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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
   
Location: Phoenix | What is your method/protocol of sweating a leg? I'm trying to pull out a minor infection/potential cactus fragment in a hind leg that has swelling. I'm currently using Sore No More poultice, saran wrapping and covering with a polo wrap for 12 hours and letting it air out for 12 hours. (Also icing and cold hosing for 30 minutes a day). I'm not great at wrapping, but I think I'm doing a decent job that isn't causing more damage.
Just wondering ehat what your method is? This is all new to me. Most swelling I've experienced has gone down with just cold hosing. Thanks in advance.
Edited by hammer_time 2015-05-08 8:24 AM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I do exactly what you have been doing. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Dang you'r still having problems, hope that it didnt get into the joint when he got stuck with that cactus. Have you called your Vet and see what he/she has to say? Might need to be put on some antibiotic's.  |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | I use furacin &/or other meds, plastic, cotton, gauze wrap (if not sheet cotton), then standing wrap or vet wrap. I only sweat if vet says, and I'm out if/when it needs DMSO...I can't stand the smell or taste! GROSS! lol!
I've shared before, but for a first-aid kit, you can use an OB sleeve and drop vet wrap and cotton inside. When you need a sweat, use the glove to apply furacin, then cut off the hand and up the length of the glove and you have your plastic. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Furacin/DMSO and I love this stuff my vet mixes up bute (with glycerol added) /DMSO mix. The latter I mentioned has never felled to tighten up a leg but be forewarned it'll pop back up to stove pipe size quick.
I like cotton sheets, like the roll kind when sweating, with vet wrap over them. I'd rather use stuff that isn't disposable but I'm going to tell you about a vet experience I had and why I changed.
I quit using the plastic...just add another layer of cotton. My horse scraped its leg all to heck in a trailer ride to the vet. Rood and Riddle hospital put a sweat on him to come home with and they didn't use plastic just an extra layer of cotton and wrapped tight with vet wrap. Of course I was very interested in what all they did and I hope to someday aspire to their level of super speed efficient wrapping. I wish the techs there taught a class on it...anywho. I asked about care instructions at home and they said use the extra roll of cotton instead of plastic (less torque on the hair follicles and easier to deal with). I said okay so just standing wraps be fine over it and they said no with the extra layer of cotton just use trace bandages or vet wrap for a nice tight/uniform sweat. I've sweated two on my own since and I like this method a bit better than the plastic. However I don't really like using that much vet wrap for just 12hrs to throw away...I must say its effective though but even doing it the old way...its the same results. I do recycle the cotton rolls...eventually the end up with nice rolls laden with your choice of sweat.
I'd recommend shaving the hair if the horse hasn't shed out yet.
Edited by astreakinchic 2015-05-01 10:37 AM
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | hammer_time - 2015-05-01 10:18 AM What is your method/protocol of sweating a leg? I'm trying to pull out a minor infection/potential cactus fragment in a hind leg that has swelling. I'm currently using Sore No More poultice, saran wrapping and covering with a polo wrap for 12 hours and letting it air out for 12 hours. (Also icing and cold hosing for 30 minutes a day). I'm not great at wrapping, but I think I'm doing a decent job that isn't causing more damage.
Just wondering ehat what your method is? This is all new to me. Most swelling I've experienced has gone down with just cold hosing. Thanks in advance.
The only thing I would change is not to use a polo wrap. I know a lot of people wrap with them, but it isn't really what they are designed for.
Get a set of no-bow quilts and standing wrap to go over them.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would be going to the vet and having an ultrasound
I would then look at poulticing not sweating
There is a bread/milk mixture that is supposed to work well
Glycerine and Epsom salts I have had good luck with
I would also be discussing with the vet about antibiotics |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Furacin, no-bow, saran wrap and then a standing bandage. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | The vet came out yesterday since he's still really sore on it and it's only gotten about 50% better swelling wise. It's no longer SUPER stocked up looking, but there is swelling. Vet advised to continue the sweating, and did give me antibiotics and more bute. There's a really small opening on his ankle where the swelling was really prominent, and it's draining after the sweat. The spine was originally found closer to his hoof, but when I looked up his ankle was huge. I have a hard time believing something is in there because there wasn't any sign of trauma or opening or ANYTHING else found on the leg besides what I pulled out lower down |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | hammer_time - 2015-05-01 10:48 AM
The vet came out yesterday since he's still really sore on it and it's only gotten about 50% better swelling wise. It's no longer SUPER stocked up looking, but there is swelling. Vet advised to continue the sweating, and did give me antibiotics and more bute. There's a really small opening on his ankle where the swelling was really prominent, and it's draining after the sweat. The spine was originally found closer to his hoof, but when I looked up his ankle was huge. I have a hard time believing something is in there because there wasn't any sign of trauma or opening or ANYTHING else found on the leg besides what I pulled out lower down
