Wound to hock - how long to heel?

Flicker51

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So my youngster had a really unlucky field injury at Xmas which left him with a nasty deep wound to the hock. He underwent surgery to debride it and they told me 6 weeks to heal. We are now 3 months into box rest and it is healing reall slowly. Vet thinks potentially another 3 months before he can go out. Does anyone have any experience of this sort of injury please ? Hoping for some good results!!
 

little_critter

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I'm imagining there isn't much flesh there and it's on a joint so it keeps moving. Could is be an area with reduced blood flow and so this is hampering the healing process?
 

Lacuna

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My Cobby had a qreat cut over the hock joint (caused by trying to jump over electric wire and the wire cheesewired straight across the joint). Had 5 days in horsepital to flush the joint, luckily we avoided surgery, and then had 6 weeks box rest while it closed up.

Luckily he was a doodle on box rest and vet gave me tons of manuka honey which helped it heal up. After it closed over and he was allowed back into the field we used a cream to prevent proud flesh formation which mostly worked. He has ended up with a scar ridge over the site but you can't really see it under the feathers.
 

Flicker51

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I'm imagining there isn't much flesh there and it's on a joint so it keeps moving. Could is be an area with reduced blood flow and so this is hampering the healing process?
Possibly it is on the exact point of hock and he’s not exactly still in the stable 😬
 

Flicker51

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My Cobby had a qreat cut over the hock joint (caused by trying to jump over electric wire and the wire cheesewired straight across the joint). Had 5 days in horsepital to flush the joint, luckily we avoided surgery, and then had 6 weeks box rest while it closed up.

Luckily he was a doodle on box rest and vet gave me tons of manuka honey which helped it heal up. After it closed over and he was allowed back into the field we used a cream to prevent proud flesh formation which mostly worked. He has ended up with a scar ridge over the site but you can't really see it under the feathers.
We were initially told 6 weeks but it looks like it’s going to be nearer 6 months which is awful for him.
Would it be very detrimental to let him out into a dry paddock any sooner do you think ?
 

ycbm

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We were initially told 6 weeks but it looks like it’s going to be nearer 6 months which is awful for him.
Would it be very detrimental to let him out into a dry paddock any sooner do you think ?


How can we tell without a picture?
 

Lacuna

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Very difficult to say. All I could say in my experience is that we were told not to turn out before the wound had closed over completely so that no dirt could get in it. Given the area was affecting a joint I was rather paranoid about it and wouldn't have let him out sooner.
 

Hormonal Filly

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My gelding also has a wound very close to the hock after surgery, he got a infection and it isn't pretty.

Its slowly healed but vet has said he'll be in a extra 5 weeks (already been in 3) He has manuka honey dressings, cotton wool, a special hock zip bandage (passage bandage I think its called) which has helped a lot. Also putting carrots in haynets has helped keep him still and doing something.
 

Flicker51

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I will try to upload photos later. Mine has presage bandage too. It just seems such a long time to be in but I guess it’s better to let it heal than risk infection. He’s such a baby I feel So sorry for him 😥
 

Flicker51

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Very difficult to say. All I could say in my experience is that we were told not to turn out before the wound had closed over completely so that no dirt could get in it. Given the area was affecting a joint I was rather paranoid about it and wouldn't have let him out sooner.
How long was he in for ?
 
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