Post by ponyexpress on Mar 7, 2009 22:57:08 GMT -5
If your horse has a puncture wound in the hoof:
Don’t panic; remember to breathe and stay calm to reassure your horse.
Call the vet. Depending on the point of entry, some of the areas at risk include the navicular bursa, the coffin bone and the coffin joint. The vet may need to take x-rays to determine what areas may have been involved.
• If at all possible, the nail should be left in place so that the vet can better assess the damage.
• If the nail is protruding, you may be able to put a small piece of wood on either side of the nail and then duct tape the wood in place. It will prevent the nail from being pushed in further if the horse puts weight on the foot.
• If the nail must be removed, use a permanent marker to indicate where the nail went into the hoof. Remember the angle of entry as well.
• Use the permanent marker on the nail to show how deeply it was imbedded.
The vet will likely recommend a regimen of soaking, padding and wrapping the injured foot. A tetnus booster may be required as well as a course of antibiotics.
It is important that a puncture wound heal from the inside to the outside to prevent bacteria from being trapped inside the wound. Paring the hole into a cone shape and soaking the foot in a bucket or boot will allow the medicated soaks to reach deep inside the wound and help initiate healing. Recommended soaks include warm Epsom salts and/or betadine solution (not betadine scrub).
In between soaking, protect the hoof by using a sugardine pack and wrap the hoof. Sugardine is made by using equal parts sugar and betadine.
You can wrap the hoof by saturating 4x4 gauze in the sugardine solution and putting it on the bottom of the hoof. Wrap around the hoof with roller gauze or elasticon and secure with duct tape. Slide the hoof into an Old Mac's Boot, an Easy Boot or some other boot made for riding. The hard surface on the bottom of the boot will protect the puncture wound and cone-shaped cut out. If it is hot and dry out, you can put a plastic sack over the foot to maintain the moisture.
If a boot is not available, use the 4 x 4 gauze saturated with sugardine and cover with a diaper. Wrap the diaper with vet wrap and secure with duct tape. Have all the pieces of duct tape torn to size before beginning the wrapping process. It may help to create a *square* of duct tape by criss-crossing the pieces, creating a flat surface for the bottom of the hoof. Place this square over the bottom of the diaper and bring the sides of the duct tape up and around the vet wrap to secure. Check frequently as this is not as sturdy as a boot and may wear through quickly if the horse is moving around.
Keep the horse in a clean, dry environment while healing.
Don’t panic; remember to breathe and stay calm to reassure your horse.
Call the vet. Depending on the point of entry, some of the areas at risk include the navicular bursa, the coffin bone and the coffin joint. The vet may need to take x-rays to determine what areas may have been involved.
• If at all possible, the nail should be left in place so that the vet can better assess the damage.
• If the nail is protruding, you may be able to put a small piece of wood on either side of the nail and then duct tape the wood in place. It will prevent the nail from being pushed in further if the horse puts weight on the foot.
• If the nail must be removed, use a permanent marker to indicate where the nail went into the hoof. Remember the angle of entry as well.
• Use the permanent marker on the nail to show how deeply it was imbedded.
The vet will likely recommend a regimen of soaking, padding and wrapping the injured foot. A tetnus booster may be required as well as a course of antibiotics.
It is important that a puncture wound heal from the inside to the outside to prevent bacteria from being trapped inside the wound. Paring the hole into a cone shape and soaking the foot in a bucket or boot will allow the medicated soaks to reach deep inside the wound and help initiate healing. Recommended soaks include warm Epsom salts and/or betadine solution (not betadine scrub).
In between soaking, protect the hoof by using a sugardine pack and wrap the hoof. Sugardine is made by using equal parts sugar and betadine.
You can wrap the hoof by saturating 4x4 gauze in the sugardine solution and putting it on the bottom of the hoof. Wrap around the hoof with roller gauze or elasticon and secure with duct tape. Slide the hoof into an Old Mac's Boot, an Easy Boot or some other boot made for riding. The hard surface on the bottom of the boot will protect the puncture wound and cone-shaped cut out. If it is hot and dry out, you can put a plastic sack over the foot to maintain the moisture.
If a boot is not available, use the 4 x 4 gauze saturated with sugardine and cover with a diaper. Wrap the diaper with vet wrap and secure with duct tape. Have all the pieces of duct tape torn to size before beginning the wrapping process. It may help to create a *square* of duct tape by criss-crossing the pieces, creating a flat surface for the bottom of the hoof. Place this square over the bottom of the diaper and bring the sides of the duct tape up and around the vet wrap to secure. Check frequently as this is not as sturdy as a boot and may wear through quickly if the horse is moving around.
Keep the horse in a clean, dry environment while healing.
