Wound healing

SueAllen

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I rarely post on here but I hope that someone can just give me a rough idea of the best thing to do. My horse got kicked in the stifle area (inside upper hind leg, right?) a week ago last Thursday. Wound about 2" long and a little open but quite clean. Vet said no need to stitch. Have kept clean and covered in yellow fly cream. Scab has formed and fallen off, although a bit earlier than I would like so still a bit raw looking. Still some swelling in the area too.

To my very amateur eye he looks sound in walk but not in trot. Had physio last Monday just for his annual MOT and she said he still looked stiff but nothing too bad. We will be starting hunting in September and he is not at all fit so I want to start fittening campaign soon. Gut instinct tells me only walking hacking, little and often, to avoid the wound breaking open. Any thoughts??

Thanks
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Box_Of_Frogs

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I'd be very conservative about this SA as a large leg wound in a horse can very very easily result in proud flesh which in turn can extend the time ned takes to heal and can necessitate surgery to remove it and even skin grafts to close the gap. Didn't the vets suggest box rest for a few weeks with some careful walking in hand for nibbles of grass? If he's still lame in trot, he's telling you something. If he was mine I'd walk in hand or turn out in a tiny section of field with a quiet companion for a few hours a day, for as long as it takes for the wound to scab over properly or for new pink skin to be forming. Then quietly walk him under saddle for a week or two to see how he goes and to see how the wound holds up. Only when you are totally happy that the healing is complete would I do anything more. My friend's TB sustained a nasty kick to his hock a month ago that penetrated the joint. It's been a very difficult journey and although the wound is now quite clean and no joint fluid leaking out, she has had to apply copper sulphate to burn off developing proud flesh and healing remains very slow. The vets warned her that if the early healing breaks down, trying to re-heal it is very, very difficult. I'm astonished your vets haven't been more proacctive re management!
 

Allykat

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My TB had a very similar injury a few summers back. His cut was probably only an inch long and wasn't overly deep but he was incredibly lame (being TB didn't help here
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) I was advised to just keep an eye on it, keep it clean and he had bute. It didn't warrent stitching and really healed up quite well. It was cleaned about 3-4 times a day with cooled boiled salt water and then covered with clenderm, which I don't think you can get any more. We just made sure that the scab only really started to form once all the heat and swelling had gone, just to make sure no infection is sealed in. He was on complete box rest for almost 2 weeks before moving out into the small paddock.

My horse eventually became sound 2 weeks after the injury but to me he just didn't feel right. My vet disgnosed a "back problem" and advised further rest, so I contacted an osteopath. This injury resulted in his pelvis being knocked out and all sorts of tweaked muscles due to loading, so I would keep in regular contact with your physio.

I hope your horse makes a good recovery
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SueAllen

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Thanks for that. What did the Clenderm do? Any other product that does the same thing? It's looking clean and healthy but I really think it is going to take quite some time before I can ride him at anything other than walk. He wouldn't do well on box rest I think so I just have to hope he doesn't go looning around the field.
 

helencharlie

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It was my TB that had the nasty hock joint injury that Box of Frogs was talking about. It is now 5 weeks down the line following his surgery. He has probably spent a good 3 weeks of that on box rest. It was through doing this that the wound has made any progress in healing. I hated making that desicion to have to do box rest, but am now pleased I have. The vets saw the wound on Monday and said that it is going to be slow to heal. The scab has been removed a couple of times, due to the amount of shavings present. and a high risk of infection present. I was told by the vets a week ago that I could start riding again, but only at the walk, until the wound has healed completely. He is to have quiet and limited turnout, the Vets feared that h re-injure may the hock joint again, or sustain another kick if turned back out in to the main herd. My main advice is BOX REST, it is the only way the wound can begin any form of healing. Professor Knottenbelt has got an interesting artcle on wound healing and proud flesh on the H+H archives site
or google proud flesh to find it.
Good luck PM me if you need any further info
 

Allykat

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I'm not sure what was in the clenderm. I think it had salycilic acid which is an anti inflammatory....I could have completely made that up however, we haven't had any at the yard for ages
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Manuka Honey is a good alternitive to use. Its a bit sticky but has antiseptic and antinflammatory properties.

It did take a while to heal completely but healed quite easily if that makes sense. My TB was only really on box rest as he thought his leg was about to drop off
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so I'm sure yours will be ok with a bit of turnout
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