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Firing/Blistering: your opinion

4K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Masquerade 
#1 ·
I'm currently reading my much-abused copy of How to be Your Own Veterinarian by Ruth B. James, DVM, and learning a whole lot. Regarding the treatment of leg injuries that require stall rest, blistering/firing is mentioned, and to me, it seems completely pointless. I can't see why you would fire a horse and am in shock that it's considered acceptable by some vets.

Opinions? Experience with it? I'm very curious to learn more.
 
#2 ·
The theory was that blood supply is increased to a wound so if you had a horse with an injury to it's leg, causing further injury on purpose (blistering or pin firing) will increase blood supply to the area and cause more rapid healing. This theory is correct in that increasing blood supply will increase healing time but there are now non-invasive ways to do the same thing and are actually more effective (Shock wave/ ultrasound/ stem cells/ bone marrow, etc) so most vets have now disregarded these are valid procedures.
 
#5 ·
Yes, good vets don't do those things anymore. However, terminology lesson:

There are different kinds of blistering. I think the one you're referring to is using some kind of caustic agent on a horse, wrapping, and then allowing all the nasty stuff--like the "bad humors" of medieval times--come out. And that is archaic. The one I know is using a combination of iodine and almond oil and injecting it in a localized area, such as for horses with locking stifle (luxation of the patella). It irritates the stretched ligament, causing scar tissue, which tightens it up and hopefully prevents the patella from slipping out of place again. I think it can be painful if you don't follow the aftercare closely, including hand-walking the horse, but I don't think it's agonizing, either, and is supposed to be pretty effective.
 
#6 ·
The one I know is using a combination of iodine and almond oil and injecting it in a localized area, such as for horses with locking stifle (luxation of the patella). It irritates the stretched ligament, causing scar tissue, which tightens it up and hopefully prevents the patella from slipping out of place again. I think it can be painful if you don't follow the aftercare closely, including hand-walking the horse, but I don't think it's agonizing, either, and is supposed to be pretty effective.
You are absolutely right about this procedure (which is different to the one I was talking about above) although I have been taught to use isopropyl alcohol rather than the combination you mentioned. This procedure is still used often and is acceptable and effective.
 
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