WOUND
EQUINE CARE
PART 2 –THE DRESSINGS
Horses are curious and with that curiousness along with their
fight or flight tendency, they tend to routinely aquire an assortment
of wounds. Statistically, this makes the horse the number
1 animal for accidental injuries. With that kind of track record,
it becomes important to know when to call the vet and when to
treat it yourself. Part 1 of this article discussed the basic types
of wounds and the first aid options. Part 2 will discuss the immediate
after care of the wound in order to have a well repaired
wound. Part 3 will consider the bandaging aspects.
WOUND CARE MANAGEMENT - Cleansing
Initially, the wounds are cleansed and cleared of any
debris and foreign matter. The veterinarian will determine
whether to wash out the wound with an antiseptic wash
(e.g. Chlorhexidine, Betadine solutions, etc.) or a rinse with
saline. If clipping the hair is to be performed, make sure
the wound is protected by placing a glob of KY jelly in it
to keep the loose hairs from getting into the open wound.
Once the loose hair has been wiped away, a flush with
saline will dislodge the KY and reopen the wound. Do not
scrub the wound. Cleansing is a gentle procedure so as not
to destroy fragile tissue, which will be needed in the healing
process. Contaminated wounds not only heal slower but
can result in major complications, which can be far more
reaching than the initial injury.
A key concept of wound healing is the notion that a
wound kept moist will most likely heal quicker and have
fewer complications than a wound left open to the air and
allowed to dry out. While healing, the body discharges
fluid like products called exudate into the wound. This exudate
contains not only supports the growth of healthy tissue
but helps the horse fight infection.
DRESSING TYPES - Moist Open Wounds
Healing wounds is not as simple as it was years ago. The
days of a spritz of a blue colored spray or a dab of a yellow
cream followed by a prayer that it wouldn’t become
proud flesh are past. New technology and wound healing
studies have drastically transformed the process and have
resulted in better and quicker healing as well as allowing
the wounded area more routinely become fully functional
again.
The most commonly used dressings fall into four major
categories: Debridement, moistening, granulation, and
epithelialization.
Debridement dressings are utilized in order to get rid of
bacteria and any dead or dying tissues within the wound.
This type of dressing can be traumatic to the wound itself
and be used only when necessary. This is a decision to
be made only by your veterinarian. Once the wound is
cleared of any bacteria or dead tissue, this type of dressing
is discontinued immediately and another dressing type put
in its place.
EQUINE Health
A moistening type dressing allows the wound to regain a
moist aspect is used in wounds that appear to be dry. This
type of dressing generally consists of a mix of glycerin and
water and must be carefully observed as they completely
seal off the wound and healing cannot continue as needed.
Once the wound regained its moisture, this dressing is
discontinued.
Granulation and wound contraction dressings allow for
the early stages of healing. This type of dressing encourages
wound granulation and contracture or shrinkage of
the wound. It creates a mild inflammatory response while
allowing cells in that fight infection to the site. Granulation
tissue will then begin to fill in the void area.
Once granulated in, the dressing will be switched to an epithelialization
type, which will allow for skin formation. These
dressings are intended to increase the surface temperature
of the wound by approximately 2 degrees. This allows the
skin cells to move across the wound in the healing process.
The veterinarian will determine which type of dressing and
for how long for it to remain in contact with the wound
itself. As the specified times, take a picture of the wound
and send it to the veterinarian for analysis. They will determine
when to stop that type of dressing and what to
replace it with. Additionally, systemic antibiotics may be
warranted as well as medication for pain management.
These could be potentially administered orally or by injection
depending on type and need.
STITCHED WOUNDS
These wounds are considerably less care although they still
need daily or twice daily observations and sometimes topical
antibiotics. The wound has been closed by either stitches
or staples and must remain closed until suture/staple
removal, which is generally within 1-2 weeks depending on
site and closure type. The wound edges must remain clean
and closed as well as the seepage minimal. Any swelling or
excessive seepage should be noted and the veterinarian
called immediately.
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