How to deal with wounds

By Your Horse

How to...

19 May 2009 09:31

Having a good knowledge of equine anatomy will give you the confidence to evaluate, assess and effectively treat wounds. The three most common types of wounds you’re likely to see are:

1 Incision wounds – cuts, usually from sharp objects.
2 Tear wounds – from barbed wire.
3 Puncture wounds – often caused by sharp thorns or nails.

Effective cleaning
Cleaning a wound correctly will increase its chances of healing, but it’s important to do this carefully so bacteria and any foreign bodies are removed. Older wounds tend to be the most contaminated because bacteria multiply over time, so making sure dirt is removed from the wound is a must. Soil, for example, can stop the body’s natural tissue defences doing their job by blocking healing serum antibodies.

After cleaning...
Once the wound is clean, you will have a better understanding as to what treatment it will need: 

Stitches: if the wound is large and in an awkward area to heal, it may need stitches. Call your vet and apply a wound healing gel, and perhaps – depending on the injury – a sterile wound pad and dressing to keep the edges together while you wait. If the wound is small (less than 2cm) it probably won’t need a dressing. 

Swelling: if there is swelling to a wounded area, hose it with cold water or hold a cold compress to it. If swelling is excessive, call your vet.

Puncture wounds
Always call your vet if your horse has a puncture wound as it’s not always to tell how much damage there is. If you can see something in the wound (such as a thorn or nail), don’t remove it as you could do more damage than good. If you can’t see anything, clean the wound with running water and then apply some dilute antiseptic solution while waiting for your vet.

The information in this feature is a guide, and you should always contact your vet if in doubt of any injury.