Day 10 - Second Change of Bandages

Far’s dressing got changed yesterday morning. The vet says he’s doing just fine, although I left the experience a little less encouraged. The wound looks weepier; there is some inflammation; he has popped the bottom suture; it smelled worse than last time and he seemed sore. He was not sedated this time, so he was more sensitive to the touch around the wound.

Because the suture had popped, Stacey immediately stuck her index finger up in there to feel what was going on. She said the granulation tissue is beginning to form around the tendon, and there is some thickening as a result – all of which is to be expected. She says he will look quite different in three weeks, and that the slowest part of the recovery will be waiting for the granulation tissue to form along the gap between the two flaps of skin. She said I should expect there to be thickening around the area of the wound, and that he will likely have a noticeable blemish on the front of the fetlock joint. She thinks we can manage some of the thickening with DMSO gel starting next week.

The sutures will come out on Wednesday. She sees no reason why he should be lame once this has healed, and that he will obviously need a few months of walking to rehab that extensor tendon. If the injury had been sustained at the back of the leg, we would be in a much worse situation. Right now, his career as a halter horse will likely never happen (phew!) but she feels he will come through this as a sound horse whose performance as an athlete will not be compromised.