Horse Cuts & Lacerations - The Healing Process & Time Needed To Heal
This information is presented as general guidance. It is not intended to replace the services of a licensed veterinarian, or an "on the scene" evaluation. Please remember that as with treating any medical condition, the first and most important principle is to do no harm. Do not do anything that you feel might make the condition worse or result in a new injury. If in doubt, better to err on the side of calling your veterinarian!
Help Topics :
- Maintaining The Wound Site
- Amount Of Time Needed For The Wound To Close
- How The Wound Should Look When It Has Healed
Maintaining The Wound Site
A beneficial "healing environment" is created when the wound is clean and the natural flora (which is necessary for cell regeneration) is not destroyed through the use of harsh chemicals.
NOTE: The worst thing that you can do in treating a wound it to use Alcohol, Full Strength Iodine or Peroxide on it. This is a very common practice but these products actually burn or dry out the area causing damage to healthy tissue and making the wound slower to heal.
If the wound could not be effectively cleaned, or if there are signs of infection then you should consult your veterinarian who may suggest antibiotic treatments, Tetanus toxoid or antitoxin injections.
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Amount Of Time Needed For The Wound To Close
There are many factors that can impact the amount of time for the wound to close. For example:
- - What kind of first aid did the wound initially receive?
- - What is the location and severity of the wound?
- - How often is the wound being treated?
- - How well is the wound being protected?
Our friends at SCHREINER'S HERBAL SOLUTION ® have a lot of experience with many different types of wounds. They advise that on average it will take between 6 and 8 weeks to have complete closure. Smaller wounds may take only 3 or 4 weeks, while very severe wounds could take longer than 8 weeks.
Wounds on horses are usually slow to heal, especially in the lower limbs. Wounds in the body regions heal at an average of 0.2 mm per day, while wounds on the limb only heal at an average rate of 0.09 mm per day.
The lower limb areas are primarily comprised of bone, tendons and ligaments and lack underlying muscle. The skin is difficult to effectively suture because it is relatively thin and the surface is tense. Even after wounds are sutured, they tend to break open due to the excessive tension and motion. Wounds located in this area are usually the ones that produce "Proud Flesh".
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How The Wound Should Look When It Has Healed
When properly treated, most wounds should have only minimal scarring without a change in hair color.
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