FIRST AID FOR WOUNDS
Determining Severity
When your horse is cut, control any bleeding then determine if the wound requires being seen by a Vet. Cuts through the skin showing the muscle, gaping wounds, skin flaps hanging usually need suturing depending on the age and location of the wound. If the wound is near a joint or tendon, a puncture wound, or the horse is very lame, it needs to be seen by the vet. Sending the vet a photo of the wound is helpful for the location but does not show how deep the wound is. That is done by sticking a Q-Tip or gloved finger in the wound when the photo is taken. A Q-Tip, pencil, finger, or hand next to the wound will help determine the actual size of the wound. When in doubt, take the horse to the vet.
Care of the Wound
- To stop the bleeding, use paper towels, pampers, or sheet cotton wrapped tight with vet wrap. If the wound can’t be wrapped, grab the cleanest cloth or paper towels and press firmly against the wound. Do not use anticoagulants or try to make a tourniquet. After 15 minutes of pressure, peek under and remove carefully. If the cloth is soaked with fresh blood, do not remove it. Place another on top of it and continue pressure. The horse can lose a lot of blood without severe risk. Bleeding is life threatening if they lose 2 gallons (it would take 2 gallons to paint to cover the walls of 12×12 stall).
- Clean the wound. Start by removing hay and debris manually. Then flush the wound with the hose using the amount of pressure that you wash your hands with. With more pressure get deep in the crevices of the wound to remove the dirt. Follow with scrubbing the wound with gauze squares or paper towels so you can see if there is still dirt on the towel. Repeat with fresh paper towels until clean.
- Bandage the wound. Wounds heal faster under a bandage because the protected, moist environment allows the blood vessels and fibrin to grow across the cut tissue closing the wound. The bandage consists of a non-stick telfa pad or ½ paper towel with antibiotic ointment held in place by rolled gauze. Add a layer of sheet cotton then secure the bandage with elastic roll of vet wrap. Change the bandage daily.
Choose the right antibiotic ointment for each healing stage. For fresh wounds, use Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment. For a natural approach, honey or concentrated salt solution can be used. Avoid drying products like blue sprays or powders in fresh wounds because the hamper the healing process. They can be used later when the wound has filled in to dry it. If the wound is high on the leg or on the body where you cannot bandage, use an oil-based spray such as Cut N Heal or Scarlet oil which promotes healing and repels flies. Puncture wounds always need to be flushed with a syringe of betadine, peroxide, or 20% salt solution multiple times until it heals from the inside out.
Antibiotics are always indicated with deep wounds through the skin or puncture wounds to prevent infection. A Tetanus shot or booster is needed if it has been more than 6 months since the last vaccination. Signs of infection are heat and swelling of the wound area, bad odor, a lot of pus discharge, and soreness or lameness of the leg. To get the infection under control, more aggressive treatment will be needed by the vet.
SCREW WORM
The screw worm problem has reappeared in Mexico. It is caused by the screw worm fly that lay their eggs in a wound or the umbilicus of a new calf and then the larvae burrow deep into the wound causing infection. We have prevented the Screw worm in USA by releasing sterile screw worm flies at the border since the late 70s. Now we are releasing more sterile flies that can’t lay eggs and prohibiting the import of cattle from Mexico. WE do not have the screw worm problem here. The USDA is publishing information to make the public aware and educated about screw worms.
Castration Signs September 29- October 4
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