Re: RC: wound care according to the CSU vet school

[David & Vicki Wheeler <dwheeler@icx.net>]

I'm definitely not an expert in this area (thankfully) but we just came out 
of a heel bulb laceration that was ugly.  It happened either Jan 1st or 2nd 
&, of course, I had the flu that week.  Spellbinder was never lame & had it 
all covered in mud, so it was not discovered until the 5th.  There was 
still live skin hanging on -- the vet scrubbed the wound out & used 4 
sutures.  No one (including me) expected the skin to take hold, but at 
least it covered up part of the wound.

As Susan noted, I was strictly told not to put anything on the wound for 
the 1st 4 weeks-- just a gauze bandage & vetwrap (I now own 25% of 3M 
;-).  Changed the first bandage 36 hours later.  Then left the bandage on 
for 2.5 days (bad mistake).  It was changed everyday for 8 weeks, followed 
by 1 week of limited turn out allowing the skin to toughen-up.  If the 
paddock was dry, Spell got to go out -- otherwise, he was stall bound with 
hand walking ("the bandage must stay dry").  At week 4, we were given a 
furacin mix (furacin + dmso + predef??) to apply daily.

EVERYONE said we would have to deal with proud flesh since it was a lower 
leg wound.  It never showed up!!!  It was a very long process, but he now 
looks like he rubbed the hair off.  The scar is about the size of a nickel 
or smaller (yes the skin flap reattached).  It was long, hard, & trying but 
the end result is worth it!

Vicki Wheeler & Spellbinder ("time to restart those dressage lessons, Mom")
Knoxville, TN