equine wounds workshop

Question 1

What is a very important question to ask when seeing a horse with a wound

Answer 1

is it vaccinated against tetanus?

Question 2

When you first assess a horse, how do you know if only skin is involved or deeper structures as well?

Answer 2

If its only skin, the horse wont be lame

Question 3

What structures might be involved and what are the challenges with this wound

Answer 3

What structures might be involved?
skin, muscle

Challenges:
Location (a lot of movement)
Hair on edge of wound – get hair wet so it comes off in clumps when clipping

Question 4

What would be the main concern with this wound

Answer 4

Small wound but serious, splint bones easily damaged

Question 5

What joint is involved here and what is the big issue?

Answer 5

Fetlock joint

If wound is in fetlock joint and it gets infected it is big emergency, they will die if not treated fast

Question 6

What kind of wound is this

Answer 6

bandage rub

Question 7

what kind of wound is this and what is the concern

Answer 7

stick in lateral canthus of eye

could have splinters in eye once stick is removed which can cause abscesses so always check

Question 8

What structures could be involved?

Answer 8

Skin
Intercostal muscles
Ribs
Lungs – could have collapsed lung on one side and intact lung on other side so horse would still be breathing fine

Question 9

What is going on here and what can be done to solve it

Answer 9

ink healthy epithelial cell ring around the outside but cant move over a mountain so need to create a healthy granulation bed via debridement

Question 10

What needs to be done in this case

Answer 10

Is it vaccinated against tetanus?

Needs to be heavily sedated

Clean puncture wound

Question 11

What structures are underneath and what are the challenges to wound repair?

Answer 11

What structures are underneath:
Cannon bone
Muscles
Extensor tendon
Hock joint (if synovial sepsis refer them quickly)

Challenges to wound repair:
Large wound – lots of dead space when sutured up (could put penrose drain in)
Get wound clean because it happened on something dirty
Flap doesn’t have good blood supply so might be lost

Question 12

what are the incisions around the wound

Answer 12

tension relieving incisions

Question 13

what is the purpose of bandaging a wound and what is not good about this bandage

Answer 13

Pressure to relieve oedema
But be careful so they don’t develop pressure sores

Not a good bandage:
Should have gap at back of hock as this is point of pressure sores
Bandage should go down to coronary band

Question 14

What structures are involved and what is the challenge in healing?

Answer 14

What structures are involved?
Gluteal muscles & bicep femoris
hip joint (tuber coxi)

Challenges:
Movement
Dead space
Tension & distractive forces
Cleanliness/tetanus
Big wound
Foreign bodies?

Question 15

what has been done to this wound?

Answer 15

Part sutured & drain in proximal part
Also swabs to absorb exudate

Question 16

what structures are involved and what are the challenges in healing?

Answer 16

Structures involved:
Skin
Muscle
Fracture radius?
Carpal joint

Challenges?
Dirty/ contaminated
Large wound/flap with poor blood supply
Tension on wound
Lot of movement
Foreign body?

Try to suture skin back on but know large portion will likely be lost

Question 17

does this wound look healthy?

Answer 17

Wound looks healthy

Flat and shiny granulation tissue = no infection

Could receive skin graft