One of the horses at the barn got a cut on his nose from playing around with out Great Dane. Well it was bleeding and looked kinda bad (not enough for the vet but it wasn't a scratch either). I tried cleaning it and putting some antibiotic cream/goop stuff we have on it and he kept throwing his head like it hurt (which I'm sure it did). It has scabbed over now but if it happens again should I tie his head to a post to keep him from throwing it? I really don't want to do that but if he lifts his head up to avoid my hand I can't reach him.
You should never guess at the amount of salt you put in a saline solution to be used on open wounds as has been suggested. You can do considerable damage to healthy tissues when you do. Also, iodized salt doesn't belong on open wounds.
You can buy sterile isotonic saline solution for wounds at any drugstore. It should be used to flush the wound with moderate pressure. The salt dehydrates and kills bacteria, but since it is balanced with body fluids, isotonic saline won't harm healthy tissue cells needed for healing.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Most wound dressings used in the past are no longer recommended since they either kill healthy cells which become food for bacteria, or they elicit immune rejection responses that seriously impair the healing process. These days, we try to assist the body in healing itself as opposed to using products that interfere with the body's ability to do the job. Research on wound healing has provided insight leading to much better treatments.
Vetericyn is the absolute best wound dressing available on the market. I would buy some isotonic saline for wounds at the drugstore, and Vetericyn from an equine supply store, and use them. Your horse will not be irritated by these as he is by whatever goop you used.
I would soak cotton gauze with saline and gently cleanse the scab to debride it as needed, and check for signs of infection like pus. After it is cleansed, apply the Vetericyn which will promote correct healing.
Add ... a horse's skin is not far different from ours and is, in fact, very similar, but surprisingly to many people is the fact that the skin of a horse is more (not less) sensitive than human skin. Because horses spend so much time fighting vectors of disease like flies and mosquitos and keeping them from biting the horse is a matter of survival, their skin is adapted to immediately sense even the slightest neural input from the environment such as a fly landing on the hair. Many products that are fine to apply to human skin are too harsh for equine skin.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Add .... I agree with alpha mare that EMT is a great choice, and has been my own preferred treatment for open wounds and lesions for years. I think Vetericyn is the best choice, especially if suturing might be an option, but EMT is less expensive and I have years of successful experience using it.
Well cuts on the nose look alittle worst then they actualy are, but just keep an eye on it. Most likly it will scab over and will be fine. If it gets worst clean it with a wet warm cloth and try some Ferazone. This will keep out any bacteria and will help it heal fast.
sounds like you did good
yes i would tie so i could handle
Tying the horse to a post can cause even more problems. He could decide to really throw a fit then, and could injure himself or you. He may be head-shy, and in his specific case, I would suggest getting him to release to pressure when you pull his head down. It is unlikely that the pain would contribute to him throwing his head as much as his not wanting anyone to touch him. Be sure that if you are going to apply an antiseptic, the wound is completely clean first. If he got rust or dirt into the wound and you smeared an antiseptic on, it could trap the germs in the sore and could cause infection. If another horse is injured in a similar manner , be sure to cleanse the wound before applying anything. This can cause the horse to bleed more, but their natural clotting should stop the bleeding. If the horse has a vice and is unsafe, find someone to help you, where they can hold the horse while you try to apply the anything.This goes for fly deterrant or even Show Sheen. Hope this helped! When my horse was cut up in his paddock by another horse, he too was head shy and I worked over his head, touching it , rubbing it, until he stopped trying to pull away. Then I applied the wound cream.
Wounds on the head and face always look a lot worse than they are. The veins are very close to thin skin surface. Bleeding is better than not bleeding as it will wash out any infection and now it is scabbed over it should cause no further problems.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You should never use creams on cuts. They should simply be washed out using boiled and cooled water and a handful of salt. The reason why your horse was throwing his head was less to do with pain and more to do with the smell of the ointment . Unless the horse is pumping blood he should be allowed to bleed and clot naturally once it has been cleaned out. The horse's skin his far different to ours and any chemicals are likely to burn or cause irritation making things worse.
