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proud flesh

18K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  chivas 
#1 ·
i was loading one of my horses into the 2 horse trailer that i had he got half way in and freaked out well when he did his back leggs went under the trailer and when he brought his leggs back out he peeled the hide off his hauk and opened it up bad we have bin taking care of it our selves he is healing good but now its coverd with proud flesh the vet told me the only way to get rid of proud flesh is to scrape it off and start over again there has to be beter way :?
 
#3 ·
whatarush, I see that you are a new member here - welcome to the Horse Forum! Your post was a little hard to understand (call me an old fogey! I need punctuation and non-text speak, haha) but what I think you're asking is whether there is a better way to deal with proud flesh than cutting it off?
In my (very inexpert) opinion, cutting it off is the best way to deal with proud flesh, especially if it is a large area. There are very caustic substances out there that will inhibit or even eat a small amount of proud flesh, but unfortunately they cannot distinguish between healthy flesh and the over growth, so you have to be very careful in the application. As well, with it being a caustic substance, it can sting if the nerve endings are near to the surface.
When my horse developed proud flesh with a nasty cut he got, my vet recommended letting the cut fill in as quickly as possible, and that meant allowing a bit of proud flesh to form. He did develop a large mass of proud flesh. The vet recommended cutting off the proud flesh and then using a cortico steroid/furacin mix to control any excess growth from there on in.


**Warning - links are to very graphic images
Day 1:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/alixisthebest/closeup.jpg
Proud flesh:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/alixisthebest/dec5.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/alixisthebest/dec5side.jpg
Proud flesh being removed:

After having proud flesh removed:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/alixisthebest/Cut/HindLegDec9004.jpg
Last stages of healing:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/alixisthebest/Cut/cutsmall.jpg

Now, he has a bit of a bump on his fetlock and a scar, but looking back, I think I did all I could to prevent as much cosmetic disfiguration as possible.
 
#12 ·
Now, he has a bit of a bump on his fetlock and a scar, but looking back, I think I did all I could to prevent as much cosmetic disfiguration as possible.
I just had time to look at the video and pictures you included on your post. WOW! That was a nasty cut and a terrible place to have it. It looks like it came together nicely. Does the horse favor that leg at all? How long did it take to heal up to the last picture? Was he twitched or drugged for the flesh removal or did he just stand and take it?
My 6 year old gelding had a cut nearly that bad on the rear of his front foot. He was pretty good about letting us doctor it but he finally got to the point where he had had enough. I had to twitch him to doctor it. It sucks, we work so hard to build trust into our horses then we have to do this to them.

It's amazing how well these wonderful animals heal.
 
#6 ·
The proud flesh is a protective mechanism for horses, its a soft vascular tissue that grows fast to close the wound. I've pealed or cut it off with good success but most would probably more comfortable having a vet do it. There's a powder you can put on it to prevent it but it also slows the healing. I believe its called "wonder dust", be careful what wounds you use this stuff on, many vets say not to use it at all. Mine recommends using it only when absolutely necessary. Its kind of an acid I understand. :evil:

Compression can prevent proud flesh pretty well. I cut some off a horse last spring and the vet had me wrap it fairly tight and leave it alone. He said the continuous cleaning people do every day or so is actually harmful, and causes proud flesh because it re-aggravates the wound and activates the proud flesh response.

Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.
 
#8 ·
Very good advice. The reason some vets are against Wonder Dust is because of what I explained above - it's a caustic substance that does prevent proud flesh, but it can also prevent healthy tissue from forming as well. Another reason that vets may not recommend it is because it can encourage scarring.

Wonder dust isnt that bad. Ive accidently puffed it in my mouth before, and I was fine. I use it once on wounds that are looking like they're growing proud flesh, then leave it alone.
I would just like to point out that the reason it didn't sting your mouth is because it's not an open wound with exposed nerve endings. Just like you can eat salt or lemon juice no problem, but it greatly irritates a wound - does that make sense?
 
#9 ·
I would just like to point out that the reason it didn't sting your mouth is because it's not an open wound with exposed nerve endings. Just like you can eat salt or lemon juice no problem, but it greatly irritates a wound - does that make sense?

I totally get it. Actually I bite my cheeck alot so I probably had an open sore, but I was trying to point out it didnt burn me. Im sure it is caustic, thats why it works.

If you use it once when you see the flesh growing you get it there on that outside layer. It kills that stuff and it can continue heal underneath. I wouldnt use it everyday, or on every cut. I think I have the same bottle I bought for my first horse, ten years ago. I wouldnt use it on a huge would like your horse had. Im sure that would hurt like hell. Did you figure out how your horse got that wound? I think I would have freaked out seeing all that blood coming out.
 
#11 ·
i just want to say thank you for welcoming me and thank you for all the info. im just getting back into horses again after being away from them for about 20 years and i have forgot most everything i lerned lol. but i do remember why i had them back then. again thank you for your help
 
#16 ·
Check out EQUAIDE.com, great for exuberant granulation tissue!! Doesn't harm healthy tissues, just reduces the "proud flesh", doesn't sting like most other products either!!

Also, scraping at the flesh, or burning it also kills the healthy cells, and they can't tell where those nerve endings really are located when they cut/burn either. Pressure bandages reduce the circulation to the tiniest of vessels- the ones meant to provide blood and nourishment to those healing skin cells - once clamped down by that bandage- it can't help to heal, so the proud flesh pushes through once the bandage is released, again- not helping heal the wound in the end.
Proud Flesh - EQUAIDE
 
#18 ·
Hi Curly re your past discussions on proud flesh. So I have been picking/scraping proud flesh away from my filly's wound, each morning and aftrnoon I'm picking/scraping it away! Does this sound right to you? Also there is a hard piece along the upper edge, I can grab it between my fingers, should I cut this away? What do I do to this area then? You sound like you know what your talking about re proud flesh! Please help!
 
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