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Discussion on Horse - Car Accident
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005 - 2:15 pm:
Yesterday we (Dusty Trails Horse Rescue, Inc.) were called to a scene with an injured horse on a busy highway.
To make a long story short, the horse was hit by a car at about 8:30 pm. The next morning the horse was found standing on the same street after being alone and injured in about 28 degree temp and we got notified.
Once we got him to our barn the Vet came out and assessed the situation. This baby is in over all pour condition but very sweet and seems to have lots will to live. The leg is not broken but there is a severe muscle tear. Looking at the pictures the wound really extends upwards under the skin (about 8” pocket of fluid and bruising) and yesterday he could not move the leg forward, only even with the other hind leg. This morning he started to move it farther forward about 5 inches.
The injury was stitched up about ¾ of it’s width one area is still open and we are ordered to flush it out with dishwashing/water solution 1-2/day as far as we can get into the pocket. The Vet says the stitches will only hold about 2-3 days and it will visually get nastier before it can get better. He is on 25cc Pen, 1 g Bute 1x day. Needless to day he is very bruised and sore.
Basically my question is what else can we do to make him more comfy, we are mixing warm water and dishwashing detergent in like a sport bottle and squeeze it into the pocket as far as we can but we do not believe hitting it with cold water out of a hose is a good idea. What other options do we have? How else can we keep this clean and is a bad odor normal? Pictures were taken as he arrived but not since he had the stitches, we will post more soon at https://www.dthr.org/roadie.htm .
Thank you for any info or advice.
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Member:
Eoeo
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005 - 3:47 pm:
I would get a 35 or 60cc syringe and fill it with the solution. I am puzzled about the dishwashing liquid and water. I would go with distilled water and maybe a tablespoon of bleach to one gallon. The syringe will give you the pressure to get it up as far as you can. Also, hotpacking with epsom salt water might help with the soreness and bring some of the swelling down. I don't think it could hurt. It might even stimulate the drainage you need from a wound like this. Yes, it is going to look awful. Keep us posted on how it goes. EO
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Member:
Eoeo
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005 - 3:48 pm:
Oh, and don't use a needle, just the tip of the syringe to get into the pocket. EO
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Member:
Ginger1
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005 - 7:58 pm:
My God! That poor baby. I am not qualified to give advise to you but I will certainly keep Roadie in my prayers. I will also pass this link on to some other groups if it's okay. Perhaps it will help garner some donations to cover his care.
Gigi
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005 - 8:15 pm:
I personally never heard about using dishwashing soap. I was thinking to maybe use betadine instead and dilute it. But the syringe might give me more squirt, great idea! Thank you.
Please feel free to forward the link to anyone who might be interested.
We do have positive update: this evening Roadie actually moved the right hind leg more forward and it's about a 3/4 stride, which amazes me. He started to eat more hay and discovered the mineral salt lick :-)
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Member:
Ilona
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 25, 2005 - 11:47 am:
There was recently a wonderful discussion on wound care..try and find it, it will be helpful I think.
You are so kind to take on what you do...I too will see if I can get some funds for you for Roadie's care. What a trooper he is.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2005 - 7:55 am:
Moni, our advice for the long term care for wounds like this would be in the article associated with this forum and there is nothing about this wound that I see that would change the recommendation. However you do not have a picture up of post-vet care and the stitching and that might well change my recommendations.
I too am not much of a fan of persistently applying detergents to open wounds as the detergents are pretty hard on the tissues. The final word should be what the vet says but the article will certainly provide you with a lot of food for thought and alternatives to discuss with your vet.
DrO
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New Member:
Tuckern
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Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2005 - 11:45 pm:
Hi Moni,
How is Roadie doing today?
I was looking at the pictures you've got posted on the website, and noticed the pictures of his hoof. What is that yellowy stuff on his hoof, mostly around the bottom? I've never seen anything like that, and am really curious.
Thanks,
Nicole
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2006 - 12:56 am:
Hello again, sorry to take so long to get you updated.
Roadie is doing better, our Vet came back from vacation and finally had a chance to check out Roadie. First of all he is not 9 months old, he is about 2-3 yrs old. He also has a fractured pelvis.
I posted more pictures (from 30/12/05 accident happened 12/23/05) but more are to come probably Wednesday.
The yellow stuff is actually our wonderful soil  . He has to wear a neck cradle for another few days since he keeps messing with the stitches. The visible injury seems to heal nicely from the inside out, and we will have to see how the pelvis is going to heal. Of course we can't get his hooves done yet until he can stand better.
By the way the 2 ounce syringe works really great to get into the hidden pockets, to flush it clean. This little guy has the sweetest personality and stands very patiently until we are done flushing it 2x day, and believe me, we are taking our time.
Thanks everyone for your input and interest and I will keep you posted!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2006 - 7:30 am:
The exposed muscle in the partially sutured hindlimb wound appears very pale in the last photos, is this exposed tissue viable? Does it bleed when scratched?
Clipping the hair away from the open wounds will make keeping it clean much easier.
DrO
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 11:43 pm:
DrO, yes it does bleed when scratched and over all we think it looks really well for what it is. We got a donation from Silverlon and are treating the wound with it. This stuff really does wonders! More updated pictures (before Silverlon) are on the site.
