Leg wounds and Back on Track leg wraps?

[Sun_Hill_Farm]

Well, it finally happened. All of Mare’s stall kicking, despite screwing rubber conveyor belts onto the stall walls, has finally resulted in a serious puncture wound right on the front of her fetlock, and another higher up on her cannon bone, only mm from that big vein coming down from the hock. (Don’t ask me how she did this–I have scoured her living quarters and can’t find the culprit–I am going to have to move her.)

The vet has me wrapping the leg from hock to hoof with cotton batting and tightly securing with vet wrap, to be removed every three days to inspect the wounds and clean again. Underneath this wrap are telfa pads over the wounds, held in place by a bit of vet wrap.

I happen to have on hand some Back on Track leg wraps which I use to keep her circulation up in our very cold winters. Would these be suitable for wrapping her legs instead of the cotton batting and vet wrap?

1. How much of this treatment is about compression? IOW, do I need to stick with batting/wrap because it delivers needed compression? I could wrap the BOT leg wraps tightly, but I don’t think as uniformly tight as the cotton batting.

2. Does the ceramic technology in the BOT help or hurt healing in a situation like this? Do we want warmth and increased circulation for puncture wounds? Would it be detrimental?

Seems to me the leg wraps would be better because they are easy to put on and take off, meaning I could check the wounds daily. Plus I just spent a small fortune on vet wrap ($3/roll), gauze, and other materials and could just take it all back to the feed store.

Has anyone done this? Pros and cons?

[event101]

As someone who was recently wrapping a leg wound for several weeks, I would stick with the cotton batting and vet wrap (or elasticon, stays in place better than vet wrap). I think there is a benefit to the compression, and there is more opportunity for dirt/bedding to get under the back on track wraps. Once the wound closes, you could probably switch to the BoT wraps. No idea on if the ceramic helps or not! Good luck!

[Martina]

Having dealt with leg wounds, definitely keep on with the bandaging per vet’s rec. The BOT wraps are nice but really can’t get as tight, nor provide the protection the bandage would.

Once the risk of swelling is over, you may consider just the telfa bandage and Elastikon. Elastikon is waterproof and stays put like no other bandage.

[Sun_Hill_Farm]

So is the purpose of the compression to control swelling?

Not having dealt with a puncture wound before, I wasnt sure why the leg should be wrapped tightly.

The vet texted me back this evening and said the BOT wraps would be fine. My trainer also thought they’d be fine. I am covering the current bandage with a xc ski gaiter to keep it clean and dry. Would do the same with the BOT.

If I hadn’t heard back from them I would follow your advice and abandon the idea, but now I think I’ll try it for a day and see if it does the job.

[Demerara_Stables]

You may get some slipping of the vetrap/telfa under the BoT. When I wrap a leg laceration, I do telfa, then vetrap, then secure the top and bottom of the vetrap with one strip of elastikon around the leg. Mine get turned out like this and the wrap will stay for days if I leave it.

Like this

[Sun_Hill_Farm]

thank you! The Elasticon stuff is very spendy ($14/roll) but I don’t mind using it just top and bottom as you showed. Will that stay in place under a BOT leg wrap, do you think?

[Demerara_Stables]

You’re welcome!

Ya it’s not cheap I’ve found it on Amazon occasionally for a few bucks off. ETA a little over $10 if you buy a pack https://a.co/d/007s4sr7. Make sure to get the 4 inch.

Yes, I think it will stay under the BoT. There’s a handy red line in the middle of the elastikon - I put half of the elastikon on the vetrap and the other half on the leg.

[Pico_Banana]

Get the elasticon or the 3M alternative from Amazon in a six pack. You will need it eventually and it’s much cheaper. I actually like to have the 2 inch wide one. Gives me more flexibility to use on both horses and dogs.

[atr]

Keep it in a controlled temperature if you are buying in bulk! The glue doesn’t like exposure to excessive heat or cold for long periods.

[Sun_Hill_Farm]

Thanks for the tips on elasticon. Took Mare on a long hike last night and she’s rarin’ to go, leg isn’t at all puffy. I think/hope we dodged a bullet. I’m going to ride her since she didn’t take a bad step, and I think the cotton batting will be more practical for that than the BOT, since it doesn’t generate heat. Trainer advises that exercise will be good for her healing. It’s the solstice, so out to enjoy that long daylight and wildflowers.

Thanks everyone for your advice!

[beowulf]

I would seeing what your vet says about these questions. I would think that the wrapping serves two purposes: keeping the site absolutely sterile, and compression keeping the inflammation down.

BOT has its place but it won’t do much to keep something completely clean or compressed. I used it with good luck after the initial recovery period for a nasty venomous spider bite. Once the necrotic tissue was under control, I’d wrap with batting and vet wrap, then put the BOT over it. That was really more to keep the wrapping from being exposed to dirt while the horse was turned out.

The BOT won’t keep things in place the way elasticon and vet wrap do, though.

I don’t believe the BOT will be any warmer than standard wraps. If anything it’d probably be more breathable.

Side note: I eventually graduated to fly boots for the purpose of keeping the site clean/free of any irritants once I didn’t have to wrap anymore.

[Rel6]

I was dealing with a long slice on a hind leg from below the hock to above the fetlock (inside of leg). What I was told was nonstick surgical pad, gauze wrap, topped with vet wrap until the wound stopped draining through the surgical pad. Then once it stopped draining, I could do non-stick pad with my BOT wraps on top.

I’d say ask your vet first, but I saw you already did