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Serious Heel, foot, coronet injury :( VERY GRAPHIC BLOODY ! UPDATE: 07/09/12 !!!

13K views 73 replies 33 participants last post by  Cinnys Whinny 
#1 ·
Today I received an alarming call from the BO at Cin's new barn, he had injured himself. She told me not to be alarmed, he would be okay and that they already had the vet on the way. But being that she was in another state on vacation and they called a vet out before calling me...told me that there was more to it than that.

I drove out and the BO's assistant told me that somehow Cinny cut his foot, be it playing or spooking in last night's storm, I don't know. It runs down the outside of his foot diagonally and into the heel and coronet. She had it pressure bandaged and cleaned up, and had given him bute. At that time he wouldn't put any weight on his foot. I immediately gave him some of his alfalfa pellets to buffer the bute as he is recently recovering from ulcers. I went to his stall/run to figure out where he cut himself and it was impossible. There was blood everywhere...it looked like several chickens had been butchered in his run!!

The vet arrived and unbandaged him, cleaned it up and let it bleed out a little... which ended up being a lot because it turns out he hit an artery. He now has several stitches, a TON of bandaging and even more pain meds. It was determined that the cut did not hit the joint (whew) but other than that the vet doesn't know what kind of permanent damage he may have, although he thinks Cin's prognosis is good as long as we keep the infection out. There may be a chance at him developing ringbone and he also has a chance at a deformed hoof. He said he would also be a bit weak as it appears he has lost at least 3 gallons of blood!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will turn out okay. He is on stall rest for at least 14 days. I am a big baby with this stuff so I probably won't "work" him for at least a month and then even just ground work for a while after until I know for sure he's okay.

I only have one picture. This is after the vet cleaned it our really good and he was preparing to stitch him back together. That red line is actually where his artery is squirting...

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Current vets orders:

Change Wrap every 2 days using an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, vetericyn, etc.

20CC penicillian intermuscularly for 3 days

2 grains bute twice a day for 3 days

Complete stall rest for 14 days

Double dose of ulcer maintenance while on stall rest.

Right now he is wrapped up pretty good. Antibiotic ointment, then white bandaging, then brown bandage, then vetwrap, then duck tape (under hoof too). Sigh.... I just hope that he stands for it. He was easy today because he was sedated but I may need to find a twitch at some point.
 
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#2 ·
He should heal up just fine. I worked at a barn a few years ago that also showed the same circuit as me. At one of the shows one of the horses sliced his foot open in a very similar spot, hitting the artery and all, except Lencho's went down in between his heel bulbs. It was a long recovery, many hours of handwalking and short walking rides. Within a few months he was back to his normal work schedule. :)
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#3 ·
Thank you so much for saying this. All I can think of right now is that he is going to have a deformed hoof and ringbone :( I know the vet said that there is only a CHANCE...but for some reason I can only think the worst right now. I think it's just from seeing all that blood everywhere.
 
#5 ·
Even if he has a scar in the hoof it is not the end of the world. My mare has a terrible scar in on one hoof (bought her that way) and it has never bothered her at all. It is cosmetic.

Ringbone, well, let's hope for the best. No use to worry about something that will likely not happen. Especially if it didn't hit the joint. So stay positive and take good care of it and don't stress over worst-case-senario. I understand though, I'm the same way!
 
#6 ·
I don't think he would of bled to death. I have tangled too much with similar injuries. Like horses running through fences... -sigh-
Horses have so much blood they could bleed a river before they could die so don't worry about him losing the blood.
IN all honesty, outside wounds heal a lot faster than inside ones. Trust me, I know. >.> So I hope for a speedy recovery! It'll go just fine, I promise, just as long as you take care of him(which I know of course you will!). I'm glad he didn't tear off his foot in the process. I give you the best of luck.
 
#8 ·
I have a thread very similar to this one right now. Almost identical injuries. However the horse im watching, her injury wasnt discovered for atleast 2-3 weeks. So no stitching. Our vet put her in a cast.
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#11 ·
As bad as it appears, your horse got relatively lucky.

The damage missed the lateral extensor suspensory by a 1/4", slid along the top of the lateral collateral cartilage and probably cut into that cartilage at the caudal aspect of the structure.

It completely missed the larger stay apparatus and flexor tendon groups.

You may have misunderstood the vet. Ringbone isn't the concern here. More likely would be scaring then finally ossification of the proximal/caudal aspect of the lateral collateral cartilage, resulting in sidebone growth.