Heck it almost sound's like he could have stepped on a snake and got bit.... Poor fella  |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I did Fura-Zone (black/yellow container), saran wrap, quilts and polos. 12 hours on, 12 hours off w/cold hosing. So sounds like you're on the right track. Hopefully it gets better! Mine also had a little cut, so I placed a piece of gauze over it and they said it would help draw our any infection. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I guess I am poulticing right now, rather than sweating. I did wonder about standing wraps, but the polo is what I have available currently. I'll look into the cotton and standing wraps and watch a bunch of YouTube videos. I'm going to give a week on antibiotics and then consider the ultrasound. I did see improvement with the poulticing regimen I've been using WITHOUT antibiotics so it can only get better from here (I'm hoping). |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Southtxponygirl - 2015-05-01 8:53 AM
hammer_time - 2015-05-01 10:48 AM
The vet came out yesterday since he's still really sore on it and it's only gotten about 50% better swelling wise. It's no longer SUPER stocked up looking, but there is swelling. Vet advised to continue the sweating, and did give me antibiotics and more bute. There's a really small opening on his ankle where the swelling was really prominent, and it's draining after the sweat. The spine was originally found closer to his hoof, but when I looked up his ankle was huge. I have a hard time believing something is in there because there wasn't any sign of trauma or opening or ANYTHING else found on the leg besides what I pulled out lower down
Heck it almost sound's like he could have stepped on a snake and got bit.... Poor fella
It was so weird. We went on a leisurely trail ride with designated trails. We went through unmarked desert for maybe 5 minutes. Walking the whole time, and he was sound that morning because I roundpenned him for 2-3 minutes before we left. I get back and am hosing him off when I see the cactus spine in lower leg by hoof. I look up and ankle is swollen. I try to back him out of the wash rack and he doesn't want to put weight on it and is hopping along with his toe. Walking forward he's sore, but doesn't bother him as much. No puncture wounds or anything! So bizarre. But the vet did say that cactus spines do carry bacteria....yuck. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Furicin with DMSO, plastic wrap, cotton wrap and no-bows - and ALWAYS, ALWAYS do BOTH legs. If it's a hind, do both hinds, if it's a front, do both fronts.
OOPS - yes, I put the cotton on before the plastic!
Edited by Griz 2015-05-04 5:21 AM
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Try some Wong To Yick under a standing wrap , no plastic for 30 min. Then remove the bandage. Make a stretching ramp for your horse and start slowly stretching the horse. If you have a drive up ramp to change your trailer tires on that will work in a pinch. Those back legs are harder to stretch and my old track shoer would cut the shoe in half and have me walk the horse for two weeks really getting the ligaments and tendons amply ready for trot work. Horse must be stalled/run so it's not allowed to re injury the site.
Like someone said...an ultra sound maybe in order so that you treat this appropriately
Best of luck!
If you have an infection... EO of thieves is good. . |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | So if I have a horse with a lower limb infection-whether its foot abscess or possible skin puncture, close to a joint, I would soak in epsom salts for 20 minutes (warm) then cold hose. The sweat I would use is a mix of furacin and DMSO and if I worried about infection about 10 cc of gentamyacin mixed in. The DMSO should help draw the gentamyacin into the infected area. When the sweat comes off after 12 hours, I would scrub the area with iodine scrub and then repeat. I do use plastic wrap a cotton roll OR heavy no bows with fleece polo. I do not EVER make any of it too tight. I'm hoping that the antibiotics help what you have going on, but if you have some injectable gentamycin it would be worth a try. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 825
| We do the Furacin with DMSO and Dex, and like everyone else mentioned above.
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | cheryl makofka - 2015-05-02 9:42 AM I would be going to the vet and having an ultrasound I would then look at poulticing not sweating There is a bread/milk mixture that is supposed to work well Glycerine and Epsom salts I have had good luck with I would also be discussing with the vet about antibiotics
i agree with cheryl......
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I went out tonight and I think we've definitely turned a corner! He's now backing up without limping on his toe and there's signs that he actually has an ankle and it's not just one big leg.
I think I will keep poulticing, but I might go in search of some standing wraps/bandages tomorrow. Today I scrubbed him down for 2 to 3 minutes with the betadine scrub because he's got that really small oozing opening. Then I did a warm Epson salt soak, followed up with 15 minutes of a cold soak, and 15 minutes of icing the leg With ice rolled up in a wet towel. I poulticed BOTH both hind legs this time to provide support to the other weight bearing leg.
Geez I feel like a first-time horse owner… I guess I've been blessed to never have any lame horses or serious injuries growing up but GOSH--this makes me realize there's a lot that I still don't know even though I grew up around horses! |
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 Saint Stacey
| It's not a good idea to do plastic straight on the skin. You really need cotton then plastic. With the way plastic stretches and twists, it's way too easy to wrap bow one. Using cotton sheet wtap, then plastic followed by a quilt then standing bandage is the safest method. |
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