Let me start by saying this is not a guide on how to treat severe open wounds since if it looks serious, a trained veterinarian will be of much better help. Since injuries on horses are very common, every owner and caretaker of a horse should know the proper steps to take care of them. This blog will assist horse owners, and lovers treat open wounds on their beloved animals.
First, you’ll want to see exactly where your equine is injured and try to examine the animal yourself. If the horse is in too much pain, make sure to have the vet do the examination. Make sure also to calm the horse down and apply pressure to any bleeding with a thick dressing.
The most important thing to do is to stop the bleeding, you’ll want to use a cotton wool roll of gauze and press directly on the wound. If it’s bleeding from a vein or artery, the bleeding may last longer and, in some cases, may have to be stopped with clamping by a veterinarian. So always make sure to apply pressure until it stops or until a professional arrives.
Wounds on horses are usually from fences or gates since they’re always surrounded by them, check for any fence damage that may have caused the wound. But even if the wound seems small at first glance, always make sure to double-check since the smallest problem may escalate to surgery or even infection.
After stopping the bleeding and assessing the wound, you’ll always want to wash the wound with cold water and a skincare treatment like Fauna Care’s Equine Silver Spray. This spray allows for a deodorizing layer of protection and helps kill the bacteria in a wound. Then irrigation of the wound will wash away any debris leftover.
If you can, try to clip some of the hair around the wound for better viewing of the healing process. However, if the wound is too close to the hair, you’ll want to leave it so that no fur ends up in the wound itself.
When finished with the cleaning process, you’ll want to apply a clean dressing to the area. You’ll want to apply firm pressure while dressing but not too tight and not too loose so the horse will stay comfortable and the dressing won’t fall off.
If all goes well in the cleaning and monitoring process of the horse's wound, but you’re unsure if the wound is healing well enough or at all, make sure to call the vet. Other reasons for calling up the vet may include:
Make sure to always check your horse after an injury, whether they went to the vet or not, you always want to make sure they are the healthiest they can be. If anything does go wrong with your own process of wound management, always reach out to a veterinarian as well, they will always know how to help and what to do!
You can also check your yard for anything that may have caused the injury and maybe even help to prevent future ones. Be sure to especially check fences and gates for anything protruding out of them.
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