What's your go-to topical for cuts?

How bad is the cut? My first reaction to this thread was “soap, water, and air.” :wink:

I’ve become a fan of Silver Honey for anything that looks like it won’t fix itself in a day. Particularly, it has done a good job on wounds that have acted like they want to get proud fleshy or that have already started showing some granulation. Also great for canine hotspots, if you can prevent the dog from tearing off a bandage and licking it off.

I keep silver sulf in the tack trunk, mostly because I’m done needing it for the reason it was prescribed for me…

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Surface = Nolvasan.
Penetrating = Equaide.

Corona ointment after hosing. Keeps abrasions/scrapes moist in low humidity environment. Also keeps flies off. Real wounds get washed out with Epsom salts and betadine. Glued up as needed. Then covered in sulfa powder mixed into bacon grease as a salve, then wrapped. Very old school but never any proud flesh or scaring.

I know it is cleaner, but Corona in a tube isn’t as satisfying as the big tub, with all the finger scoop marks.

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Agree! A friend told me about it and I am now a HUGE fan. Equaide helped heal a couple of clean cuts in hard-to-suture places (rear pastern just below cannon, throatlatch). It stays on through rain or pond-stomping and keeps infection out.

My vet just introduced me to Vetasan, which is 4% chlorohex ointment. Seems to work really great. Also like the silver honey. I have Vetricyn but have never really loved it. Might need to give it another go after seeing this thread.

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Nolvasan when they’re fresh and ouchy, Furazone once they start healing but flesh is torn, Corona when it’s a scrape. I have Vetricyn and Silver Honey both in my kit, and will use either one of those when I think they might work better for whatever reason.

Vetricyn is modeled after Dakin’s solution hospitals use for human bed sores. You can make your own easily.

Has anyone else ever heard of or used Underwood’s before? I have a bottle of it but fortunately no cause to use it so far. I know people that swear by it for really nasty cuts, etc.

It’s been a while, but I know people who’ve used it for truly awful lacerations and been very happy with the results.

YES! It is great for summer sores, hock sores, etc. I have also heard it is great for large wounds. You apply it and then squirt baking powder on it. It essentially makes a natural bandaid and the tissue heals. It is good stuff!

I would use underwood’s for something big and nasty (and have when a previous horse took all the skin off of her knee). It works well but it’s messy IMO.

My current go to is the wound ointment from E3. It’s a zinc based ointment which seems to repel bugs and help the hair grow back a little quicker. I also use Nolvasan ointment (and almost always use Nolvasan instead of betadine to clean wounds, it’s what all my vets use too now) about as much as the E3. The Nolvasan is just a bit thinner/ runnier so depending on location the E3 works better.

I also have and sometimes, rarely, use the Silver Honey. It’s okay? I have the tube of paste and the spray. I used it on my horse’s surgical site on her hoof (the spray was super helpful at first and then as it grew out I packed with the paste). It worked well and I liked that both consistencies made it so that it was “drier” than other ointments I’ve used which would soak through gauze and spread. It healed nicely but not sure it did anything amazing. I may have to use it in my next fleshy cut to see if I notice a difference.

I also have other ointments from over the years, namely a betadine ointment that is thick as all heck but will melt in the summer.

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I usually wash it and then let nature do it’s thing. If it’s fly season I put on Vaseline or SWAT. Otherwise nothing unless the wound appears to not be healing well. When I first got into horses I would put all sorts of stuff on wounds but then my vet said it’s best to leave them be.

I really like Tri-Care. You can layer it on thick and it will keep the wound clean for a couple of days easily. I like to use it whenever conditions are muddy as it really lasts through the worst of water and mud. Good that it also has a fly repellent, too. Wounds always seem to heal really fast.

My vet just recommended Vetosan for a good sized gash on my horse’s leg.