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  Discussion on Hock Laceration
Author Message
New Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 12:19 am:

Hi, I have been visiting this sight since our mare lacerated her hock in May. I just wanted to share our experience and progress thus far. The first picture is a few days after we found her, and the vet assured us that if we can get the flaps to re-attach, it would save a lot of healing time. We had her on a course of antibiotics (TMD?)T-something, the pills that you dissolve in the syringe. Anyway, we kept it wrapped until recently. I was rinsing it 2X daily initially, and then I cut back to once daily-applying a furacin wrap, etc. I did have a bad bandage accident which set us back a little over 2 months in, causing a cut in the back of the hock and another round of antibiotics. After talking to another horse lady at the local feed store, I decided to try Emu Oil Wound Spray in July, which worked beautifully for a bit. I know it probably isn't recommended, I just felt like the furacin wasn't getting anywhere and after consulting my vet, he said to go ahead and try it. (He is her vet also, and saw the results.) Anyway, my point of posting is to just encourage anyone that is going through this. There seems to be a lot of initial wound questions, but the progression along the way is lost sometimes. :-) https://s1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd519/sbienusa/
Member:
lilo

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 11:00 am:

Suzanne, thanks for posting this. Pretty amazing to see the progression. I have fortunately never had to deal with any wound of this magnitude, but - one never knows ...
Was your horse lame?
Lilo
New Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 12:00 pm:

Hi Lilo, I have seen horrible wounds, but this was my first one like this on my own horse! :-( Needless to say I freaked. Thank goodness she was never lame, at least not until my bandaging slipped and she got the cut on the back of the hock... I felt horrible. But that was only for a couple of days. I use cotton, but somehow I messed up that day and I didn't see it until the next afternoon. :-( All I can say is, if you end up with one... don't give up!
New Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 - 7:32 pm:

I just wanted to say I added a couple of photos. https://s1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd519/sbienusa/ I am really trying not to drive everyone crazy at this point. It has been a long haul but I think there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel. :-)
Member:
shirl

Posted on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 - 7:54 pm:

Good Job Suzanne, Looks like it's coming along fine to me.

Shirl
New Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 - 10:04 pm:

Thank you so much Shirley, it is such has been such a long haul! :-)
Member:
canter

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2011 - 7:00 am:

Yes, this looks like it is healing beautifully. Kudos to your dedicated care, Suzanne!
New Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2011 - 9:42 am:

Thank you so much Fran! I just wish I had prevented it better. Not really sure what she did did it on. Walked the whole ten acres. There is a section that has woven wire with poles across the top, I thought maybe she kicked at the neighbors gelding or something, but there wasn't even a loose section. Whatever it was, she found it! Thanks again!
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Monday, Sep 12, 2011 - 10:22 pm:

Hi Everyone, so my vet suggested leaving it open and just hosing it everyday to clean. I had started using a tea tree cream as a topical, and he told me to stop that and keep it simple. Does this sound normal? LOL, it does not seem right to not put something on it? Reading the Long Term Wound Care article, it says Furacin Spray, which we don't have at our local feed store. I am not trying to second guess, but.... There is still some swelling under the wound, but it has gone down alot. Just curious if anyone else has left a wound untreated except for hosing? oh, and I had been hosing it morning and evening. He said once a day is fine. I just don't want to go backwards. :-( I would think if I am leaving it open I should hose it at least twice a day! I think at this point I am just driving him crazy!
Member:
frances

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 - 12:33 am:

When my horse's knee was cut open, and proud flesh began to develop, the vet recommended that I paint it daily with Lotagen, an Australian product. If you google "equine Lotagen" you can read about it. The results were excellent.

Don't know if Lotagen is available in the US, but it's worth looking into IMO. Maybe under another name?

As you no doubt know, unless the proud flesh is removed, the wound won't be able to heal.
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 - 9:56 am:

Thank you for responding! I am not sure he is as worried about proud flesh as he is me doing too much at this stage. He thinks the tea tree cream is a bit caustic and that it actually is doing more harm than good. I will try to take pictures this morning or after I get off tonight. I just hosed it last night, wow I really wanted to do something else! LOL. She has kind of opened it a bit, but not bad. I read another thread last night where a woman's vet had her just hose the wound, so maybe it isn't that weird. I might at least put some triple antibiotic ointment on it or something. Thank you so much!
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 - 1:31 pm:

Here is a picture from this morning.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 - 6:36 pm:

Hello Suzanne,
Once granulated in well I often recommend for many large wounds to quit doing anything but hosing. The problem is anything that you might add might slow down the wound healing. For instance the petroleum base of 3X antibiotic will promote increase proud flesh.

After years of being told that hyDrOgen peroxide is tissue toxic a recent study found wounds heal quicker with a dilute solution of HP. Next year we may be told something differently. You will be quite pleased with just using the hose and water on a uncomplicated well granulated in wound, but I am just repeating what is in the article already.
DrO
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 - 10:50 pm:

Thank you, I remember reading something in the article about hosing it off and letting it be, but I guess I assumed it would be a little further along than Misty's wound. I will give this a shot, it has been such a long haul I guess I am over paranoid about a setback. I was shocked when this was recommended to me. It just seems too easy after doctoring pretty much twice a day for four months. Thank you again for getting back to me and settling my mind! :-)
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Thursday, Sep 29, 2011 - 7:42 pm:

updated pictures.
Member:
frances

Posted on Friday, Sep 30, 2011 - 7:54 am:

That's really SO much better! Congratulations!
Member:
lilo

Posted on Saturday, Oct 1, 2011 - 10:26 am:

Looking good! Lilo
Member:
sbienusa

Posted on Monday, Oct 24, 2011 - 10:22 am:

Hi Everyone, just updating the pictures. This is yesterday before washing. Almost there. :-)
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