Terrible Tail Troubles (long)

["Sarah McIntosh" <smcintos@rapidnet.net>]

Hi guys:

 

I thought i would share my story with you guys so that some other horse might benefit.

 

It started one day when we were going for a ride.  I was giving her tail a quick brush and a bunch of hair came out.  I looked at her tail and saw a superficial wound on the underneath side of the dock.  Saffy seemed fine otherwise, so i put some Furacin on it and went riding.  I checked her a few days later (Saffy is boarded - i don't have property) and the tail seemed about the same.  more furacin.  Following weekend 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).

 

I seriously underestimed the severity of a tail wound - the main problem being i couldn't see the wounds in the hair.  It could have been a lot worse.  The spinal column or the tail bone could have gotten infected.

 

If only horses could talk.  No one knows how Saffy got the injury in the first place.  Could have been wire or a horse bite or a dog bite.

 

Saffy is real trooper and even when she was in terrible pain she never lashed out at me.  I use carrots and grain as rewards and do a little bit at a time.  Saffy really trusts me and i feel badly that i let her down.  This has brought us closer together though.  I will make her a fake tail to wear in the summer for the flies.

 

Hopefully this will help someone else avoid my mistakes.

 

Regards,

 

Sarah McIntosh & Saffy (mom, where is my tail?)