|
|
Expert
Posts: 1549
  
Location: Southwest Louisiana | Horse cut himself this evening, of course after the vet’s office is closed. I cold hosed it for 20 minutes and coated it with vetrycin (all I had - out of nitrofurizon). I plan on taking him in the morning to at least get antibiotics. But otherwise, what’s the best way to keep this clean? I hate locking him in the stall when it’s soooo hot out (southern Louisiana). He’d be miserable. Then again, he likes to roll so he’ll get dirt in it almost daily. Flies haven’t been bad, but they’re out there.
Attachments
----------------
 5A65A07D-0B10-4969-888E-2781DF3681B7.jpeg (84KB - 333 downloads)
5C3F004F-5D5C-4661-A119-E8717145148E.jpeg (69KB - 239 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
  
| That is what I call a barn door cut. My experience has been if isn't sewn up immediately the flap will die. Very often if you do see it up you get Bacteria under the skin causing an infection. You did the right thing and that is about all you can do. |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Sounds like you’re on the right track. I really like the vetricyn gel if you don’t already have that, it sticks nice.
I bet the vet gives you some antibiotics and may even clean the flap off depending on if it’s peeled back or not, if he thinks it’s going to die anyway it may be easier to clean if it’s trimmed up. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | Would you even go to the vet for this? Or just keep it rinsed and dress it with something daily?
My vet is closed today. Nearest equine vet is about an hour away.
Edited by Rocket'sMagicGirl 2018-07-28 8:31 AM
|
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I don’t think it would stitch well.
We keep Uniprim on hand so no - if it were mine I’d keep it clean and dressed and put them on a course of Uniprim. I’d keep a close eye on it for issues under the flap. My husband also worked for our vet for a few years so I trust his judgement on things like this too.
I would get him on some antibiotics as soon as you can and do what you can do keep it clean and protected. Use a syringe to irrigate vetricyn up under the flap if you need to. |
|
| |
|
 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | This isn’t bad and it will heal just fine, no matter what you do. The most I would do would be to put one heavy stitch in the apex of that flap and reapproximate it, leaving the rest open. Also I would wash it with good soap and water and hose it off twice a day. The wound is already contaminated and no amount of antibiotics will really help.
The goal is to get it healed as quickly as possible, and that’s the best, cheapest way to accomplish that. Go ahead and use your favorite goop, spray, or cream if you want, but that’s optional. Even the stitch is optional, to be honest. In a few months you’ll hardly know anything was there. If the vet gets cute and tries to approximate everything for cosmetic reasons, there’s a fair chance it will pus out and the flap might die.
Soap, water, and tincture of time is all you need. Antibiotics are just a wallet biopsy here.
Edited by Bear 2018-07-28 8:50 AM
|
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Thats more of a cosmetic cut to me nothing bad at all, even if your vet did try to stich the skin back it wont hold, I would just coat a cream type of medicine over it, like vet cream, swat and vetrycin is really good and maybe cover it up with a patch if you are worried about dirt when your horse rolls untill the healing kicks in.. If it were me I would not even worry about hauling in to a vet or antibiotics. The loose skin will just dry out. The wound will slowly close and you wont beable to tell it happened in about 3 months.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-07-28 10:36 AM
|
|
| |
|
Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| For cuts like this I have had good results with Underwoods Horse Medicine and use as directed. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | After I hosed it this morning.
Attachments
----------------
49951A98-304F-43C7-9C57-619F37397742.jpeg (44KB - 234 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | We had a gelding that cut a big hunk like that on his neck. The vet tried to sew it up but it didn't work. They ended up cutting the flap off I think the second week. He gave him antibiotics and we cold washed 2 sometimes 3 times a day and sprayed with Vetracyn gel. Took a while but it healed really well. I would want him on some type of antibiotic. |
|
| |
|
 Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | Sent you a pm |
|
| |
Folks on-line