My horse has a wound: first aid to achieve.

Written by Sophie Le Bars - Denost. Posted in News, Horses

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The wounds are a problem frequently faced by horse owners.

In front of a wound, It should be of quickly call the veterinarian, especially if it is necessary to suture the wound: in this case indeed the suture must be quickly carried out. The veterinarian will advise you on the best approach to adopt.

Here are some tips allowing you to make the right moves pending the veterinarian, and especially to avoid making errors.

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Things to do:

• Calm horse: even if the wound is impressive, You must keep your calm and reassure your horse. This will allow you to assess and administer first aid.
• Is wash your hands, in order to prevent any further contamination of the wound.
• Clean the wound with an antiseptic Autour (diluted betadine, or well chlorhexidine, but never the two together, because their effects cancel).
  You can remove the hairs at the level of the wound, but taking care not to drop in the wound.
  Clean away from the wound to avoid dirt to the damaged tissues.
• You can also irrigate the wound with saline, for example, to remove debris, But if the tissues become greyish, We must stop the irrigation.
• In case of significant bleeding, will need you to bandage the wound to control the bleeding. Sterile equipment is recommended, but own material is acceptable if no sterile equipment is available and control of hemorrhage is crucial.
• For some wounds, It is beneficial to apply a topical antibiotic, provided that your vet recommend a suitable product and explains under what circumstances use it.
  For other types of wounds, your veterinarian will prescribe systemic antibiotics (administered by mouth or injection).
• Check that the tetanus vaccination from your horse is up to date. In case of doubt, We recommend that the administration of anti-tetanus serum.

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Avoid:

• Contaminate the lesion by hands or other non-sterile objects.
• If the wound is located at the level of a articulation, or of a synovial sheath, wait for the veterinarian to perform first aid, Since then the cleaning must be done in aseptic conditions.
• Apply a powerful disinfectant (as of the pure iodine tincture) directly on the wound: This may cause additional damage to the injured tissues.
• Remove a big foreign body stuck in the wound: This could cause bleeding if this foreign body supported on damaged ships; discuss with your veterinarian before doing anything.
• Apply a drug or a powder on the wound until the arrival of the veterinarian: This can hide the wound and complicate its evaluation by the veterinarian. In addition, some products may cause further damage to the tissue or slow healing. Powders can also act as a foreign body.
• Wipe the wound, at the risk of further traumatize the tissue.

It is also advisable to use electrical wire rather than the barbed wire as a fence.