The Wound That Won't Heal

Something that started out as a gouge has turned into a huge pain in the butt.

I've doctored horses that have nearly cut their front foot off and never had this much trouble getting one to heal properly. But I think I know why!

Usually when a horse cuts his foot, it is a straight line cut-irregardless of how deep. In this case, Moon tore a flap of skin away. The gouge was exactly centered between the bulbs of his heels. However, the flap of skin that was peeled back actually came from the center of the gouge over the inside heel.

A pic of Moon(for Horse Crazed;)

Initially, the cut itself was not that bad. I doctored and wrapped it immediately and let it alone for the first couple of days. When I took the first bandage off, washed it and looked it over-it still didn't look too bad. I redoctored-bandaged it and Megan and I took off for the State Horse Show. I didn't think to ask my mom to doctor his foot while I was gone for 3 days-Well...because it didn't look like much.

When we got back, I noticed that the wrap had come loose, but was still there keeping the wound clean. Problem was, when I unwrapped it and cleaned it...there was proud flesh covering the entire wound. I applied a thin coat of Prouds Off and rebandaged. I had to do that twice before all of the proud flesh came off and we were back to pink, healthy skin again.

All this while Moon has been completely sound on it and there has been no heat or infection. I did put him on Lamphley's Vitamix twice a day for three days to protect against any infection-but he got so amped up on it, I reduced it to once a day again.

By then the wound was healing pretty well. I wasn't sure what was going to happen with that flap of skin. It did not reattach. I thought that I might have to take him to the vet and get it trimmed off so the wound could finish healing. But a few more days and it was obvious that flap was shrinking away, so I just kept cleaning it with cold water, pouring external rub on it, packing it with wound powder and rewrapping it.

I thought I had it licked. But lo and behold...as I was cleaning the old medicine off with my finger one night, Moon stomped at a fly and my finger ripped the wound WIDE open.

Oh my god! I was sick to my stomach. I absolutely could NOT believe that just happened.

Actually it was worse than when it initially happened because the flap of skin had torn back over the bulb.

So now, here we are a MONTH into it and it still looks like this...

That little red bulge at the bottom of the open wound is what is left of that flap of skin. The whitish looking line above that is where proud flesh keeps trying to grow in. The wound has shrunk some since I accidentally tore it open.

It has been a battle to keep the proud flesh from taking over. And I fear that although it looks sealed and just like an external wound now, that it is going to take even more time for the internal muscle to knit completely back together.

This is his left front foot...
You can clearly see the bulbs and the cleft between them. Yes, I know...he's overdue for a trim. By about 4 weeks.:o...LOL. The day I injured him, I was going to trim him.


This is the injured foot...

There is no cleft, so obviously there is a lot of healing yet to do. This is usually where a lot of people think a horse has been doctored enough and stop. I never stop doctoring until there is skin and hair over the entire wound. Especially with proud flesh fighting so hard to take ahold. Even that little bit of open wound can grow a nasty amount of proud flesh and leave a permanent disfigurement. Of course...there is going to be a scar. I am so pissed! Most of my brother's horses have scars on their legs from the jacked up pens and pastures he used to stick his stuff in. I have always been pretty particular about making sure that my horses are in junk free environments to avoid injury.

Now both of my geldings are sporting crappy scars on their feet....And Frosty has a split ear too boot. That one I never did figure out how it happened.:-P