Wound and healing. Graphic.

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Foxhunter49

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August 8th, I found a TB yearling with a nasty gash in his side. He had caught it on a staple gate latch, I assume he was galloping through the open gate because the latch was much higher in the gate post than the wound. The latch was partially pulled out and flattened against the post.

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The white on this picture are two broken ribs. These were removed.

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It took the vet three hours to stitch - all the time stating that he did not think it would hold. He was right!

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I tried Manuka honey but this was both very messy and attracted flies galore so swapped to 100% pure Neem Oil. Two weeks after injury.

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Continued with Neem until several Americans told me about Resolve Ointment. I purchased some and healing has progressed a lot faster.

Five weeks after injury. Start of the Resolve treatment.

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Seven weeks.

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Good lord! I cannot imagine finding a horse like that! I'd be so hysterical & think I'd automatically assume the worst.
Amazing pics though. Has she been a good patient?
 
Wow! Was it stitched then opened again? We had a similar one from chest right along belly to almost the udders, mare ripped herself wide open on a metal post. the vet did an amazing job of stitching her in the field. All respect to her and to your vet, brilliant healing!
 
here_i_am said:
Good lord! I cannot imagine finding a horse like that! I'd be so hysterical & think I'd automatically assume the worst.
Amazing pics though. Has she been a good patient?
Click to expand...

Being hysterical gets you nowhere but backwards - so important that you learn to control your breathing and heart rate!

We were walking all the dogs (12 of them) when we checked the horses on the way back and saw it. Nothing we could do as we had no halters to bring them all in so returned with the dogs. I called the vet and then, whilst I got a stable bed down, two went to bring the five in. They had moved from the gate to the bottom of the field where they were happily grazing!
I knew it was deep, but until the flap was lifted did not know just how deep, luckily it was not penetrating into the gut.

I never bothered to touch it until the vet came and doped him. I did not want to wind him up so that he was agitated before he was sedated.

As for being a good patient he has been an angel. Vet left me a load of Domesedan but I have not used it once. Someone holds his head and offers him a pony nut and he has never minded me scrubbing the actual wound but can get a bit tetchy when I have to pick the crud off his belly. It sticks like mad despite greasing well. Thankfully it is no longer oozing so that part is over.
I have, on numerous occasions dressed it on my own. Considering he had not had a lot of handling he has been brilliant - couldn't give two hoots about throwing a sheet over him - nothing seems to faze him.
 
Now that is some impressive wound, and some even more impressive healing!!
You wouldnt think an animal would come back from that! I will have to remember the Resolve ointment for if we ever have another dog attack in the sheep, I normally do salt water wash and red biddy for the sheep.
What a good patient too!
 
God that looks so painful.... But amazing how the body heals.
My mums horse was in a trailer accident, and had a horrendous and huge gash to his stifle.
Our vet sewed plastic shunts when stitching him up to allow the would to expand, but like you his burst - but in our case, within 24 hours of being home, after 2 1/2 weeks of not being able to lie down at horse hospital.
Like you, mum washed it twice a day to prevent granulation, and it took 6 months for it to close fully.
He has a big scar, but the swelling went down after a few years.
We're lucky to still have him, and 6 years down the line, whilst mechanically swings the leg a bit, he's really well and in no discomfort (quite amazing as the vet had to snip part of his middle patellar ligament off that was poking out of the wound, so his cruciates must have been mush)
Thank you for posting, as it's great to see such a sever injury healing very well - you must be doing a fab job.
 
Thank you for posting what an amazing dedicated job you did to get the wound to heal so neatly.
Others will remember and i will pass this on to a friend whose horse went through a fence post and it went into his chest and out at the shoulder such horrible accidents can happen within seconds. They have the problem that the blood supply is not good to the shoulder and will need to operate again.
 
A few years ago, i was out walking with friends, and was passed by a couple out on a hack. Not 10 minutes later, they were back, one riding, one running leading his horse.
It had a wound very similar to yours, and caused by the same thing (we later found the gate catch where it had been pulled off the post). The gash looked horrific, just like yours - long, deep and gaping. I just hope that poor horse recovered as well as yours has.
Absolutely amazing - well done you, and your vets.
 
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