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  Discussion on Horse Chews Leg Wound Raw
Author Message
New Member:
lucyc1

Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 6:51 pm:

I own a 20 horse boarding facility, and one of my boarders asked me if I had any experience with a horse chewing himself raw. My boarder works in a rescue barn. The photo attached is of a horse that has recently come to their barn. Teresa says that this is an old wound, at least a month. Evidently it begins to heal then the horse chews it into this mess. The wound is on the hind canon bone. Teresa says there is significantly more flesh than one would expect in that area. It is hard all the way around, not hot or infected. He has been on antibiotics. The horse is not off. When he came he was more or less a bag of bones. He's somewhat better now. Apparently he doesn't chew his leg that badly if he is out in the pasture but if someone brings him in he does this. Teresa put a muzzle on him when she brought him in to wait for the farrier today.

Does anyone have any experience with anything like this? Or any advice?

Thank you!
Photo of Leg
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 9:30 pm:

Behavioral self mutulation is not uncommonly reported in horses especially stallions however before it can be ruled in, medical causes must be ruled out. Chronic infection including funguses, deeply embedded foreign bodies, and cancer all can cause intense pruritis. After a thorough exam, radiographs are indicated. More than once I have found a piece of embedded wire in such wounds and it can help rule out bone infection or cancer.

Does anyone know how this initially started?
DrO
Member:
mitch316

Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 2:11 am:

To add to Dr. O, we had a stud horse that kept chewing and chewing, and we tried everything we could think of to make him stop, including putting bad tasting stuff on it. It turned out to be a piece of barbed wire about a inch and a half long found on an x-ray. How it got there, we can only guess, but once removed it healed up quickly.
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