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Discussion on Scar Tissue
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005 - 3:34 pm:
Sorry to Bother you DrO, my computer is misbehaving and I'm not having much luck searching. I have scar tissue/lameness questions on 2 different horses and I've probably posted in the wrong place.
June of last year I rescued a few horses and one of the mares had a huge old scar around her hock with no sign of lameness. I have put aloe salve on it and it just seems to get scalier. It is very hard almost feels like a chestnut. I thought of using Pink proudflesh medicine to take the scar down? The concoction has scarlet oil in it other than that im guessing the lable doesn't say. The previous owner said she was out at pasture so I bet is is a barbwire injury. Anyways, I am sure she will always have a huge scar but the scaliness seems to keep building up what can I do with it? Just this week I have noticed that she has a slight limp on this leg. Can scartissue be so tight that it causes very slight limping?
2nd horse. My neighbors dog cornered my yearling in the shelter and he kicked out and through the metal shelter and cut his fetlock pretty bad. The vet stitched him up and put a cast on him for a month of stall rest. He said no tendons were cut just a lot of flesh damage. When the cast came off the vet said it looked really good. You couldn't even tell he was ever cut but you can feel a thick scar on palpation. Ever since the injury he has had an extra bounce on that leg when he pushes off and comes down. The vet said it was from the cast and would go away after he got used to it not being there.That was 2 months ago. My farrier just trimmed his feet and evaluated him and he said the bounce is noticable but that the scar is just really tight and It will go away. Only things I can think of is the scar is to tight or nerve damage. Any thoughts?
My horses are scheduled for a overall first week of may I don't want to call the vet out early without doing some troubleshooting myself. But Im not sure were to go or start.
Thanks
Cheryl Hohler
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 9, 2005 - 7:14 am:
Hello Cheryl,
There is no topical medication that would be effective at reducing such large scars (keloids)significantly and yes, scars in this area are capable of producing lameness. The only hope is surgery, if there is a chance better healing can be achieved with effective post-op management. We have successfully removed 2 large scars from the front of the hock that had tied up the ligaments and tendons in the front but it was expensive and required long term intensive management. I have seen some that cover so much area that I would be afraid to get it healed back following surgery.
I can't really figure out what you mean by an extra bounce in your second question Cheryl.
DrO
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 9, 2005 - 1:36 pm:
hmm this mare is in the 20's age wise and the scar is huge. Do you have a picture of the scars you opperated for comparison and what was the average cost and recouperation time. Does ultrasound or a tens unit(electrical stim) do anything? I was going to donate her to a riding school that is using her right now for children.
Is it possible to acheive some relief for her by deep massage and scarlet oil? My knee doc has me use it on my scars that are keloid after 6 surgeries. They are still keloid but not as tight.
The second horse looks like there is a double rocking action at the fetlock almost like a bounce? It's hard to describe, it is not a limp. the foot goes forward touches down and on push off it does a little rocking and then goes forward again.
If you can tell me how to submit a video I can possibly take one.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 7:01 am:
You can try the massage but if the scars you are trying to describe are anything like something that might be on you we are talking different critters: I am talking about small grapefruit size growths. I do not have any photos but if you will post photos of these scars I would be glad to comment.
For videos MPG format is pretty good and you can email it to horseadvice@horseadvice.com.
DrO
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 12:30 pm:
I will try to take some pics of the mare friday.
I actually had an emergency call i had to take to the vet and I spoke to him about my gelding he said the cast made him very weak in the area and to slowly increase his excersize and we will see where he is at in may. I hope that it is just weakness and not anything important. The animal control did nothing but fine the lady for a loose dog. They said i can take her to small claims but without a pic of the dog actually going after my horses it would likely be thrown out. They told me off the record if the dog comes over again make him disappear. I will still try to take a video of it though.
Thanks
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 1:22 pm:
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 1:32 pm:
ughhhh this is so fustrating. Im using the programs everyone has suggested for photos and what I finally get uploaded s***.
Anyways the scar wraps around the leg and is raised and hard and scally.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 2:52 pm:
Cheryl,
Your photo is too close up and it is hard to tell what is going on. Take a picture that gets the whole hock in it and best is 2 shots from the front and side.
Manipulating images in software programs does have a bit of a learning curve, so have patience. Of course the quality of your starting image is critical. Try using a two step procedure:
1) First reduce the image to the physical size you want, maintaining the aspect ratio. We suggest a width of about 300 or 400 pixels.
2) Reduce the size of the file to the smallest size that retains detail. This must be less that 64 k.
Your image above is both physically smaller and of a smaller file size than required.
DrO
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:04 pm:
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:13 pm:
wow !!!! I did it other than I have no idea why it didn't come out in color....
I will try again.
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:14 pm:
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:18 pm:
Im not sure why it is not coming out in color the file I saved was color?
I just figured out why the pic is fuzy my battery is low. The scar is big but hard to distinguish from the winter growth. I try a smaller mp setting on my camera I set it for smaller but it doesn't seem any different.
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:23 pm:
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2005 - 6:25 pm:
sorry......... Practicing I guess.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005 - 7:45 am:
Visually I don't think this scar looks that bad Cheryl. I would not personally be concerned with treating it and certainly would not put proud flesh treatments on it: it is not proud flesh. You might try kerolytic treatments like sulfur or possibly mineral oil to make smaller or soften it but I am not sure this might not make it less functional as a replacement for skin.
DrO
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Member:
Chohler
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005 - 1:19 pm:
Ok I will just keep putting aloe on it.
What is the kerolytic treatment?
Thanks for your time DrO!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 17, 2005 - 7:48 am:
Mineral oil or some over the counter sulfur treatments are considered keratolytic: they reduce the amount of keratin either by decreasing production or softening the keratin so it wears away quicker. Because of the nature of the tissue is scars it is not very responsive to such treatment but it may help some, if it doesn't soften it to the point it cracks open.
DrO
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New Member:
claudius
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007 - 8:20 pm:
Dear Dr. O., I am working with a horse with two quarter sized rubbery looking pink scars on his hind ankles. They look like the ones I used to see on racehorses that had been blistered with a mercury blister. They are healed, but I wondered if doing them up with an epsom salt poultice (sold in the tack shop...it is a gel) would help to toughen the skin and make the scar less angry looking...bright pink. Looks kind of like bubble gum!!! Thanks for any advice.
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