Pad, pad, pad. Even with a TON of padding there will be friction. Try every different padding you can think of.
I’m so excited the Dynasplints are on. I promise yo will see results.
GREAT product!
[QUOTE=Kyzteke;7094999]
But I’m here alone, so I have to be realistic about what I can get down the foal…[/QUOTE]
They seem to like the taste. I have a yearling on it…and can give it to him with no halter on. It says 2cc of the paste per 100lbs but some people double dose for a little while.
I went the paste route with him rather than the liquid as he can go off his feed if you put stuff in his grain and as a large yearling, he gets more than most! He was very sick (long long long story) but is on the mend (yeah)and had a massive growth spurt once we got him feeling better. As in he is 13 months and over 15H and all leg. I’m hoping to put him on the pellets at some point and now have my other supper tall fill on the pellets.
Try gold bond powder on areas not open. I sprinkled that on, then used a tube sock with toes cut off, and then put splint on. Also lots of sheepskin over broken down areas. My filly has some “interesting” white markings on her legs from the results of the splints. She has no natural white markings! So glad progress is being made! Again, I can’t say enough good things about my experience.
I have used pharmaceutical grade tea tree oil to treat open sores - not on babies but my gelding has had some sores from his girth and it healed it up fabulously. I have also used it on my own kids cuts etc including a badly infected spider bite. Just a thought.
I am pulling for baby Prince!!
What a cutie. Hoping the best for him.
Best. Stuff. Ever!
For people too!
I had a number of pressure sores to deal with. It was difficult to know how much padding to put on. A lot of padding over the sore will place even more pressure on the area.
Fortunately in my case the sores mostly stayed small and manageable. Except for one that was on the front of his shin, beneath the knee. This one didn’t even seem to be under that much pressure but man did it cause problems! It became deep and ugly, and had to wrapped for many weeks after the splints came off.
Today, there are some areas of roany-white hair, and that large sore is now a small dry patch. I thinks it’s still deciding whether to grow hair or not!
I can also thank my experience for my ability to trim my own horses. I had a farrier from new Bolton center come out and we did digital radiographs of my filly after splinting was over. I learned how to trim from an expert using digital radiographs as a guide. It was awesome (expensive, but awesome). That was in 2007. I have since trimmed all of my horses since them including the mare who has remained barefoot. Not saying this is for everyone, but it was a huge positive thing that came out of a rather unfortunate situation.
Thank you for all of the great info. I will get the tea tree oil.
Right now the mare & foal are in a 12x24 stall with an attached 20x36 paddock. Yesterday I turned them out in a 100 x 200 grass paddock because mama really needed to move around. Prince played a little and then laid down.
He seems to be spending a lot of time up now. Before he would only get up to drink. Now he stays up for an hour or so at a time and is getting up every hour. That is definitely helping with the bed sores. Those are almost completely healed.
My vet suggested Adequan but wanted to run it by the Davis vets first. I have never given Adequan to a young foal before.
He is eating a small amount of the OCD pellets softened along with his milk pellet/creep feed.
I am attaching a photo of the wound from the wraps. I think I have been putting too much padding on.
You know those “doughnuts” that people put on bunions? You need something similar for the areas of tension. Ask the Dynasplint Rep about that.
I have given adequan on younger babies based upon the advice of my vet, with very good results.
Adequan is on indefinite back order so most likely it is a moot point, but I have known many foals who were treated with adequan.
Our clinic was told 2014 for more adequan. Pentosan is hard to find too. Check if you could use polyglycan.
I have Adequan. Still have not heard back from the Davis vet.
I asked the Dynasplint rep about the sores. He suggested the 8 hrs off/ 16 hrs on to give the wounds a break.
I will search for the wound doughnuts. I tried moleskin pads.
The wounds themselves look good (I know that is an odd statement) but being a human nurse, they have a healthy appearance to them. It appears to have a bit of granulation tissue in the middle. I’m sure they are being caused by pressure and friction, but they may need a pressure wrap to keep them in check (granulation tissue not overgrowing out of control) there is a great product called Equaide out there for granulation tissue. I have used it several times on lower leg wounds that were proud with great success. I would think having the wound open is probably very helpful, and as splinting time is reduced, it will get better faster. I am by no means an expert, but a thought I had (based on my experiences with the same splint, and similar wounds) would be to do a wrap over the leg from coronet band to knee and to create an area on top of the wrap for the friction to occur (slippery surface between wrap top and splint bottom. That way the friction is not the skin surface. Duct tape to duct tape would do this without compromising the efforts of the splint. It’s just to reduce the drag on the skin surface thus keeping it from getting worse. I think you will have no problem healing this once splinting is over, but I would think your goal is to just keep it from getting any larger. I like the tea tree oil idea too. Just some food for thought from someone who actually enjoys trouble shooting these problem scenarios (hence my chosen profession) 
But that being said, that rectangular strap over the fetlock is integral to the splints effectiveness, so it may need a static spot to sit. After all, the goal is to fix the deformity. You will be able to heal these wounds as long as they don’t get infected (and as I stated before, they look really healthy!)
Have had my R&R vet suggest Adequan and or Ichon for joint support of a filly of mine. Ichon is what they are using now since Adequan is on backorder till 2014.
Be careful with tea tree - I have seen it really scald skin when applied full strength. It can burn and sting on open wounds - and even cause blisters and hair loss.
It depends on the individual, and the purity of the oil used.
Spot test before putting on any wounds.
What about Tegaderm for the open wound? It will cover it with a clear, protective membrane, while allowing the wound to breathe and ooze. It will also keep anything like padding from sticking
Drs used it on me when I took a good portion of my knee and chin off in a riding accident - didn’t leave enough to stitch. This stuff was wonderful for treating the wounds.
http://www.exmed.net/p-1188-3m-tegaderm-sterile-transparent-wound-dressing.aspx
I believe they sell it at walgreens etc these days. Large sheets can be purchased from medical supply placed.
When I had a filly who had exposed the back of her hindleg from just below the hock to just above the pastern, we were give silver sulfadiazine cream for the wound. It has antibiotic properties and is often used on burn victims. Your vet can call in a prescription to your pharmacy.
Continued jingles from FL!
[QUOTE=genevieveg17;7099934]
Thank you for all of the great info. I will get the tea tree oil.
Right now the mare & foal are in a 12x24 stall with an attached 20x36 paddock. Yesterday I turned them out in a 100 x 200 grass paddock because mama really needed to move around. Prince played a little and then laid down.
He seems to be spending a lot of time up now. Before he would only get up to drink. Now he stays up for an hour or so at a time and is getting up every hour. That is definitely helping with the bed sores. Those are almost completely healed.
My vet suggested Adequan but wanted to run it by the Davis vets first. I have never given Adequan to a young foal before.
He is eating a small amount of the OCD pellets softened along with his milk pellet/creep feed.
I am attaching a photo of the wound from the wraps. I think I have been putting too much padding on.[/QUOTE]
We had a filly that came down with a really nasty joint ill in a hock. She was a failure of passive transfer case that received plasma etc.
At a few weeks old she had to have joint arthrodesis to clean out some necrotic areas. She was put on Adequan weekly until she was cleared to leave the surgical facility I think about 30 days or so. Then got it monthly till she was a yearling.
Her joint was clean at last Xrays before she started her performance career.
