Poultice advice please

[scattynuttymare]

My girlie had a rather large cut at the back of her heel which was dressed and bandaged daily but still became infected - she had a long dose of antibiotics (finished them about 2 weeks ago) her leg went down to normal size again and the wound became nice and pink and started healing well.

Anyway the leg is starting to come up a little and although it has healed to a point where I can start thinking about leaving the dressing of on nice dry day days there is a lttle ooze of the yellow stuff coming out of it so I'm inclined to think the infection hasn't gone completely. So I'm planning on poulticing (hot) for a few days before rushing off off to get yet more antibiotics and increase my life long repayments with vets.

So a few questions -

Can I actually poutice the back of the heel - I know you can't poultice joints but this isn't really a joint.

Can I use a normal dressing to do a hot poultice or does it have to be that animalintex stuff?

Can I change it once every 24 hrs if the bandage looks ok rather than twice a day?

Thanks in advance!;)

[sancho]

Basing my experience on the more usual poultice in the sole of the hoof, yes you can change it once every 24 hrs but it would depend on how much gunk is coming out etc.

If you dont have animal lintex then a nappy is just as good.

I wouldnt hot poultice it btw as the heel is already a soft area. Keep it to a dry poultice maybe?

Why dont you ref your vet just incase, they take enough money from us!

[scattynuttymare]

Basing my experience on the more usual poultice in the sole of the hoof, yes you can change it once every 24 hrs but it would depend on how much gunk is coming out etc.

If you dont have animal lintex then a nappy is just as good.

I wouldnt hot poultice it btw as the heel is already a soft area. Keep it to a dry poultice maybe?

Why dont you ref your vet just incase, they take enough money from us!

Would a dry poultice be very much like just putting on a normal dry dressing?

Have called vet and he suggested more antibiotics.... she's already had a 14 day course so to me I'd like to go down the poultice route first as there is minimal gunk coming out.

[sancho]

Yes, a dry poultice is a normal dressing.

Hopefully with the horse moving around it will clear itself of gunk, but as I said, I am basing my 'experience' on the more usual abcess in the sole.

One vet told us to hot pultice for three days only then dry and the second didnt like hot poultices at all as they soften the area too much.

As heels are soft and can soften too much just from wearing a bandage for too long I wouldnt wrap a hot poultice on for 24 hrs.

I hope that helps.

[scattynuttymare]

Thank you Sancho!

:)