Pedigree Query

neighbors horse dont know how, but tore flesh and muscle off to the bone, between fetlock and hock. she's trying to figure out how to get the swelling down above the bandage without getting the wound wet.

Good drugs, ice packs and a good vet.

Whenever I have had to treat that kind of injury, I built a cast from the knee to the hoof to immobilize the fetlock. Cast needs to be changed daily and wound needs to be hard-hosed, debrided, treated etc. Lots of work and six months, but the horse will recover.

She's got a good vet,just worried about the swelling. Nasty looking but should heal.he got her keeping it packed with biozide giving antibiotics etc. She's just trying to figure out how to keep ice above it easily. Vet said no water on wound at this time so cold hosing is out.

How about the gel cold packs that you buy and put in the freezer? They are supposed to last quite a while and there would be no water involved, they would just be cold.

If she doesn't like the look of the swelling? Ask the vet that's treating the horse. Sometimes people don't understand the complexities and get excited over what they see. For example? You can wrap a leg only so far and thereby push the fluid up but it is there by process. If it is wrapped so tight that circulation is impinged it may look better to the eye but now it's not going to heal as well, if at all. With an injury like this she needs to stay on the vet's track. Inflammation and edema are a symptom of the problem. The wound itself is the problem. If the vet that's treating it thinks there is somethng more to be done? By all means do it but remember it's a horse. What you'd do for a person might not be so good for a horse because if you make them feel better to soon? The chance is they'll hurt themself by using the limb or otherwise.
I do speak from experience, though not as serious as this but 3 months with a lower leg that was bitten by a brown recluse Christmas 2011. It required daily care for a long time. I wish her the best.