Poultice for "sprained ankles"?

[FiFihead]

Hi,

I don’t even know how to spell poultice (I guess it;'s right now) but I’ve had horses for decades and never used this. A horse has developed lameness and is negative to the vet’s hoof testers and she recommended poultice and daily wrapping. The very minor swelling that was there seemed to go down and we have a date for me to recheck the horse under saddle for more extensive diagnostics if he’s still lame/off on Dec 2. I get back into town on Dec 1.

Can someone sing the praises of poultice rather than a wet-to-dry bandage?

Thank you.

[trubandloki]

@FiFihead

Hi,

I don’t even know how to spell poultice (I guess it;'s right now) but I’ve had horses for decades and never used this. A horse has developed lameness and is negative to the vet’s hoof testers and she recommended poultice and daily wrapping. The very minor swelling that was there seemed to go down and we have a date for me to recheck the horse under saddle for more extensive diagnostics if he’s still lame/off on Dec 2. I get back into town on Dec 1.

Can someone sing the praises of poultice rather than a wet-to-dry bandage?

Thank you.

What do you mean by a wet-to-dry bandage in this situation?
How is the vet suggesting you use the poultice?

My experience with poultice is that it is basically a form of wet to dry. Put on wet poultice, cover with wet paper and a wrap. Next morning the poultice has dried.

[IPEsq]

I wouldn’t use poultice that many days in a row. Clay poultice is pretty mild stuff, but I think enough days of wet under a bandage, and you will get some skin irritation. I would probably switch to just a dry bandage for compression and ice or cold hose at bandage changes if there is still some swelling.

If there is lameness, I would treat this as an injury.

[FiFihead]

Sorry!

I was out of town. Did that the days before TG and he’s been unwrapped since. Will ride tommorrow to see if he comes up lame because my vet is coming out for others on Monday. She can fit in radiographs and ultrasounds.

[beau159]

@FiFihead

I don’t even know how to spell poultice (I guess it;'s right now) but I’ve had horses for decades and never used this. A horse has developed lameness and is negative to the vet’s hoof testers and she recommended poultice and daily wrapping. The very minor swelling that was there seemed to go down and we have a date for me to recheck the horse under saddle for more extensive diagnostics if he’s still lame/off on Dec 2. I get back into town on Dec 1.

Can someone sing the praises of poultice rather than a wet-to-dry bandage?

I was out of town. Did that the days before TG and he’s been unwrapped since. Will ride tommorrow to see if he comes up lame because my vet is coming out for others on Monday. She can fit in radiographs and ultrasounds.

What did your vet find?

Seems odd to suggest poultice when there is external swelling. I’d first want to rule-out a tendon injury.

[mmeqcenter]

@beau159

Seems odd to suggest poultice when there is external swelling.

Isn’t a main use/purpose of poultice to reduce inflammation??

[cnd8]

Sweat wraps would be my first go-to, not poultice. Furazone, plastic wrap, a standing wrap or pillow wrap and vet wrap. On 12, off 12.

[mmeqcenter]

Sure, everyone has their preferences for their go-to, I’m just confused by the statement that suggesting poultice is odd.

[beau159]

@mmeqcenter

Isn’t a main use/purpose of poultice to reduce inflammation??

Sure, everyone has their preferences for their go-to, I’m just confused by the statement that suggesting poultice is odd.

Because if you, for example, have a torn DDFT, all the poulticing in the world isn’t going to help, and you have to manage it appropriately.

The part that is odd to me is that vet first suggested poulticing and didn’t want to do diagnostics FIRST to figure out what was wrong with a lame horse. Unless I misunderstood the OP’s post.

[cnd8]

I didn’t say that.

[mmeqcenter]

Ah I see, apologies for the misunderstanding.

But I have had vets tell me we have to get the swelling down in order to see anything on the xray or ultrasound, so I have done sweats or poultice for a few days, then the vet comes back to xray or ultrasound.
Also, for people working on a budget, it can be useful to first see if it resolves on its own with standard first aid, before spending money on further diagnostics.

[mmeqcenter]

I know. My first comment was to beau. You responded to my question that was being asked of someone else.

[RedHorses]

My vets have said the same often enough that I do the things to reduce inflammation and swelling for several days before calling the vet. Vets have expressed appreciation at having the excess swelling reduced so they can get a clearer image.