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Discussion on Nail in 9 mo. old fetlock....GRRRR!!!
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New Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 10:16 am:
I got up this morning to my BF showing me a 3" nail he said he pulled out of my 9 month old filly's rear fetlock this morning.
He's horse stupid, so all I have is a nail that *may* have punctured 1 1/2 inches into the back of her fetlock, at what angle, he didn't bother to pay attention. The nail is discolored 1 1/2 inch up from the point.
All I've got is a hot fetlock, seepage from the rear of it, not blood (she's got black legs, I have yet to find the puncture), and a vet's office that I won't be able to talk to until after 8:00 am to see if they can come out.
I did pour 7% iodine on it............
I'm probably just blowing off steam before I can get a vet out this morning. AURGH.
Any other suggestions?
She's eating, not moving around, and I would imagine this happened late last night or early, early morning because of the heat, swelling.
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New Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 10:25 am:
Adding.............puncture is located between pastern and fetlock.
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 11:05 am:
Yikes, Bernina . . .
So sorry about this. Hope it didn't hit the joint. I wouldn't soak, but I would cold hose a lot and trim the hair off to see if there's an abrasion or puncture.
Sounds like you understand that the angle of a puncture wound is really important, so I think the vet is the one who will have to tell, but if you can keep the filly quite and in a clean, dry stall/lot, that would be good until the vet arrives.
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 11:08 am:
If you have some betadine, you could drench the area afterwards . . .
I'd even use peroxide or alcohol . . . anything to disinfect the area. Do 9 month old's have a tetanus vacc already?
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 12:01 pm:
No, no tetanus shot, and I believe the iodine will do the trick. Alcohol and peroxide won't do anymore than iodine <---if that'll even do anything, because it's a puncture.
The vet is coming after he finishes with a colicked horse and 2 patients waiting for him at the equine center.
Worried about the joint. :/ She can flex it, but that doesn't mean a lot at this point.
Have a feeling it'll be tetanus, antibiotics, and cold water for the swelling at least twice a day. I'm thinking that if I leave the swelling alone til the vet comes, it might push any foreign stuff out of the puncture, and if I clip the area right now, it just might contribute to more of the swelling by moving it.
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 12:30 pm:
Hope the patient will be cooperative and the wound will heal with no repercussions.
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 1:01 pm:
Thanks! I hope so too. She's probably one of the last foals my stud is going to sire, and, unfortunately, I've never held on to any of his previous foals.
He does have another foal due out of my Arab mare the first of the year, and another due in late march to a friend's mustang.
The Arab foal will be going to my brother up in Washington after it's halter trained.
Zuri is a great little filly, what you'd call a "pocket pony". She spends her evenings playing tag with a big female emu. It's hilarious! She can't wait to play with a juvenile emu we have, but he's got a lot of growing to do.
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 3:47 pm:
Update:
Vet came, tranqu'd, tetanused, clipped, did a local block, ran a contrast dye, and the nail just missed the joint!!!!
MAJOR RELIEF!
It did penetrate the tendon sheath and the path ran approx. less than 1 1/2 inches.
He assisted me in the first of twice daily 2 oz. Betadine flushes directly into the puncture. Got her puncture wrapped with *PINK* vet wrap (OMG, lol!) and per usual, he gave me his home number if anything comes up. He is the BOMB! Once again, my Arabs have been the easiest he has dealt with, Arab or otherwise. He was just scratching his head about how easy it was dealing with a 9 month old filly. Told me to just keep doing what I'm doing......and that feels pretty good!
Zuri will get Excede (IM/neck) every 3rd day, cold water rinse on her pastern for 10 minutes between unwrapping and flushing, and he gave me some banamine injectable, just in case.
(He even said to give him a call if I need help doing the flushing, no charge, the man is just great!)
No playing with her emu or wolf dog buddies, it's chill out time.
I had the other option of taking her to the Equine Center and having her pastern opened up. This would have entailed sedation, stitches, several days in a unknown place, none of her buds, a longer recovery time, transport, and I don't believe she would have fared well. My vet agreed, so it's all about keeping her free from infection as humanly possible for the next 10 days.
If your horse gets any type of puncture injury, with the item that did the puncture protruding, do anything possible to stabilize the object, DO NOT PULL IT OUT. Vet wrap, gauze, medical tape......and keep your horse as calm as possible til the vet arrives. The vet will see what direction the puncture goes, how deep it is, and whether it has hit an artery, vessel, muscle tissue, etc., etc.
