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THE VETERINARY
FIRST AID KIT
WOUND MANAGEMENT
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
4
l
A roll of cotton wool
l
Sterile non-adhesive wound dressings
l
Sterile saline
l
Conforming bandages
l
Cohesive bandages
l
Wound hydrogel
l
Clean bucket
l
Thermometer
l
Scissors
l
Mild antiseptic/fly repellent ointment
PLEASE REMEMBER
your local XLVets
practice is always available for advice.
If your horse has a wound then please
ring as soon as possible so we can
help you.
J U L I A J AME S
Appropriate first aid given by owners can be of great
benefit and can affect the management and outcome of
the wound. If you have any concerns about a wound it
is important to call your vet to discuss it with them.
1. Control bleeding
Any profuse bleeding should be
controlled by applying pressure over
the source of the blood. This can be
done using a thick pad of clean cloth
or dressing held in place manually or
bandaged using a cohesive bandage.
Although worrying at the time, it is
important to remember that horses have a
lot of blood (about 50 litres) so although
there may look like a lot of blood on the
stable floor, blood loss from wounds is
fortunately rarely life threatening. Do not
apply a tourniquet to control bleeding.
This can result in long term damage.
2. Clean the wound
Any wound needs careful cleaning. This
will help reduce any contamination and
will allow better assessment of the severity
of the wound. If the wound is covered in
a lot of mud then this is best done using
a gently trickling hose taking care not to
force any dirt deeper into the wound.
The cold water also acts to reduce
inflammation. Following this the wound
should be flushed, ideally with sterile
saline, but cooled boiled water with a
small amount of salt added can be used.
Avoid using Dettol type solutions as these
are too strong and will damage the
precious cells required to help with
wound healing.
3. Apply a dressing
Following flushing, hydrogels can be
used in the wound to keep them moist
and prevent further contamination. The
wound should then be covered by a
sterile non-adhesive wound dressing
and bandaged in place to keep it clean
whilst waiting for the vet to arrive.
For many wounds that are just superficial
scrapes or only partial skin thickness,
cleaning them properly and bandaging
them may be all the treatment that is
required.
After an accident occurs or you discover a
wound, if possible try to move your horse
to a safe place to prevent any further injury
or pain and to allow proper assessment of
the damage.
4. Fly control
It is also important to prevent fly nuisance
to any uncovered wounds in the summer
with good use of fly repellents on the rest
of the horse and the use of mild antiseptic
ointment or Vaseline over the wound.
If you have any concerns about a wound it
is important to call your vet to discuss it with
them. They may need to perform a thorough
examination of the wound especially if there
is any risk that there is penetration into a
joint or tendon sheath as this could be life
threatening. In order to do this sedation may
be required to allow a detailed assessment.
Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment will
often be prescribed as these will help in the
treatment and prevention of infection and will
keep the horse as comfortable as possible.
Any wound that occurs over a joint or
tendon/tendon sheath can be very serious
as infection or damage to these structures
can be life threatening and can cause long
term lameness. These horses often need
prompt and expert management in an
equine hospital with the use of x-rays,
ultrasound and laboratory testing to assess
the full extent of the damage. Treatment often
needs to be intensive and ongoing and can
be expensive.
One problem that can occur in horses is the
production of proud flesh. This occurs when
the granulation tissue in the centre of a wound
grows more quickly and is not covered and
kept in check by the epidermal cells at the
edge if the wound. The result is a fleshy hard
pink lump standing proud of the wound.
Veterinary help will be required to treat this
and can take a prolonged period of time.
Finally it is always good to be prepared by
making sure that your horse's first aid kit is
ready for use.