Hello all,
My mare cut herself a few weeks ago below her hock. It was healing well be recently developed proud flesh. I have been treating it and was able to work back the overgrowth. Now a few things, the skin around the wound is starting to flake off, I have been hand walking her and wrapping the wound every other day/every couple days.
Any tips or tricks?
I am trying to keep her experiences good and avoid her getting shy with her legs being handled. I have taken this down time to work on some tricks and such since ridding isnt an option, is there anything you guys would do during this downtime?
I do have pictures and can post them and update as it heals if you guys would like
Thanks
Keep her leg wrapped
I had good luck recently healing proud flesh.
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Vet removed proud flesh that was raised above hair line
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Kept area wrapped at all times
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Changed wrap every day until wound was drastically improved
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Manuka honey and turmeric dressing on wound under wrap
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With a fresh, large, open, gaping leg wound, you start with an antibiotic dressing, like Biozide (my favourate) to keep it from getting infected (plus injectable antibiotics if necessary). After that stage is completed (maybe a week?), you switch to a mild irritant, (like furacin) to encourage proud flesh to grow and fill the hole. When the hole is filled (a week or two) with proud flesh, you get a “button” of proud flesh. At that point, you switch dressings again, to a “proud flesh inhibitor”, to sculpt and dry the proud flesh down to skin surface, which dessicates the injury, and new skin grows over it. Many different “proud flesh inhibitors” are available, it used to be “white lotion” but this is no longer available. Meat tenderizer works too. Proud flesh inhibitors will often sting when applied, but you don’t need to apply it very often. A couple of times (once daily) will usually do the trick to finish off the healing and recovery process. You may or may not need to bandage at this point. Figure out where you are in this scenario, and act accordingly. “Old” and set and dried proud flesh that was allowed to grow to be a problem and not reduced in size at the opportune moment has to be excised by a vet… but if you don’t allow that to happen in the first place by switching the dressings at the right moment, this can be avoided. Good luck!
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Preparation H and keep wrapped, if possible, until you see regrowth of tissue. It’s worked for me many times.
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I’m basically an advocate of debride, then “don’t overtreat” wrt proud flesh.
Debride with a #10 blade, wrap it, and change the bandage as indicated.
Many of the treatments recommended above in this thread cause damage to the new epithelium attempting to migrate over the granulation bed, and that delays healing.
they may also increase the inflammatory response, which, while essential in the initial phase of wound healing, slows healing later on.
Bandaging can help or hinder, depending on location of the wound and materials used. A primary dressing of an absorbent nature, such as foam, which will absorb wound exudate as well as preventing drying out of the granulation bed will help. The bandage should be changed often enough that the bandage materials do not collect exudate and become wet.
Avoid any temptation to scrub the wound.
One of the benefits of bandaging is to limit movement.
ETA: if you have any furacin ointment, toss it in the trash, along with the caustic powder and the meat tenderizer.
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I have been using a diaper, vet wrap and polos for bandage. The cut is at an awkward spot that makes the bandages shift.
I took it off and let her have the day off from about 3 hours (vet said it was okay) when I came back a couple hours later she had a dry blood on the wound and dripping down her leg. I hosed it off with warm water and rebandaged it.
I have been using Neosporin before I started treating for proud flesh.
I too have had great luck with Manuka honey. Mixed mine with a bit of Silver Lining Power Dust. I used a 4 x 4 square with honey mixture, brown gauze over that, quilted leg wrap, polo wrap & duct tape. Wrap above & below wound to help keep in place. I would keep it covered until the healing process is further along. Good luck!
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I have had great luck with Dermagel and GranulexV for proud flesh. Both help to keep the granulated tissue from taking over…
I am a big fan of Dermagel.
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Yes I much prefer it over the GranulexV, but that has been great for me in a couple of situations as well.
I wasn’t aware it’s now in spray form
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=8a8ddf96-5607-49a9-b22b-3232f6a6e9fe&grp=UUUU&grpc=UUUU&grpsc=UUUU&ccd=IGO057&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-OeBBhDiARIsADyBcE4R6qQwnp5aey6x7dtcFiuRoe7fpTaVRezE2D3Hir4sh_Z_mqLvqh4aAkJOEALw_wcB
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It’s been around in spray form for quite awhile.
Fortunately I haven’t needed anything for proud flesh in a long time 
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Without actually seeing your bandage, the diaper seems like a less than ideal bandage. It’s easy for that to get saggy and cause friction, which will encourage proud flesh.
I generally bandage with something like zero form, biozide, or SSD. Then telfa, kling, followed by either standing wrap, sheet cotton, or an elastikon bandage.
Unless a person is experienced in bandaging knees and hocks with standing wraps or sheet cotton, and elastikon bandage is probably the easiest to apply.
The hand walking may cause more issues that it solves, if it causes the bandage to rub. Hand grazing should be good, though.
My biggest problem is I put the ointment on the pad and while Im trying to wrap the vet wrap on something slips so I can never manage to get ointment directly on the wound. Not no mention the Neosporin spreads like frozen butter.
try to keep it inside your coat while doing other things… this will warm it up to make it easier to spread on the wound. Maybe a maxipad would be easier than a diaper?
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I love this stuff and their tzon wound cream as well. Its expensive and “natural” but I swear it works better/faster and is easier to work with than all the chemically stuff.
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I had tried a maxi pad and did like it because it didnt get so heavy and seemed to keep the ointment more directly on and didnt absorb it like the diaper does. Only I like how the diaper wings wraps around her leg, makes it easier to hold with one hand while im trying to get the vet wrap on. Luckily she is such a good girl. I have been able to take care of her leg by myself the last two times.
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I put dressing on a non stick pad, regular gauze pad over that, then that flimsy brown gauze in a roll to lightly hold in place. Cover that with cotton sheeting and finally vet wrap and duct tape or moon boot if needed
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