Ouch & ouch again...
Tuesday evening I am out feeding the horses and sure enough notice on my big beauty, Bunny, a cut on the back of her front left pastern...
I know that horses get into trouble and you just don't know how they seem to get these booboo's, but I sure hate to find them. I cleaned it and sprayed it with bacetracine. It didn't look too bad after it was clean of the perpetual mud we have been having around here.
Then Thursday morning I go out to feed and I see that Bunny has fresh blood on her nose...
Bunny lets me rub all over her nose as I look for any signs of a scratch and there is nothing, no puncture, nothing on her nose.
I move around to check her leg thinking maybe she has irritated her scratch on her pastern and oh my gosh.... she has another huge scrape. She has a hunk of skin scraped off just below the first scratch... 
I hose it off and check to see how deep it is and spray it galore with Bacetracine (Bactine). She doesn't seem to be babying it in the least, she walks around like nothing happened. I know the flies have a field day on it though.
Then I go about looking everywhere to see if there is skin on any of the parts of the stall, where the panels join, where the gate is connected and don't find any signs of where she could have done this. I just can't figure it out.
So.. questions for you all:
How is it easiest and best to clean it?
(I am using just the hose with as much pressure as she will allow me to use.)
What do you use on wounds like this?
Do you leave it open or cover it?
Do you let it scab over or keep scraping away all the scabbing to keep it from forming scar tissue?
Do you put fly spray on it?
(I am scared that the fly spray may irritate it)
If you have any other recommendations or suggestions.. please do not hesitate to let me know. I have heard many things and want some opinions because it has been a while since my Bunny has had a scrape this bad. Thank you all for your input!
10 comments
Aren't horses just the most amazing creatures? The things they can get into...
ReplyDeleteMy big gelding who lives in a round pen came to me with the skin off both front knees. No panels messed up, nothing in there, but he fell hard somewhere during the night. I never did figure it out...
Hard to tell from the pics, wrapping is an option to keep proud flesh down, but I hate to wrap unless it's a BIG cut. I'd get some SWAT at the feed store and daub that on, it'll keep the flies off. I swear by that stuff, lol.
Good that she's not lame though!! Horses!!!!
Thanks Mikey, I will have to get some SWAT, I have heard of it, but hadn't gotten any yet. I will for sure pick some up today!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, that looks terrible and painful! I hate it when one of the horses gets hurt like that. I have no clue how to answer your questions, but i feel so bad for your horse!
ReplyDeleteI swear by a product called BluKote; it is a spray, and it makes a thin bright purple/blue film over the wound; has to be resprayed every so often depending on the activity. it's originally for cattle so you can find it at any good feed store. it helped my Johnny's pastern wound so very much. it also does keep flies off. When the wound is very wet and bleeding BluKote can't coat; at that time I use Wonderdust (also a cattle formula originally) and this helps it dry out. Keep it as clean as you can and keep the horse in on stall rest if possible until it stops being weepy. Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteHello.this is the first time to visit your site.
ReplyDeleteIt's looks painful.Sorry I don't have any answer for your question...
I love horseback riding,but I can't do it now.
You know, horseback riding is not popular in Japan.
There is no horseback riding club around my home.
Have fun with your horses!
I'm happy if you link to my site.
baratch's pet blog
SWAT like Mikey said should work fine there. If you want to avoid Proud Flesh (which trust me, YOU DO,) Stay Far Far FAR Away from using Nitrafurazone. (The yellow goop.) It creates that excess tissue granulation almost overnight, and is also a human carcinogenic. Has its uses, but not one I am fond of!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted on how Bunny is healing up!
Is your horse out in a paddock with any wire fencing at all? We've had fillies at work that have managed to get their leg through a fence and pull back and cause similar wounds that way... or even just out playing and they overreach and cut themselves...
ReplyDeleteWe tend to leave them open, clean them up with water and sure a fly repellent won't hurt but otherwise, we've left them alone and just checked it daily to monitor healing.
Okay here is my opinion, I know I'm alittle late, but have been busy!
ReplyDeleteI have used on wounds like that around here is hydro once daily then follow with Iodine spray and Wonder Dust. I have had great success with that combo and it is not expensive and great to have around. There are alot of people that swear by Underwood's spray down here, but I've never used it.
Swat is good, Blu Kote is good, I have used Corona it is a yellow goopy paste. I'm not sure if it's the same thing MM is talking about? My mare ripped her chest open during an fire evacuation. No vets were available, it's all I had, it worked great, no scars or proud flesh. You can't tell where it was now! I hoped it's already healed !
ReplyDeleteBunny is healing quite well, thank you all for your input and concerns, you are all very kind!
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