Wound management

[Nannon]

I've been getting quite repetitive in the tack room so thought I would come over here instead!
My horse cut his knee - yard owner happy that it doesn't involve the joint capsule as no lameness and now swelling has come right down, and there's no heat. I have been washing it off with salt water and tonight washed it with dilute iodine and gave it a saline flush. It's like a laceration - probably could have been stitched had I got to it earlier, there's a cut and a cavity. The cavity now has started sloughing (that's what I would call it in humans!) so grey "stuff" accumulating in the cavity - it doesn't smell but it doesn't look nice! The edges are red but not angry red. I have been slapping some antibacterial cream in before he goes out but leaving it without anything on whilst he's in overnight as don't want to harbour bugs underneath creams?
Any idea on how to manage this - if the sloughy stuff is ok then I won't interfere too much, if not should I speak to vet and see if I can have some antibugs? Normally I just sort if leave wounds to heal and make sure they aren't too dirty but because of it being on his knee I'm a bit more paranoid about it getting infected and tracking through to the joint

 

[be positive]

I always pop a poultice on to wounds for a few days to help draw out anything, once it has come out and started healing then leave it open or with a dry dressing on so nothing gets in depending on how it looks, another useful thing to use is honey, that also draws muck out, the last cut I had on a knee did get infected, nothing nasty involving the joint capsule but required antibiotics, the vet said to poultice a bit longer then use honey until it finished healing and it looked great within a few days.

 

[Nannon]

Thanks bepositive - I'm just a bit worried about bandaging his knee! Would you do anything special with a bandage or just a simple up and down?
My parents (farmers) have offered blue Terramycin spray - would that be any good? I know it did brilliant things with abrasions etc on my youngster (and solves everything with sheep!)

 

[SusieT]

VET . stop putting random stuff that is probably causing more problems than good by inhibiting healing onto the wound.

 

[Nannon]

Spoke to the vet this morning (he saw that it was me and said oh no!! Luckily different horse this time!) and he is happy that there's no lameness, heat or swelling - he said if there was any infection or joint capsule involvement horse would be hopping lame by now (cut appeared on Monday night/Tuesday morning)
He said I've been bad by not clipping all the hair off (oops) so to so that tonight then carry on flushing with saline like I have been but no antiseptic washes or anything - he's given me a cream to put on and some dressings, he said to put dressing on and leave it for a few days and bandage over the top.
Glad I haven't done anything too wrong - thanks for the advice!

 

[shergar]

Thanks bepositive - I'm just a bit worried about bandaging his knee! Would you do anything special with a bandage or just a simple up and down?
My parents (farmers) have offered blue Terramycin spray - would that be any good? I know it did brilliant things with abrasions etc on my youngster (and solves everything with sheep!)

To bandage a knee you have to do it as a figure of eight so it crosses over the knee and allows it to bend,the finished bandage will look a band above and below the knee with a cross in the middle ,hope that makes sense .

 

[Nannon]

Thanks - have bandaged him tonight with wadding bandage, then gamgee with a bandage over the top - it looks ok and I can get a finger between the bandage and the gamgee quite happily but I will still be worrying all night that it's too tight and his leg will have fallen off by the morning!!

 

[Tnavas]

I've been getting quite repetitive in the tack room so thought I would come over here instead!
My horse cut his knee - yard owner happy that it doesn't involve the joint capsule as no lameness and now swelling has come right down, and there's no heat. I have been washing it off with salt water and tonight washed it with dilute iodine and gave it a saline flush. It's like a laceration - probably could have been stitched had I got to it earlier, there's a cut and a cavity. The cavity now has started sloughing (that's what I would call it in humans!) so grey "stuff" accumulating in the cavity - it doesn't smell but it doesn't look nice! The edges are red but not angry red. I have been slapping some antibacterial cream in before he goes out but leaving it without anything on whilst he's in overnight as don't want to harbour bugs underneath creams?
Any idea on how to manage this - if the sloughy stuff is ok then I won't interfere too much, if not should I speak to vet and see if I can have some antibugs? Normally I just sort if leave wounds to heal and make sure they aren't too dirty but because of it being on his knee I'm a bit more paranoid about it getting infected and tracking through to the joint

I recently dealt with a nasty wound on a hock with Activated Manuka Honey. Off the shelf from the Supermarket - go for the stuff produced in New Zealand.

Wash the wound with saline, allow to dry and then slap on the honey. Wonderful stuff. If the wound develops proud flesh, which it most likely will then discuss with your vet on ways to remove it.

 

[Nannon]

The vet did recommend manuka - and lucky for me my sister is a nursey type so very handily gave me some manuka honey dressings it's already looking much better after just one night - I had to change the dressing this morning as it had slid down but already looking nice and pink!

 

[tangoharvey]

I use something wonderful called intrasite gel, google it, it's amazing stuff x

 

[Mickyjoe]

We had one like this over the summer (although vet was involved as it had to be stitched etc). MEDICAL grade Manuka is great stuff (the supermarket stuff has not been sterilised) and we bandaged with dry Animalintex until we were sure there was no more gunk to come out. What really speeded up the healing in the end was Equaide - it is amazing stuff, but not recommended for use on anything like puncture wounds as it may cause the wound to heal up too quickly and trap any infection inside.