proud flesh (WARNING new pics 3/29)

KarinUS

KarinUS

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May 20, 2001
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I am still all freaked out about DJ's leg injury. Vet won't be able to get out until next week and since it's on a tough spot on the leg (as well as simply too late) they wouldn't be able to suture it anyway.
Also no heat or swelling so they don't consider it an emergency.
I have a general farm call next week and they will check on the leg then.
I've been putting ointment on every day and bandaging it because out terrible sand just sticks to everything.
So with the ointment from the feedstore the wound has changed significantly in just 2 days.
It seems to be less blubber and open and getting more pink tissue and growing in.
BUT: I've never seen proud flesh. How do I know if the new tissue is good tissue or bad tissue?
Would it be normal for a leg wound to have a bit of a ridge around the edge?
 
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Generally we do not like putting anything on wounds, just clean and bandage about every two days to start with checking there is no yellow discharge (infection) or serum (sticky clear fluid...call vet immediately) if near joint.

Ideally wound will heal from the inside out and if any proud flesh starts to develop your vet will probably give you a steroid cream to reduce it with. Post a photo if you are not sure!
 
I have a photo and will post it but WARNING it is grissly and the ointment I've been putting on is yellow goop so may affect what it looks like. Coming up shortly...
 
Yeah I was going to request a photo too! We have one with a similar-sounding wound & although it looks horrible is actually coming along quite nicely - looks can be deceptive sometimes.
 
The worst thing they did was outlaw dermobion, now that was one FABULOUS proud flesh treatment!!!

Will wait to see pics but i used manuka honey on E's grisly injuries and I ended up with NO proud flesh at all :)
 
Okay here we go:
DJleg322.jpg

A lot of the goopyness is from the ointment which is bright yellow in color and the consistency of vaseline.
I can leave it off but then the wound dries out and sticks to the bandage.

I am no expert but it actually looks a little less 'gaping' than it did a few days ago. But now I am not sure if the 'less gaping' means it's healing or if it means something is going badly.
 
hmmmm instead of vaseline ib leathering manuka on that :)

Also in about a week or so's time id be leaving the bandage off if it was my horse, the moist warm enviroment just screams for over granulation.

But hey its not my horse so will leave it at that :) It IS nice and healthy looking :)

PS I can dig out E's injury efforts if you want to compare :)
 
I know. I get weak knees every day I change the bandage!
I left it off for a bit but we live in an area where the ground is all fine sand (imagine a whole pasture made from beach sand). It seriously gets everywhere!

I've been putting leg fly covers around his leg for a day or two. Maybe I can do that again (get air to it, but keep flies off). It's a mesh like a fly mask. The wound is just pretty high up so if it slips down it's exposed again.
djboot650.jpg


(PS: I am not using vaseline. I was just trying to describe the consistency.)
 
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I am no expert but I have to say it looks nice and clean. Will take a photo of ours tomorrow to compare - hers is like that but almost 3 weeks after the injury occured! Although it looks nasty we have been just cleaning it with sterile water and leaving it undressed, even in the paddock. What you could do is wrap it with clingfilm and bandage on top, the clingfilm won't stick to the wound.
 
joosie said:
I am no expert but I have to say it looks nice and clean. Will take a photo of ours tomorrow to compare - hers is like that but almost 3 weeks after the injury occured! Although it looks nasty we have been just cleaning it with sterile water and leaving it undressed, even in the paddock.
Click to expand...
This is 1 week past injury for us. Thanks!
 
KarinUS said:
I know. I get weak knees every day I change the bandage!
I left it off for a bit but we live in an area where the ground is all fine sand (imagine a whole pasture made from beach sand). It seriously gets everywhere!
I've been taping leg fly covers around his leg for a day or two. Maybe I can do that again (get air to it, but keep flies off)
djboots650.jpg


(PS: I am not using vaseline. I was just trying to describe the consistency.)
Click to expand...

Sorry, Ive known people to not for detrimental reasons but to stop bandage rubs, so wasnt a dig :)

Honestly slap the honey on keeps flies etc out and if you want to put fly mesh on then it wont do any harm :)

Bummer about the sand tho x
 
Looks nasty but fortunately not to deep, I would go for keeping clean and bandaged until vet can come.

We have had a couple of deep leg injuries to deal with ( one involved seeing bone and tendons through the wound :cold: ) and this is what we do..

Initial vet to check any damage to underlying structures (tendons etc) High dose antibiotics.

Clean wound with saline solution/dilute hibiscrub and dress with non stick dressing, lint roller bandage, gamgee, Stocking in tube (like tubigrip but not so elastic), vetwrap and tape the end.

Repeat every 2-3 days until wound looks dry and then replace non stick dressing with normal sterile dressing and dress daily. Any sign of infection, joint capsule leak, proud flesh recall vet and treat as necessary.

Seems to have worked all our serious injuries on lower legs heal with no scar.
 
My mare had a very similar injury years ago. I was told to bandage it am and pm and to keep the bandages tight as the pressure would help to stop the proud flest appearing. This was a long time ago sothinking may have changed. I had to bathe it with salt water then cover with a dressing (no cream) then 3 bandages, keeping the pressure up. 1st bandage was a regular 'human' bandage to hold the dressing in place. Second was a Vetwrap elasticated bandage and then it was covered in gamgee and bandaged with a cotton leg bandage.

Despite this, part of it did develop proud flesh and the vet sedated her and (uuugh!) sliced it off. The bottom parts of your horse's wound look v healthy to me. The top looks a little like my mare's did as the proud flesh developed. Despite sounding gross, the process of taking the proud flesh off was done quickly and easily.

Healing vibes xxx
 
I would not be putting manuka honey on it at this stage - you'll only increase the potential for more granulated tissue. If its already flush with the skin, then its already overgranulated - those lumpy bits certainly suggest it is.
I would stop applying anything, with the exception of antibacterial salves if necessary.

A pressure bandage can help with stopping the proudflesh, but be really careful.

If you can get some melonin, or a pad dressing that won't stick to the wound, use that.
 
I was not too well!! For what it is worth, hard to tell from photo, discounting the yellow stuff I don't see any major issue with the wound as yet but I would be bandaging and not putting on any creams.

Nasty injury, do you know how it was done?
 
My best guess is he got tangled in some electric fence tape (it's wide and white so easily visible but very tough to break and it has thin aluminum wires woven in to carry the electric charge). With the ground so dry it doesn't always ground well enough to really pop them if the lean on the fence so he must have tried to get to some spring grass, got tangled and panicked. I found the downed fence section and the plastic clips that popped off, so while trying to get away the tape wire must have cut into his leg. The more superficial cuts already healed and have hair growing too! But there's big doozy on top. :(
 
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