Would pics of a nasty wound be ok?

Doodle92

Doodle92

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2021
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Facebook Memories today has reminded me of a nasty wound Robin had after an op. He had a lump on his elbow which was removed (we think it was a foreign body). The expected 2 week recovery turned in to about 4 months. After 7 weeks and him being an utter nightmare in box rest he was turned out. The wound burst open after a couple of days. Was restitched and another drain added and he went back to stay at the vets for a week for iv abx. But that also broke down so it took forever to heal. Don’t want to post pics if they would offend but now that we are 4 years on I can see them as interesting!
 
Thanks

4th April straight after surgery
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the lump that was taken out and cut in half. We think the dark area is foreign body
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3rd may. Yep that is an internal stitch coming out. I had to cut it as close to the wound as I could and had to repeat 3 times
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I’ll take a “now” picture tomorrow. This saga taught me that Robin does not do box rest. We turned out thinking this will either kill or cure. Luckily it did neither! Although he went out in small pen. I moved pen up the field and made slightly bigger and he gave himself colic gorging on the grass. Another vet visit, the threat of surgery (and me refusing that) and some lunging and he farted and farted and farted some more and looked confused when I congratulated him!
 
Yikes that was a whopper. Good on you for looking after it so long!

I would have looked away a year ago but I managed a big horrid electric-wire wound on Mattie last year so it looks familiar. Mattie is an ex racer and simply cannot be stabled, so he was turned out throughout his recovery and astonished the vet by healing beautifully. I sometimes think box rest is for our convenience as much as the horse's healing.
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
Yikes that was a whopper. Good on you for looking after it so long!

I would have looked away a year ago but I managed a big horrid electric-wire wound on Mattie last year so it looks familiar. Mattie is an ex racer and simply cannot be stabled, so he was turned out throughout his recovery and astonished the vet by healing beautifully. I sometimes think box rest is for our convenience as much as the horse's healing.
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It was meant to restrict movement and so allow it to heal. But the way he was thrashing round his stable and trying to jump out of windows he was moving more in the stable. He was going to seriously hurt himself or me. It wasn’t healing either. Vet wondered if it was stress hormones. We did various blood tests to see if something underlying.

And also to keep it clean but where it is any time he laid down it got dirty in the stable or out.

Vet just kept giving more sedalin which didn’t touch him. Eventually demanded the top vet came out. He saw him, said oh no this can’t continue. He may well need pts if turning out goes wrong but being in maybe also cause an injury.

It took 2 years before he was happy to come in alone again. And even then he is not terribly happy.

so if he ever dose something bad, he will have to take his chances outside or be pts. We managed the 2 days after joint injections with his 2 buddies staying in too. But I wouldn’t get any longer.
 
Doodle92 said:
It was meant to restrict movement and so allow it to heal. But the way he was thrashing round his stable and trying to jump out of windows he was moving more in the stable. He was going to seriously hurt himself or me. It wasn’t healing either. Vet wondered if it was stress hormones. We did various blood tests to see if something underlying.
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This is just like Mattie. After the injury he stayed in without complaint for 2 days, in my shelter, which is right there in my field with his friend outside (I don't have a stable). After that he was box walking, weaving, cribbing, bobbing his head and obviously so super stressed he was going to pop like a balloon before he got better. He was so calm and good outside, it was easier to manage him altogether.

I think Robin is very good to have got back into the swing of going in at all. It can be so stressful for a horse.
 
Absolutely. It’s so easy for the vets to say “they need to stay in” but in reality it is not that simple. He still came in at night when others were in, which worked for a few weeks but that didn’t last either. Now he is happy to stay in for the day in bad weather when the whole yard is in but he makes it very clear each spring when he feels it is time to be out 24/7.

Minto had had multiple long spells on box rest (8 months at one point) but he was so calm and happy in that it didn’t bother him. So I was very much of the thinking that if the vet says they need to be in then they need to be in.
 
Doodle92 said:
Minto had had multiple long spells on box rest (8 months at one point) but he was so calm and happy in that it didn’t bother him.
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My pony Ziggy was a chronic laminitic and spent ages on box rest one way and another. He was always good as gold, though he vastly preferred being out at grass. Some horses just cope better than others, I suppose.
 
In winter with hairier coat you can’t see it as easily. I clip above it to cover it a bit. Vets were so sure it wouldn’t cause a noticeable scar but they didn’t expect it t go so wrong. He has a nasty scar on a back Pastern and was never destined to show so it’s not a big deal 😊
 
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