Roadie did lay down for the first time last night and managed to get up OK too. Our farrier will try his luck on monday.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 7, 2006 - 10:31 am:
I think the tissues look a bit pinker here and yes granulation tissue is starting to form this should heal just fine with good care.
DrO
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Monday, Jan 16, 2006 - 11:57 pm:
Update:
The injury seems to heal just great from the inside out and his range of motion of the leg has drastically increased. Roadie does lay down on the wrong leg at times and can not get up and we have to flip him over onto the good side and he waits till he gets the command to get up. Roadie still has to wear a neck cradle (it is starting to create wear marks behind the ears because he is so small) and I was wondering if anyone has used a muzzle before to keep a horse from gnawing on an injury versus a neck cradle, of course any other suggestion is appreciated!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006 - 10:09 am:
With a muzzle, you will still find they might rub the wound Moni but if you are having problems with the cradle you could give it a try.
DrO
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006 - 1:09 pm:
Thank you for the update, Moni, and the newer photos. Roadie is very blessed to have you in his life.
Wishing you and Roadie continued success.
Sue
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New Member:
Tuckern
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006 - 6:49 pm:
Thank you for the update Moni.
I just find it so amazing how capable the body is to heal wounds, even the nastiest, deepest wounds, so quickly and efficiently. Truly amazing.
And yes, Roadie is very fortunate to have such wonderful, caring humans!
Nicole
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 10:01 pm:
Hello everyone, just wanted to give you all an update on Roadie. He is doing extremely well at this point and the injury is healing very nicely. He uses the leg 100% and runs and bucks in the field with another rescue horse.
We will post more pictures on the Rescue web site within the next couple days.
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 10:53 pm:
Thanks so much, Moni, for the update. Good news always lifts everyone's spirits!
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Member:
Kathleen
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 11:46 pm:
Moni,
Thanks for the update. Glad Roadie is doing well. It is so nice to hear good news
Kathleen
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 23, 2006 - 9:28 am:
Great news Moni and looking forward to the pictures.
DrO
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 23, 2006 - 10:39 am:
Wonderful! I too look forward to pictures. Thanks for the update.
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New Member:
Dawson
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006 - 6:05 pm:
I arrived late ... but thanks for the wonderful pictures and updates. Instead of soap/water I might have used hyDrOgen peroxide very diluted with water, so not to damage the fine tissue.
Not that it matters much at this point since Roadie has received such great TLC, but did you ever locate his owner? Just curious.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006 - 8:13 pm:
Dawson, are you aware that hyDrOgen peroxide has poor antimicrobial properties?
DrO
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 12:28 am:
Update: pictures are updated, keep scrolling down the page since the newest pictures are on the bottom.... enjoy 
www.dthr.org/roadie.htm
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 1:14 am:
Amazing, Moni. God Bless You. Thank God you were there for Roadie and will be there for other horses who need you. Thank you for the pictures and thank you for your work.
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Member:
Gwen
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 6:55 am:
THat is an amazing story. I just picked it up. I saw that someone else has asked this, but I was curious too-did an owner EVER come forward?????? Roadie seems like such a sweetie!
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 11:34 am:
Roadie looks just fantastic, Moni. What an amazing job you have done with him and what a trooper he must be. Your wonderful work is a true inspiration and I wish you and Roadie nothing but the best.
Sue
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Member:
Lorid
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 12:13 pm:
Moni......what a wonderful person you are! And your medical skills are absolutely fantastic! At the beginning, I wondered if Roadie was going to make it and now......he's looks GREAT. What a cutie he is.
God bless you and your wonderful work.
Lori
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 13, 2006 - 12:30 pm:
Thanks guys, for your kind words. Roadie is doing very well, but he did have a surprise for us: He just now DrOpped his testicles and all this time we thought he was a gelding. We speculate that his neglected state stunned his growth in more than one way since he is at least 2 1/2 years old. Now he will have to get through another surgery (which in a way is a good thing since he is quite a handful now  ).
The owner never came forward although we are listed on the Sheriff's Report and we are trying to find out how to get the ownership signed over to us permanently. I just finished a class and am now a certified equine cruelty investigator. So I am trying to get the local authorities involved in more than one way to help the horses here in Alabama. This case will not be the last but everything has to be handled in an appropriate way before we can adopt Roadie out.
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Friday, Apr 14, 2006 - 10:46 pm:
Kudos, Moni! Congratulations on your certification. Can you give an idea on what the class covered?
Best wishes for continued success!
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Friday, Apr 14, 2006 - 11:23 pm:
Thank you for the Kudos, Lee.
The class covered horse care guidelines, what is neglect, as well as Law, how to prepare a case for court, how to work with rescues and how to feed a malnourished horse..... just to name the main things covered. The sad thing is Alabama doesn't have these kind of classes so I had to go to a different state.... but, it was well worth it!
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Member:
Pfdusty
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Posted on Friday, Dec 22, 2006 - 5:27 pm:
Quick update:
Roadie has recovered and found a new home. If you are interested to see a picture of the healed injury visit: https://www.dthr.org/roadie.htm
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