Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Wound care in horses.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Caston, Stephanie S
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Taking care of wounds in horses can be quite difficult, especially if the wounds are old or have been treated incorrectly before. It's really important to check for any damage to joints, skin, or bones right away, as this will help determine the best way to treat the wound. Horse owners and trainers play a key role in daily care and monitoring, which can either help or hinder the healing process. While bandaging is crucial for managing wounds, especially on the legs, it can be overlooked because it requires a lot of effort compared to using creams or sprays. Overall, understanding how wounds heal and knowing the horse's anatomy can greatly improve the care provided.
Abstract
Care of equine wounds in the field can be a challenging endeavor. Many times, wound care is complicated by chronicity or by prior inappropriate care in addition to the great degree of tissue trauma that occurred when the horse was wounded. Recognizing involvement of synovial structures, loss of skin, and damage to bone are critical in the initial examination of wounds and will guide future care. Education of clients is also important in that preparing them for possible outcomes during healing may help improve compliance and proper treatment of wound. Owners and trainers often perform much of the daily care and monitoring of equine wounds and thus can greatly assist or impede the progress. Bandaging is important to management of equine wounds-especially on the limbs-and is sometimes overlooked because of its labor-intensive nature and the desire for a spray, ointment, or salve that will heal the wound. The practitioner that improves and utilizes his or her understanding of the wound-healing process in concert with his or her knowledge of local anatomy will be the one who is best equipped to care for wounds in ambulatory practice.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22640581/