Because my BF pulled out the nail, neither I, nor the vet knew what direction and how far the nail went, did it travel on the side or directly towards the bone and joint, all we had was the discoloration on the nail.
I need to watch out for lameness and infection.
I will keep you guys updated as Zuri proceeds and keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't have any complications!
The thought of that nail penetrating her joint scared me to death. MAJOR relief.
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 6:16 pm:
So glad for both of you. Scary day you have had.
For the Excede, what's the dosage, and do you have to give it in 2 shots? I had a horse with severe pneumonia, and had to give Excede in 2 shots each time, (4 separate times with the vet doing it 2 of the times) and by the fourth time, he had had eNOUGH . . . For him, it was a big shot and a big needle.
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 1, 2015 - 9:05 pm:
6cc (ml) of Excede in one syringe, every 3rd day. No dual injections.
I know the feeling, you can only get poked so many times until it's "hey, that's enough, Skippy, this pin cushion is sooo over all this!"
Even when you change sides each time, it get's old pretty fast, specially when they start feeling better, lol!
Just finished with Zuri's first "hyDrOtherapy, 2 oz betadine flush, and re-bandaging". A friend who keeps her mustang here and lives on our other property came over and held onto her for me.
VERY positive experience for Zuri, didn't like the sound of the old vet wrap coming off at first, but did it slow with a few breaks. By the time I put the new wrap on, the sound of it coming off the tube didn't bother her. The flushing didn't bother her a bit, was able to put the thin rubber tubing into the puncture 1/2 inch so both ports would be in it, while her leg was tucked under her belly, held the puncture end with one hand, while supporting her hoof and pushing the syringe plunger on my thigh.
I am so proud of her!
Time, patience, and positive reinforcement. Took about 1/2 hour, but tomorrow will get a bit easier.
Will post when the vet comes back this coming Tuesday.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 2, 2015 - 3:08 pm:
Hello Bernina,
The only thing I have to add is that I would poultice the wound under the bandage with a antiseptic cream or ointment, on approval of your vet of course.
DrO
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2015 - 6:25 pm:
Update and Thank you, Dr. O for responding!
The vet was out today to check on Zuri's progress. He is really thrilled with how well she is doing........and how she behaves, lol! Evidently, youngsters don't take to all this fussing, poking, and prodding very well, but Zuri has him in love with her!
He did his own flush, no sign of infection, no heat, no lameness, the puncture entrance is staying open, we're looking great............so far. Got her 3rd day injection of Excede. He'll touch base with me late Thursday, early Friday to see how the hyDrO/flush/re-bandaging is going and go from there. At that point I'll give her another shot of Excede.
Still kind of scary. Just have to stay on top of it, be consistent, and aware of warning signs of infection.
Will post on Friday with another update, keep your fingers crossed for me! And thank you to everyone who responded!
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Member:
bernina
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 8, 2015 - 3:50 pm:
Zuri update:
Gave her the 3rd injection of Excede Friday, and today the vet came out for another follow up before he leaves town.
Zuri is doing great!
My vet said his heart sunk when the dye showed up in the tendon sheath last Saturday and knew it would be sketchy. He is very pleased with her progress: without limiting her activity, hyDrOtherapy, flushing, and rebandaging twice a day since this happened, being CONSISTENT, and the extreme manageability she is at 9 months, he doubts she would have gotten through it.
No more hyDrO, flushing or bandaging. He did one last flush and put a wrap on her that comes off tomorrow. Her activity is still limited until Monday when she gets her last injection of Excede........and then she gets "sprung" from the "injury jail" and can play tag with the emu and wolf dogs!!!! (her buddies have been squeezing into her pen to keep her company through her recovery, and Priscilla the emu is there to splash in the mud puddles while I did the hyDrO, lol!)
Touching base with the vet on Monday for a status update after the last injection and she'll be golden!
Thank you again, EVERYONE, for your thoughts and posts, it really helped me mentally, kept me strong and focused. I really thought this was going to have a terrible prognosis.
Now I think I will have a good cry while I go out and hug Zuri........
Here's a pic of her at 4 days old with her best bud Poquita:
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 8, 2015 - 6:02 pm:
Awwww! Good news, Bernina. Good nursing and good training . . .
So glad to hear she is almost free of the infirmary, and I hope you won't see any complications from the injury.
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