Basic Equine Wound Care Timothy McDermott DVM Ag/NR Hocking Co.

What to do first Do not get injured Calm horse get inside Call Vet What can you do to help? Stop bleeding Gently irrigate wound Bandage Get First Aid material

The Healing Process Stages of Healing Types of closure Inflammation Proliferation/Epithelialization Remodeling Types of closure Primary closure Delayed Primary debridement Second Intention Most tensile strength at 7-14 days, Total strength is 15% less

Types of wounds Puncture wounds Abrasions Lacerations Eyes Small Deep Shallow Linear vs Flap Eyes

Puncture Wounds Is it bleeding? A lot? Gushing? Deep vs Shallow Where is the puncture located? A small puncture over a synovial structure can be worse than a large laceration over the rump or shoulder. Synovial Puncture = TRUE EMERGENCY Good prognosis with timely and correct care

Abrasions Assess how bad the damage is Does not have the reputation punctures and lacerations do Fly/Insect secondary damage. Need to prevent them from getting worse. Abrasions

Lacerations Assess similarly to a puncture wound Bleeding, location, depth A laceration involving tendons, joints or large blood vessels is a TRUE EMERGENCY Lacerations

Treatment options - medical Topical therapy Saline flush for debris Antiseptics Antibiotics Other – Honey, Silver, Hydrogel, etc. Insect repellants Oral therapy Pain reliever IV/Hospitalization Bandages, eye covers, splints

What is “proud flesh” Part of the normal healing process Formation of granulation tissue More common in horses than other species More common on lower leg Skin under tension Need a management plan Prevention is best, start on DAY ONE Stall rest, bandaging, cleaning, ointments Photo credit: Dr. Holly Beckford, theequinevet.com Work with Vet to determine individual plan Balance too much and too little granulation tissue to get “just right”

Kansas St University FOUR C’s Stay Calm Clean the Wound Compression bandage Call the Vet

Questions?