This is just a record of the progress (or lack of) on Mattie's leg injury, caused by tangling with fence wire. It's actually interesting for me to see it too, I am shocked in retrospect by how it looked so much worse before it started to look a bit better!
The original injury, 3 September this year. You would have thought the vet might have been able to sew it up but he said he couldn't do that because it would have had so much dirt in it: he had to be left open to drain. He said that proud flesh would undoubtedly result.
After 3 days the vet came back and it was like this. He was pleased and said he had been afraid he would need to put Mattie down on his return, but he hoped now that it might be able to be treated with field rest and bandaging. It was going to be up to me to do the bandaging to keep costs down.
Over the next few days the wound opening continued to stretch and proud flesh developed. 9 September :
On 11 September the vet trimmed the proud flesh. There was lots of blood but he was still quite pleased
This is how the wound changed over the next couple of weeks.
15 September:
19 September, before cleaning - it's always pussy and oozy when I take the bandage off:
24 September, proud flesh coming back but the wound is starting to look as if it wants to close. Obviously Mattie was sideways for this pic
And yesterday, it's really starting to look better. But it is still huge compared to the original wound. The vet is coming back on Friday to trim back the proud flesh again, and I am using Manuka honey to help the healing and to retard regrowth.
Mattie and I are definitely in this for the long haul! He is as good as gold to have it dressed, which is fantastic. Because he can't be stabled (ex racer) he is walking about on this wound, which will certainly slow up the healing but prevents his leg filling and keeps the rest of him happier and healthier. I'd rather that than have him stressing his socks off in a box: if it comes down to it, I would have him PTS rather than have to shut him in, but I hope I won't have to make that choice.
The original injury, 3 September this year. You would have thought the vet might have been able to sew it up but he said he couldn't do that because it would have had so much dirt in it: he had to be left open to drain. He said that proud flesh would undoubtedly result.
After 3 days the vet came back and it was like this. He was pleased and said he had been afraid he would need to put Mattie down on his return, but he hoped now that it might be able to be treated with field rest and bandaging. It was going to be up to me to do the bandaging to keep costs down.
Over the next few days the wound opening continued to stretch and proud flesh developed. 9 September :
On 11 September the vet trimmed the proud flesh. There was lots of blood but he was still quite pleased
This is how the wound changed over the next couple of weeks.
15 September:
19 September, before cleaning - it's always pussy and oozy when I take the bandage off:
24 September, proud flesh coming back but the wound is starting to look as if it wants to close. Obviously Mattie was sideways for this pic
And yesterday, it's really starting to look better. But it is still huge compared to the original wound. The vet is coming back on Friday to trim back the proud flesh again, and I am using Manuka honey to help the healing and to retard regrowth.
Mattie and I are definitely in this for the long haul! He is as good as gold to have it dressed, which is fantastic. Because he can't be stabled (ex racer) he is walking about on this wound, which will certainly slow up the healing but prevents his leg filling and keeps the rest of him happier and healthier. I'd rather that than have him stressing his socks off in a box: if it comes down to it, I would have him PTS rather than have to shut him in, but I hope I won't have to make that choice.