Scrape/cut on back of pastern on hind leg

[Pico_Banana]

My horse got a cut/scrape on the back of her pastern on her left hind a couple of weeks ago. I cleaned it and put silver spray on it. I’ve been topping off the silver spray every day (every few days also cleaning it but am worried that if I clean every day it’s irritating the wound) but I just can’t get the thing to heal. I’m wondering if whether the grass in her paddock is rubbing it enough that the silver spray is just is constantly being rubbed off and irritated. It doesn’t help that the grass is wet in the morning. Any thoughts on how to treat it better so I can get it to heal?

She’s stuck in her stall for a bit this morning as it’s raining and I put a different wound gel on it (EMT gel) and then slipped an Equifit silver sock over it and taped the end to her hoof to keep it down.

I do have the option to keep her in a dry lot so maybe I should do that for a few days?

It seems to be mildly infected because she’s got some swelling. Nothing truly alarming but I don’t like it.

When it first happened she did have a lot of swelling and I spoke to my vet. She recommended bute for a few days plus ice plus movement. That definitely got the initial swelling down but like I said, I just can’t get the underlying wound to heal.

This is a total stream of consciousness post but that’s all I have in me this morning.

[trubandloki]

Are you sure you are dealing with a cut/scrape and not something like scratches/rain rot/dew poisoning?

[Pico_Banana]

Yes, I’m pretty sure. I think I know how she got it - stepped on something pointy/sharp that has since been removed.

[Arlomine]

Post a photo or two. There are very different treatments for different wounds. If it’s still not healed by now, it’s likely a proud flesh issue.

If it’s infected, send a photo to vet and plan on a visit. If it is proud flesh that has excessive granulation, you’ll also probably need a vet visit to slice the offending bubble off and then you’re going to have to wrap with some pressure to keep the margins flat enough for them to close.

It’s possible there is a foreign body in it. If you suspected a puncture wound initially, getting the vet out is important. I learned that the hard way several decades ago.

[walktrot]

There is a;product called Equiade that does what the maker says is does. It is amazing on proud flesh. I have used it on new wounds to help with healing and to prevent proud flesh from developing. It comes in a small jar, with a tiny brush, and a popsicle stick to stir ir up. You usuallly need to add a little water to stir it up when it sits around between uses,

I have used it to eliminate old proud flesh. My horse came with proud flesh on the back of a pastern - it was several lines a few inches long crisscrossing, parallel to the floor… Proud flesh doesn’t have nerves. You scratch off as much as you can, then paint the Equiade on. I was amazed. There is one line I haven’t worked on yet. Three or four are gone.

I have used it on hock sores and various cuts when they are cleaned up. You can continue using it without removing all of it. I soak the area with a wet pad and clean up without much rubbing. Paint some on. Copper sulfate eats flesh. It doesn’t care if it is healthy or damaged so you have to be careful to keep it inside the margins of the wound.

I’ve ordered from the company and Amazon. It looks ridiculously expensive until you use it and it works.

[RedHorses]

I would be scrubbing the wound open and doing hot compresses for several days to draw out infection and potential foreign bodies. I do this from the start if I suspect a puncture or deeper wound or any sign of infection, but it’s also my go to for any wound that doesn’t seem to be healing.

If the wound is low enough you could hot soak in a bucket if your horse will cooperate. I like the compress a bit better because I can see what I’m getting out on the towel. Occasionally I have found the foreign object in the goop on the towel.