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Discussion on Thick scar tissue on fetlock
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Member:
Waynorth
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 - 2:20 am:
DrO,
My gelding got a severe rope burn on his rear fetlock 8 months ago. There has been no infection, and it did not damage the tendon sheath, but it is in a very tricky area, and it has been a challenge bandaging it and keeping it clean and dry (and warm) during a long Alaskan winter. We have had a few setbacks--but in the long haul my vet says it has really healed pretty well. It is no longer bandaged, but it is still in the healing process, and the scar tissue is just amazingly thick. It is at the rear of the hoof, above the coronary band. I don't see any change in his gait (he has never been lame on it during this time) but the thickness of the scar tissue really concerns me. Will it go down or decrease over time? Is this just another part of the healing process? It is probably an inch thick, and where he should be concave, he is convex. Does that make sense? Should I be concerned? Can the scar tissue be removed--without having to go through the entire 8 month healing process again? I never knew this injury would take so long to heal!
Jessica
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 - 6:59 am:
Are you sure it's scar tissue and not proud flesh?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 - 8:22 am:
Hello Jessica,
As Sara's query above suggests there are several possibilities that depend largely on the stage of healing. If it is scar removal will be tough if it is proud flesh, surgery at this time to remove it would not only reducue the size but speed the healing. There can even be intermediate conditions. The decisions are going to have to be made by someone who can examine the wound closely.
Though most severe wounds in this area would largely be healed by now, perhaps if there was large scale skin necrosis, following the burn this may not be unreasonable. If you are unsure about your veterinarians care then you should seek a second opinion. For more on this see, Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Wounds / Burns. I would look at both the long term wound care article and the article on proud flesh so you can get an understanding of the healing process.
DrO
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Member:
Erinport
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Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2005 - 4:13 pm:
Hi Jessica-
My TWH gelding put his rear foot through a barbed wire fence, and very nearly cut a heel bulb off. The cut went from the center of his frog, back between the heel bulbs, up about two inches, and around one heel bulb about two more inches. He is on 24/7 turnout, and I was very worried about the cleanliness of the wound. I took him to my trainer's barn, where she cleaned, treated and dressed the wound twice a day, and hand walked him three to four times a day. He was lame on it, simply because it hurt like crazy. The cut was about 3/4 of an inch deep, but miraculously missed hitting anything vital. He was at her barn for eight weeks getting this treatment. He was confined to a 10 X 10 stall, and let me tell you, he was climbing the walls by the end of his treatment. What I'm getting to is that because Vicci cleaned the wound, removed scabbing, and dressed it with wound cream twice a day, we've completely avoided proud flesh. Now that he's home, and back on pasture, I treat it about once a week. The cut is completely closed, with only the surface still healing. But even that small portion of it starts to develop proud flesh (looks like really rough, fat scar tissue) if I don't peel the scab away each time and treat with wound cream. Each week, it's smaller and smaller. I have no doubt it will be invisible in another month or so.
It really sounds like your horse has developed the proud flesh everyone was talking about. If you say he's not lame at all, then I guess there won't be any lasting effects, other than the way it looks. At this point, you can choose to have it surgically removed, or you can live with it. By keeping proud flesh from forming on my gelding, the healing has been very quick and smooth.
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Member:
Waynorth
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Posted on Sunday, Apr 24, 2005 - 5:19 pm:
I am having another vet come out this next week for a second opinion. In all this time, this 'pad' of flesh/scar tissue has only developed in the last month. I cannot get a definitive picture or description of Proud Flesh, so I guess I will have to actually see it to know what it is. This is not pink and bubbly, the skin is developed over the surface, but I do feel all is not right. Since it seems as if it is just about completely healed over, is there any extra danger in removing it so late in the game? I would have to wait another week or more as there is absolutely no way to keep it clean and dry during 'break-up'.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Apr 25, 2005 - 7:29 am:
Removal is best evaluated by the person examining the horse Jessica but it is a possibility. However if the horse is sound and the scar stable (not enlarging with time) I would be slow to encourage it.
DrO
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Member:
Miamoo
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005 - 10:14 am:
It is amazing what can heal over time. My old retired mare got a leg over a high tension fence and sliced the skin from just below the hock all the way to the bone and then sliced down the bone all the way to the ankle (the vet called it debrading sp?) s o the skin was pooled around her foot on the ground. Three weeks in the vet clinic, an amazing amount of money and about a year of wrapping, but other than some ugly scare tissue (because some of the skin died completely and fell off) the leg is of norma l size and s ha pe. It took about 2 years for to pull itself back to normal shape but it has done it. I couldn't believe it myself. Oh, she is completely sound too! If there is no proud flesh, you may find your wound pulls in and looks better after all the granulation of new tissue is done. If confirmed that it is not proud flesh I would give it some time.
Ella  u
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Member:
harlee94
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Posted on Sunday, Sep 20, 2009 - 5:24 pm:
What's the best way of treating really bad rope burns below the fetlock on the rear legs? I've been using Furazone for almost a week, and it seems to be healing but is really slow. This is such a hard area to treat and wounds are right in the crease of the ankle. Should I keep the area bandaged? or open? Any suggestions on the best way to treat?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2009 - 9:25 am:
Cathy to accurately answer your questions requires us knowing the severity of the injury. Rope burns in this are can vary from mild abrasions to full skin thickness wounds that damage the tendon sheath.
But before we go any further let me help you get started off right as there are several advantages to you if your discussion is kept separate from Jessica's: - there is no confusion about which question is being discussed
- it will help keep Horseadvice more organized
- you review the Article and "ALL" the existing discussions
- more folks are likely to see your post and so you will receive quicker and more responses
You will find the "Start New Discussion" button at the bottom of the "List of Discussions ". This list is on the parent page to this discussion along with an "Article".
There is a article and list of discussions that may be more germane to your problem at Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Wounds / Burns » Long Term Deep Wound Care.
Before posting you should review the article as you will find helpful information. If it does not answer your question and you don't see a related discussion that answers your question you should "Start a New Discussion" with your question. For more on this and other important information see Help & Information on Using This Site » Welcome to The Horseman's Advisor.
Thanks for helping us stay organized.
DrO
PS, by copying your post you can easily paste it into a new discussion.
PPS, many members prefer not to display there full name in their posts. You can edit this in your profile to display your chosen moniker.
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