on or near its foot. Heat means inflammation/infection, even if it's localised. Just think of what crap you will introduce to the wound by riding him!
 
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Does he have filling or swelling??

Filling from standing in - swelling from the build up of infection.

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It is a swelling. It was there when he came in from the field and it had gone down with box rest, bute and cold hosing.

I will call the vet then. It is my instinct to call just incase it is worse. Like I said swelling is not almost non existant, as it the heat. But he has had a cut like this in the past. All healed then 10 days later he came in and it was huge - had cellulitus
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I was hoping it would be back to normal after the bank holiday, but it does still cause me slight concern. I will get vet out tomorrow. Just had to ask incase evreyone thought I was being a bit paranoid.

Thanks all for the input
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