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Discussion on Question about cut on heel bulb

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cp
Member
Username: cpacer

Post Number: 513
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 2:47 pm:   Edit PostPrint Post

Hi DrO,

One of my horses has a cut on what I guess is the heel bulb(?) and there's a small piece of flesh attached.

Just wondering if you can tell by the pictures if it's something that may be cause for concern for infection, or if a vet may need to remove the fleshy piece (it's too thick for me to do anything with, and he feels it pretty good).

1004043

1004044
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Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose

Post Number: 3719
Registered: 1-2000
Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 12:19 am:   Edit PostPrint Post

Good job with the photos. One of our horses had a similar cut once and the vet had to remove the flap of skin to get it to heal right. We had to put Nolvasan on the cut and wrap it and keep it clean until it healed over. I covered the bandage with vet-wrap and put elastacon bandage over the vetwrap so it would stay on. I think it can be a tough spot to heal. Seems like we may have had the horse on antibiotics, also, due to the location of the cut - so close to the ground - and gave the horse a tetanus booster, too.
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Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro

Post Number: 21026
Registered: 1-1997
Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 8:46 am:   Edit PostPrint Post

The flap has developed proud flesh underneath so will not heal properly. You can cut it off like Sara recommends then treat daily as outlined in Long Term Treatment.

If you have a lot of time to care for this I would probably remove the proud flesh from the bottom of the flap and treat daily (see long term wound care) bandaging to get the piece to reattach. For more on how to bandage this see, Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Wounds / Burns » Coronary Band Injury. One difference from a coronet injury would be I would treat and cover the wound before applying the electrical tape.

There may be just a bit less scar formation with this second technique but I would not expect much scar to begin with.
DrO
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cp
Member
Username: cpacer

Post Number: 514
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 10:45 am:   Edit PostPrint Post

Sara & DrO, thank you and I'm glad I asked cause I wouldn't have thought it was that bad. It's drier looking today and looks like the skin is trying to reattach, but it's all gooey underneath.

I have a call into my vet to remove the proud flesh. Thank you again!!
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cp
Member
Username: cpacer

Post Number: 515
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 2:04 pm:   Edit PostPrint Post

hi again. My vet doesn't have any open time today so I asked what I should do in the meantime and she said to put nitrofurazone gel on it. The Proud Flesh article says not to put products containing propylene glycol, which I'm pretty sure that yellow gel has?

I got a good spray of water in there, and was also advised to pour apple cider vinegar on it--hope this wasn't a bad idea?

I'm hoping it looks as much better tomorrow as it did today! I just squirt it again and it's less gooey than it was even this morning, so I'm crossing my fingers.

Think I'll go see if the horse supply shop has some of that Nolvason creme.
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cp
Member
Username: cpacer

Post Number: 516
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 6:27 pm:   Edit PostPrint Post

alrighty, this should be my final post on this. The vet squeezed us in between rounds, removed the chunk of flesh and wrapped it up. She gave me some Veterinus Derma Gel to put on after cleaning twice a day.

Thanks again!!!
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