If the cut disrupted the coronary corium at the tubule origination point, the worst you'd see is a persistent quarter crack but is more likely to be irregular tubule growth and a weakening of the hoof at that point.

Cheers,
Mark
 
#13 ·
I just visited Cinny to supervise his dinner per vets orders. He was given a Banamine injection this morning and the vet said to watch at dinner to make sure he doesn't choke. Cinny was in very good spirits despite being in a box stall.

The BOs got home from their vacation and immediate checked on Cinny as soon as they got in (they didn't even unpack their car first). I feel really bad for them as they all seem to act like it's all their fault, one of them in tears. I made sure they understand that I don't blame any of them for this as I'm under the belief that stuff just happens to horses. You can put them in a padded stall and they will still find a way to hurt themselves. It's the nature of the beast. If I were to blame anyone for something in his stall hurting him, it would have to be me for not doing enough perimeter checks or for choosing that stall to begin with. They are being so helpful and I hope that soon they start to realize that I do not blame them, am not angry, etc about a freak accident.

The BO who is also the trainer told me I can ride her Dressage TB, including showing until Cinny is better. He has also been showing training level. Will be interesting. He is a little intimidating though as he is HUGE!!
 
#18 ·
Just got back from visiting Cinny. He is definitely sore, but not enough to limp. I kept him occupied during "turn out time" when he was left alone in the barn so that he wouldn't go to berzerk. He received extra brome/grass hay to nibble on and we did some grooming, etc.

He received his 20CC injection of penicillin and his bute for the morning with extra calcium and ulcer maintenance to help buffer it. I decided that until the stitches come out I am going to take his temperature every morning and afternoon because 1) I need the practice and 2) I know it's a good way to know when infection is cropping up even without unbandaging his foot. This morning he was 99F on the dot. I also got to answer a lot of questions like why I tied the thermometer to his tail with a string :) Always fun to teach the kiddies and my new barn has a lot of very inquisitive kids who love to learn anything about horses and how to care for them :) I will be visiting him later for another dose of bute and temp check.
 
#19 ·
very scary! A horse a friend of mine was riding went through a beaver dam and had a cut about a foot long that was squirting like this...the most blood I have ever seen. That horse recovered just fine, so I'm sure yours will too! I'm glad the injury was found quickly and the vet was able to come right out!
 
#20 ·
Oh boy, wishing him a speedy recovery :)

It's awesome that they were quick to notice it and very apologetic, although of course it wasn't their fault I don't like being someone were they act like its not their problem, so it sounds like you found a great home :-D

Best of luck with your new ride ;-) don't worry big doesn't always mean scary, I feel more comfortable on my girl (16.2ish hh) compared to something smaller and I am sure you will get used to the feeling :) it can make you feel very "powerful" haha
 
#21 ·
Cinny was good this afternoon. Temperature is still holding at 99F. Still in good spirits, especially at Dinner time and was drinking a lot of water/electrolites that the BO gave all the horses because we had a few overheat this afternoon.

I rode the other horse today....who worked my tukus off. He makes me appreciate my wonderful Cinny that much more, especially his sensitivity to aids. Cinny's current stall is off of the arena and I swore he laughed at the other horse the whole time I was working it and had a look of "better you than me, sucker" the whole time :)

Looking forward to tomorrow.... our first bandage change.
 
#23 ·
Serious foot injury Updated 06/25/2012

I've decided to add SmartCalm back to Cinny's ration today. He is starting to get a bit excitable while on stall rest, poor guy. Other than that, he seems happy and chipper. Temp is still holding at 99F.

Today was the first bandage change. His bandages were a bit bloody when I took them off, but not too bad. The wound itself looked very goopy with opaque whitish yellow goop. I cleaned it up with Betadine and rinsed with clean bottled water and let it dry out a bit before rebandaging. It looks to me like he did pull his stitches, but it's hard to tell. I'm guessing he did. I'm posting today's pictures below so let me know what you think.

I also gave him is last dose of penicillin today myself with the help of my trainer. I did pretty good except I jumped when I put the needle in which made him jump...bad horsie mommy. Luckily he is not a very reactive horse so it was fine after that.

I will be back this afternoon for a lesson and to give Cinny his last dose of bute.



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#27 ·
Tonight's temp 99F and was standing calmly in his stall watching lessons. It would seem that the SmartCalm is helping him to not go nuts while confined.

I think he was laughing at me while I was riding the lesson horse and actually having to WORK to keep it at a trot... he has such a cute sneer!
 
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