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Just how deceptive can a wound be... *graphic*

11K views 70 replies 35 participants last post by  palominolover 
#1 ·
I wanted to share this as a "warning" of sorts. Warning isn't the right word, but it is late here and my brain is in shut down mode. Also for anyone who is interested in the progress of something like this.

On the 10th of April my wonderful old, retired standardbred, Kody, hobbled up to the fence and greeted me with this...



After some colourful language and cleaning I was left with this...



I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking "it could have been so much worse!" I bandaged him up and chucked him in to a yard.

The next day, while doing morning chores, I stopped at the fence of his yard and called him over. He made his way to me, cautiously and obviously sore. As he got close I watched as he dragged the toe on that foot. And I watched as he struggled to flip the toe back up to step forward. And then he knuckled over. Shoot.

So I called the vet. She came and confirmed what I had suspected when that foot went over underneath him. Severed lateral extensor tendon. With the added bonus of a decent amount of suspected nerve damage.

That little, what should have been minor wound was much, much deeper than it looked. There were also two "pockets" under the skin underneath the wound that were collecting fluid.

He was obviously put on antibiotics and I began bandaging from hoof to hock to stabilise the fetlock joint and try to prevent the horrible knuckling over. He was locked up and our journey back to pasture soundness began.

Now as if that wasn't enough, we had a setback when Kody developed a nasty allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics he was on. I went out in the evening to feed and rug and found him standing in a corner, looking completely miserable. Under normal circumstances he would have turned his head to greet me with a nicker. I could see him looking at me, the white of his eye was showing as he looked back at me.

Shoot again! I haltered him, which is when I got a good look at his chest and saw how swollen one side of it was, and asked him to flex his neck. Nope, no deal, wasn't happening. I asked him to lower his head. Nope, no deal, not happening. Took his temperature. Elevated. Dialed the vet again. She came out and diagnosed an allergic reaction to the Neomycin. Each site that he had been given an injection in had swelled. The neck had done so internally, which is why he could not move his head more than a few inches in any direction. He had also collected some fluid on his lungs.

This was his chest while we waited for the vet...



I spent that night monitoring him very closely, checking his temperature every hour or so. I had his water bin up on a chair so it was at a height he could reach. His feed bucket was tied up high as well. He was interested in neither for the next 12 hours.

So obviously he was pulled off the Neomycin and we continued with the Penicillin.

At 7 days, we had this...



At 10, we had this...



So here we are at day 39, after 3 full courses of antibiotics, plus the discontinued neomycin. Daily bandage changes and having finally discovered an awesome, innovative way to stop him from knuckling over altogether thanks to a girl on another forum. He has a tennis ball strapped behind his pastern :lol::lol:

This is what we have now...



Our focus now, is getting that tendon healed. We still have a long way to go.

So there you have it. A wound that, honestly, when I saw it all cleaned up on that first day I thought "pffft, I've dealt with worse!" has turned out to be one of the most challenging things to deal with (and one of the most expensive too! Nearing a grand in vet bills, well over that if we factor in the cost of bandages, gauze, etc!).

Bloody horses!!
 
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#54 ·
You can see a bit of the "tired" expression he picked up in the couple of days he wasn't eating much in that photo. Part of what had me really concerned.

When I went out to him this morning he perked up and actually whinnied at me!
 
#56 ·
I'm so sorry to hear about the setback after he was doing so well! I hope it does turn out to be something that he can recover from. He is very lucky to have an owner so dedicated to his well-being and happiness.

I'll be keeping you and Kody in my thoughts.
He really looks fantastic for a 23 year old!
 
#57 ·
We're at day 70 for the original injury...



He had some swelling again under his bandage today. Nothing like what it was 5 days ago, but enough to concern me. Will be keeping a very close eye on it.



The good news is that there is still very little heat and he is nowhere near as lame as he was.

 
#58 ·
Wow this is really educational. Thank you so much. I've always been really interested in wound care and the before and after pictures are awesome to see. He's done so well! Even with the set back.

He's gorgeous and I'll continue to give good thoughts for full recovery :)
 
#61 ·
When the injury first happened he had 5 days of 2grams of bute twice a day, another 5 days of 1gram twice a day and then 5 of 1gram once a day.

The penicillin he was on 20ml given IM once a day for a month. The trimidine was 1 and 3/4 scoops (not sure how many grams that was!) twice a day for 10 days.

After the storms he was put back on bute. Another 5 days at 2grams twice a day. He's now been reduced to 1gram twice a day for the next 5 days.

He's being fed chia seeds to act as a buffer for his gut.
 
#64 ·
Chia seeds do a lot of different things! I've been using them for a little over 12 months now and have noticed a lot of different improvements in my horses. From hoof and coat health, to sand clearing and soothing the gut.

http://equinechia.com/about
 
#67 ·
One.thing.after.another.

Kody is in the midst of a colic. The vet has been and drugged him up. He's had a couple of mouthfuls of grass and half an apple. He hasn't had any water. He's very lethargic at the moment. Watching him closely for any sign that he is deteriorating.
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