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Discussion on Laceration on front heel | |
Author | Message |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2004 - 11:30 pm: Anyone have advice or experienced a laceration of the bulby area on a heel. Levi, my youngster, who is always doing something, turned up with his foot bleeding. This had happened sometime earlier, so I don't know how he did it, but, I almost feel like it could be an ice cut, since they were running in the snow, which is crusty and hard ice. The cut was rather deep,right at the heel, where it meets the hoof, kinda the bulby part. by the time we talked to the vet, it wasn't bleeding, and he said that a stitch in that area, problably wouldn't hold. He advised putting antibiotics and wrapping. Has anyone had a similar experience and does it heal ok? He is not lame on it, and I finally was able to put cotton, vet wrap and duct tape on it to keep it from ripping off in his travels, and other advice????thankssue |
Member: Heidih |
Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2004 - 9:25 am: I had a yearling stud colt cut the entire bulb off the back of one of his front feet. I never did figure out how he did it. I had the vet out and there wasn't much to be done except keep it clean. She had me pressure wrapping it daily with daily cleaning and antibiotic ointment application. He didn't get any proudflesh. The biggest issue we had was him keeping the bandage on. It was right at the coronet and went throught he coronet band so I ended up doing the pressure wrap and then using duct tape to tape the whole thing to his hoof. Then I put a bell bood over it so he couldn't pull the wrap off with his teeth. I had some cheap gum rubber bell boots that I didn't care if he destroyed, so I used those. He healed really well. The only evidence of the cut was the scar in the hoof where he sliced through the coronet band.Good luck with your guy. |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Thanks for the support Heidi, I did the same thing with duct tape. I tried just vet wrap and the bell hood thing on. He ripped it off. He isn't limping on it, it looks yucky, But I will keep cleaning, anti-biotic and wrapping. It is amazing the stories the scars on these youngsters carry! thankssuz |
Member: Kari |
Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2004 - 5:58 pm: I've had two horses with similar injuries over the past two years. I kept the cut filled with Fura-Zone and kept the horse in a dry and clean area in the barn for a couple of weeks till the inflamation subsided (I used Bute). Didn't attempt to wrap due to the location. Both horses healed in approx. 30 to 45 days with no apparentproblems. |
Member: Paul303 |
Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2004 - 9:44 pm: 3 yr. old QH mare took off right front outside heel bulb and the slice continued through the coronary band and down the hoof horn almost an inch. My vet amputated because " you can't stitch hoof to hoof" and it needed to be cleaned. He stressed dry, clean, and sterile. After cleaning and irrigating daily, we covered it with Novalsan cream with some DMSO, sterile gauze packing, vet wrap over entire hoof, then duct tape over entire hoof. If she was going out, we covered THAT dressing with a plastic bag, an old sock, and more duct tape ( I should'a bought stock in the company ). Since that extended up the leg, we covered it with a leg wrap. We used Bute, as above, did a course of antibiotics, and,by the way, make sure your tetnaus is current. Because she lost a large portion of hoof and heel, it took almost a year. We did have to treat proud flesh a couple of times. She did heal, and is now 24. Since the coronary band was sliced, the hoof growth is not normal, but presents no problems.Other problems directly associated with the wound, was a persistant shoe boil ( got her a ring ) from lying down a lot, and the problem of the scar tissue opening up with the slightest trauma. This was the most trying wound I ever dealt with, and it occurred at the very beginning of mud season. The scar tissue remained delicate for an awfully long time. The farrier's job became much harder and for many years, the deformed hoof area was too iffy to risk a nail. If you wrap the whole hoof, remember to keep an eye out for thrush or deterioration of horn quality. The dressing should be changed every day to check to see if moisture has gotten in. For the twenty years of fun she's given us, all that trouble was really worth it. I wish you patience, good luck, and a strong back!!!! |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 21, 2004 - 9:03 am: I have litle to add to the above good advice. Yes these wounds heal well and our article on wound care outlines how we would recommend you care for it.DrO |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 21, 2004 - 1:07 pm: Thanks to all, he just started to try to chew the duct tape today. I sprayed it with some bitter apple, so hope that works. I am leaving the bandage off at nite, when he is in his clean dry stall. I am worried that his circulation might be affected if it is on all 24 hours. Think that will be ok. It looks yucky, but not pus filled.thanks. where is the wound care article under? suz. ON a good note, dusty my horse with the runs seems to be doing better. |