The injury of a life time...OMG!

[ChewyDog]

This is an injury that has happened to a horse at my barn. I am one of the lucky care takers who gets to treat the injury and give meds on Sat and Sundays.

The injuries:

Right hind, front of hock. 4 inch slice in a V shape that is approximately 2 inches deep on an angle downward. Slices the tendon. Tendon exposed and leaking fluid.

1 time a day....Treatment.......cold hosing 15 minutes.....covered with special gauze (cant think of the name) coated with furacin. Gauze wrapped.......large conpress as quilt for wrapping. I found today the wrap will not stay up and keep the wound covered. Will be speaking to the vet about possible hock wrap and standing wrap combo. Constant leaking from tendon sheath.....not good.......outlook very iffy.

Left hind cannon. Entire front of cannon and entire inside and half the out side has been skinned to muscle and tendon one inch deep at least. Vet had to cut of approximately 12x6" hunk of skin. Inner cannon bone exposed. Artery sliced, clamped by vet. I cannot explain with words how it is to look at this injury.

1 time a day treatment.......cold hose 15 minutes....... Before application muscle must be stretch up by hand and pull up over and held in place while wrapping. Foriegn bodies and any signs of dead or rotting skin must be pick off by hand......covered with special no stick guaze as mentioned above coated with furacin wrapped with guaze wrap. Standing wrap applied.

The SMELL OMG the SMELL

2 time a day penacilin shots
1 time a day genocin shot
3 full scoops of bute in am about half an hour before dressing legs
after intermuscular antibiotics finished........tribiseren 2 times a day

Hands down the nastiest injury I have yet to have the mispleasure of treating. I have never seen an animal suffer so. The road to healing will be very, very, very, very long. My prayers are with her.

I had to share as this is alot of weight on my shoulders. I am so worried for this mare.........I think about her all day........wonder what she is doing.......how she is feeling.

[Ipsa]

Poor horse, that sounds awful.
Healing thoughts to her and to you and the other caregivers.
How is the owner coping.

[ChewyDog]

The owner is not coping well. She is now knowlegable enough to deal with the injury and meds on her own and lives to far away to be there daily. So the task is ours to bare.

Lots of crying and tough decisions for her to make. The mare is in her twenties, she has owned her since birth. She was already arthrictic in the front end which has of course been taking alot of extra stress off the hind end and is showing obvious signs of deterioration...ie: swelling, shaking, heat. We all no what is on everyones mind at this point, however I would not for one sec suggest one way or the other to the owner as I know the pain and guilt she must be feeling over the decision she may have to make must be unbearable.

[chev]

My thoughts are with you all. Those injuries sound extremely serious, especially the tendon.

I had a mare who suffered a puncture wound to the stifle involving the joint, which then got infected. She did, against all odds, make a full recovery. Treating injuries like these are terribly hard on owners and horses. I hope you have an outcome as positive as we did.

[Ipsa]

I know it is a terrible decision for you all to be in but if you feel the kindest thing would be for the horse to put down I would talk to the owner about it.
When I have been in similar positions in the past it is so comforting to have support and to even have someone voice what you subconsciously know would be the most humane decision. It can seem like a huge weight off your shoulders and help deal with the responsibility as you can have alot of conflicting emotions about what you should do and also what you think others feels you should do.
The owner may feel pulled two ways and talking it over with others in a sympathetic way could help her make a decision. I find these days vets will keep treating animals and are scared to advise clients to euthanase their animals.
It doesn't sound as if this horse is going to have much quality of life even if she does recover fully.
All the best.

[Big Ears]

How sad, but with the age of the mare and her other problems, I don't see there is a decision to be made. If she were younger and had no other problems, then perhaps it is ethical to put her through a long recovery process but with the other factors, surely it would be kinder to end her suffering.

It is always sad to lose a horse but if they have had a good life and are a good age, then a long illness and treatment programme are perhaps not the best option.

I feel really sorry for you - I nursed my mare through a broken splint bone but this was not a major external injury, and she was in good health, and coped well with box rest, dressings etc. She is now sound to ride, but half an inch higher and it would have been her hock and no way forward.

I feel for you as it is awful to watch them in pain and worried and you can't tell them that you are trying to help - Molly knew I was doing the best for her, and stood to be bandaged, no head collar, while I fiddled around every day with her dressings, she was an excellent patient so I was very lucky

[ChewyDog]

Do understand most of us involved have the same feelings as to what is the humane thing to do. The vet agrees. It is fairly obvious. However, no one can force anyone to put their horse down, we have all expressed our opinions in the kindest and most considerate manner. Unfortunately the owner has made her decision. She plans to give it a month. I know what your thinking, a whole month of suffering. But I cannot beggin to imagine the pain this woman is suffer so I will not judge her. All we can do now is do our best to ward off infection, try to keep her comfortable and prey she doesnt suffer much longer.