Re: RC: Terrible Tail Troubles (long)

[Trishmare@aol.com]

Last summer my horse David objected to being loaded in a friend's trailer.  
Being a horse who is much given to making extreme gestures when he desires to 
make a point, at our repitition of the suggestion that he go in, he flipped 
over instead.  Yes, all the way up and back and over.  His tail doubled back 
under him (or rather, over his back) and he scrapped it very badly on the 
surface of the gravel drive we were loading him on.  (Though he didn't break 
it, as I originally thought he must've . . . thank the Powers That Be!)   The 
wound looked *very* nasty, though close inspection revealed it was mostly 
surface skin which had been scrapped off . . . still, it seemed like a lot of 
skin was missing, and in such a tender, sensitive, and easily contaminatable 
area!   
    I washed the area very carefully, making sure it was clean and all there 
was no gravel or dirt left in it.   Then I decided to leave it alone, see 
what happened.  In my experience, wounds I've left alone (except for keeping 
clean) seem to heal better and faster than wounds I've tried to "help" along 
with creams, gels, or what have you.  My farrier was out a few days later, 
and at this point the wound was still very nasty looking . . . he suggested I 
get a squirt bottle, fill it with (forget what he suggested, some antibiotic 
liquid?  Betadine?  Can't remember . . .) and squirt it on the wound . . 
.though he said it would likely sting like heck, so stay out of kicking range 
when I attempted this.   Well, I couldn't bear to do something like that, and 
although putting some kind of antibiotic on it seemed like it might be a good 
idea, what I did instead was run running water from a hose over it two or 
three times a day, every day.   I did this until the wound was completely 
closed over and new skin had grown.  
    It healed beautifully, no scarring (which I'd worried about, because this 
is skin which needs to be very flexible for David to swish his tail easily), 
no problems, nothing.  Other than giving him an extra scoop of vitamins each 
evening, I didn't do anything more than this.
    Of course, a scrape is not the same thing as a laceration.  But this 
method worked well for us.  David would've hated anything "stingy" put there, 
but he loves baths and was very co-operative with this method.

Trish & pretty David 
Grand Blanc, Michigan 

<< came out to ride, tail seems more sensitive.  Take another look and notice 
that there are lacerations in the hair at the bottom of the dock.  Hobble 
horse (thankfully had taught her this in the fall) and cut off a whole bunch 
of hair underneath so i can see what is happening.  It is horrible.  
Infection and blood in a crusty mess.  wash with betadine in water and put on 
Hibitane cream (antifungal antibacterial).  Gave her a shot of penicillin.  2 
days later repeat.  Cut off more hair.  Then it gets worse.
 
 Dec 27 go to see Saffy.  Notice immed. that about 3 inches of tail is GONE, 
leaving a bloody stump end.  I just about tossed my lunch.  Called vet. 4 
hours later vet is here.  Sedate horse, shave off entire tail, cleans all 
wounds.  Put horse on major antibiotics, bute.  Using wet to dry gauze 
wrapped up.  change very day.  Seems to be getting better every day.  
 
 Hoping for best case senario, no further amputation of tail.  Vet had never 
seen a wound like this before on a horse.  Apparently common in cats and dogs 
(fights). >>


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