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Expert
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | My gelding cut his leg 2 weeks ago today and I've been keeping it warped with nitrafurazone and every other day vetracyn. It's between his hoof and ankle and needed stitches but stitches wouldn't stay there. It's looking way better but I noticed today doe the first time he has a white line around the very top of his hoof. It's right on the hair line. Is this normal? I have pics but can't post them. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I think what you are seeing is the top of the coronet band getting soft from lack of air and the furo and or vetracyn. I doubt it is serious, very commone when wrapping that area. Did the vet not think a cast was the way to go? Not sure I am a fan of them, but it seems that is the "go to" now for cuts below the ankle. My horse had one for about a week and when I had it cut off, I opted to just wrap it after that. I don't like not being able to see what is going on in there...but on the other hand, his stitches did stay in. Mine was a cut across the heels. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-06-24 10:22 AM
I think what you are seeing is the top of the coronet band getting soft from lack of air and the furo and or vetracyn. I doubt it is serious, very commone when wrapping that area. Did the vet not think a cast was the way to go? Not sure I am a fan of them, but it seems that is the "go to" now for cuts below the ankle. My horse had one for about a week and when I had it cut off, I opted to just wrap it after that. I don't like not being able to see what is going on in there...but on the other hand, his stitches did stay in. Mine was a cut across the heels.
I've never heard anything about doing that. I'm kinda like you though. I would be afraid of it getting infected and not knowing.
Edited by TessBelle 2014-06-24 11:26 AM
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | TessBelle - 2014-06-24 10:24 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2014-06-24 10:22 AM I think what you are seeing is the top of the coronet band getting soft from lack of air and the furo and or vetracyn. I doubt it is serious, very commone when wrapping that area. Did the vet not think a cast was the way to go? Not sure I am a fan of them, but it seems that is the "go to" now for cuts below the ankle. My horse had one for about a week and when I had it cut off, I opted to just wrap it after that. I don't like not being able to see what is going on in there...but on the other hand, his stitches did stay in. Mine was a cut across the heels. I've never heard anything about doing that. I'm kinda like you though. I would be afraid of it getting infected and not knowing.
It seems the popular way to keep stitches in that area now. I worried about infection, abcsess, bleeding (as mine bled like a stuck pig) and so many other things. I just couldn't wait to get that cast off of him. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Is it still an open wound? I think it would need to be aired out. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Southtxponygirl - 2014-06-24 11:43 AM
Is it still an open wound? I think it would need to be aired out.
About every 2 day I let it air out. I keep it covered though so it downs get packed with sand while he's in his stall. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | TessBelle - 2014-06-24 12:34 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-06-24 11:43 AM Is it still an open wound? I think it would need to be aired out. About every 2 day I let it air out. I keep it covered though so it downs get packed with sand while he's in his stall.
Thats good that you are letting it air out, but I would leave the wraping off at least a few hours a day. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| My retired gelding had a deep cut just as you are describing. Since he was retired, I took him to a vet just down the road. He stitched him up but stitches would not hold. After a month of no healing I took him to my good vet, he immediately said he needed to be in a brace, that the cut was opening up everytime he stepped. He aslo told me he had cut through his tendon sheath. He put him in a metal brace that was attached to his shoe and came up to his hock. He could walk with it on but could not bend his ankle. 10 days in the brace and the wound closed up and we were able to take the brace off. My vet said it would have taken 6 months of bandaging every day to heal with out the brace. Here is a pic with the brace- it had 2 metal bars that ran up the side of his leg and around the back of his leg, it is wrapped in duct tape to keep in place. I was told to change the bandages every 3 days. After it was closed I used vetricyn to complete the healing. I had to leave it bandaged to get it to heal all the way. Good luck.
Edited by rodeomom3 2014-06-24 1:22 PM
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
 
Location: Finally horseback again.... | As the other posters have mentioned, a cut below the ankle does need some type of casting. However, the term casting is pretty broad. What I have always used in conjunction with my vet is pretty easy.
First, use a non stick gauze pad with antibiotic on it ( nitrofurazone ointment is actually known to inhibit healing on these type of wounds)
Then apply a thin gauze wrap to hold in place cover from above the ankle to the bottom of the hoof.
Apply a THICK cotton wrapping starting at the inside of the leg wrapping outward to inward on the leg. Needs to be from above the ankle to bottom of the foot.
Finish with vet wrap the same way. Then use elasticon to stick top of bandage to hair line.
This is considered a soft cast. It keeps the ankle immobile without the risk of bowing.
I also will stall rest a horse with this type of injury to prevent it from being opened with movement.
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| If the coronet band stays damp, like a horse walks around in the dew etc. It will look white. If it is damp because you cleaned the wound or from the Vetercyn it will stay damp from the bandage being on it. It is sort of like your fingers wrinkle up when you stay in the pool a long time. Probably just damp on an infection. |
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