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Discussion on Cold weather, scars and first aid
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Member:
cindyenc
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 11:42 am:
My TB has a hairless scar on his lower leg about 2" square, from a degloving injury when he was a foal. From time to time he scrapes it or rubs it open.
It's been below 0 at night here in PA, and I have been wondering if I should put Bag Balm or some thing over the scar for protection from the cold.
For minor wound care, would you still flush with water when the temperature is below freezing? What is the best wound covering for cold weather?
Thanks
Cindy
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 12:36 pm:
Boy, good luck trying to put something on his wound that's a cream or ointment. When it was so cold here we had a mare with a cut on her face and I heated up ointments from Novasan, Furasin, etc. and as soon as the air hit it, it just froze. I couldn't get anything to stick, so just tried to keep her nose clean until it scabbed over. It's so hard to treat wounds with with temps below zero. The good thing is there aren't any flies and not as many bacteria around.
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Member:
rein
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 12:49 pm:
Hey guys,
Well I'm from Canada so I get my fair share of cold. lol Many wounds don't heal well then or healed ones re-open. If meds are still needed on it I use a telpha pad, few wraps of vet wrap then put a fleece/polo wrap over it. I can leave them in the pasture for a week like this. Less of course if the wound still needs tlc.
Good luck
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Member:
cindyenc
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 1:23 pm:
I ransacked my medicine cabinet and found a product called Cut Heal. It contains crude fish oil, raw linseed oil, spirits of turpentine, balsam of fir, and sulfuric acid. Wow, wonder if I should use it or throw it away?
I also have a no rinse hand sanitizer. I wonder how that is for cleaning a small wound in cold weather?
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Member:
rein
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 1:53 pm:
I have used that. Works alright, not sure I'd use it in the cold. You can't wrap when using that though. It also builds up a film, which I myself don't like. I gather the wound isn't in to bad of shape?? You could use polysporin (human stuff) if you have nothing for now.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 2:56 pm:
Cindy, what about a thermos or pot of warm water syringed over the wound, if it needs cleaning, and then blotting it or using a hair dryer to get it dry.
If the horse is turned out in deep snow, I doubt anything you put on to cover it will stay for more than a few minutes. The one thing I use on cuts in the winter that doesn't freeze is that Furall (sp?) spray. Seems to keep things clean and help with the healing.
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 3:43 pm:
Could you use a spray can of saline solution to clean a small wound, and then dry with a towel? The can says only "do not store above 120 degrees F").
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Member:
christel
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 6:09 pm:
What about Corona for the scar, to keep it subtle, and the same could be used on a wound too, as it has antiseptic stuff in it. Of course it would have to be kept in the house before using, and would think you could keep it close to your body to keep it warm enough to apply to horse.
Chris
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 6:25 pm:
I agree that cremes or ointments are not indicated and beside the technical difficulty in the cold might make the scar more fragile.
DrO
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Member:
rein
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 6:41 pm:
I tell ya, fleece wraps are great. Even in the deep snow mine stay put, they may be froze up outside but when I change them they are warm and cozy underneath.
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Member:
cindyenc
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 7:28 pm:
Thanks all. Dr. O, is there any danger of frostbite on bare skin on a lower leg? Wouldn't an oil based product help to protect the area?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 6:39 am:
I am sure there is a danger cindy but don't know how to judge the risk or specific circumstances under which this might occur. I have never heard of a scarred (hairless) area that preferentially was damaged by cold over the surrounding skin.
DrO
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