A37 Wound Management Emergency Treatments and First Aid Kit

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A37 Wound ManagementEmergency Treatmentsand
First Aid Kit
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Wound Management

• Every horse owner that has had horses for any
  length of time has seen and probably treated a
  horse with a laceration or wound.
• Some of the injuries may be minor, requiring only
  a little cleaning and maybe a bandage, while
  others require immediate first aid, sutures
  (stitches) and even surgery to repair.
• The suggestions given in the following
  information will help an owner identify what type
  of injuries require veterinary attention and what
  injuries can be handled at home.
• Information on how to apply various wraps and
  bandages will also be included.

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Step 1 - Stop the Bleeding

• The first step in treating a horse with a
  laceration is to stop excessive bleeding. If it
  is only a minor wound with a small amount of
  blood, apply pressure to the injury by hand using
  a clean gauze pad or piece of roll cotton.
• Apply direct pressure for about 3-5 minutes and
  then gently remove bandage. If the bleeding
  continues, reapply the bandage, or if it is blood
  soaked, use a new one.

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Bandaging a Wound

• Quick, appropriate treatment for any wound is
  essential. Any severe bleeding should be stopped
  and the wound should be cleaned. If the injury is
  a minor one that doesnt require stitches, the
  following steps should be taken.

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Clip the Hair Around the Wound

• The hair surrounding the injury should be
  clipped.

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Clean the Wound

• The wound and surrounding area should be
  thoroughly cleaned with alcohol and betadine
  scrubs until all contamination is removed.

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Clean the Wound
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Flushing the Wound

• The wound should also be flushed using dilute
  betadine or chlorhexidine. The flushing can be
  done using a spray bottle or a syringe with an 18
  gauge needle on it. These methods will provide
  sufficient pressure to remove the debris.

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Adding Antibiotic

• Place a topical antibiotic ointment on a sterile
  Telfa pad.
• Cover the wound area with the Telfa pad and
  antibiotic.

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Covering the Wound

• Hold the Telfa pad in place by wrapping it
  loosely with some gauze.
• Cover the wound completely with cotton or
  padding.

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Wrapping the Wound

• Vet wrap or Polo wraps can be used to cover the
  cotton or padding.
• Keep the vet wrap over the cotton only. If it is
  over the skin it may become too tight.
• Placing vet wrap directly on the skin can cause
  tissue damage if it constricts the blood flow.
• After the vet wrap is applied, at least one or
  two fingers should be able to be placed under the
  bandage.

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Securing the Vet Wrap

• Elastakon can be used to keep the bandage in
  place.
• Apply the Elastakon very loosely, top and bottom.

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Post Treatment

• The bandage should be kept dry and clean. It
  should be changed every other day or more often,
  if needed.

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Bandaging a Hock

• The procedure is similar to bandaging a wound
  lower on the limb.
• The bandage is wrapped above and below the hock.

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Bandaging a Hock

• Bandages on the hock have the tendency to slip
  down the leg.
• To help prevent this, it is often helpful to
  place another wrap below the bandage on the hock.
  
• The lower bandage can stop just above the fetlock
  or continue down to include the hoof.
• These bandages are often called stovepipe or
  stacked bandages.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Puncture wounds or abscesses on the bottom of the
  foot should usually be covered to prevent
  additional contamination.
• The first step is to prepare the foot to be
  covered.
• This means thoroughly scrubbing and disinfecting
  the bottom of the foot.
• A scrub brush and hoof pick and knife are
  essential tools.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Once the bottom of the foot has been completely
  cleaned, a small amount of betadine ointment can
  be used to cover the wound.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Gauze that has been soaked in betadine is then
  placed over the bottom of the foot and wound.
  This should be held in place with duct tape or an
  Easyboot.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• If duct tape will be used, a covering for the
  foot should be prepared before the foot has been
  cleaned. This picture shows how to make a
  covering out of overlapping strips of duct tape.
  The strips should be long enough to fully cover
  and then over-lap the bottom of the foot.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• The duct tape covering should be placed over the
  bottom of the foot.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Another strip of duct tape should be placed
  around the entire hoof wall to help hold the
  covering in place.
• Try not to wrap pieces of tape above the coronary
  band. Doing so may place unnecessary pressure and
  restrict blood flow.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Any long edges should be trimmed at the level of
  the coronary band.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• This is a picture of the final duct tape
  covering. This will help protect the bottom of
  the foot from additional contamination and will
  help to water proof the foot. When necessary,
  this type of bandage should be changed every day.

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Puncture Wounds of the Foot

• Because horses are so susceptible to tetanus, all
  horses with a puncture wound should receive a
  tetanus booster even if they have been vaccinated
  in the previous year.
• Puncture injuries require veterinary examination
  in almost all cases.

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First Aid Kits

• The following is list of items that every horse
  owner should have on hand in case of an
  emergency.
• All of these items are sold over the counter and
  therefore should be readily available to every
  horse owner.
• There are additional items that can be added to
  this list that can only be obtained from a local
  veterinarian.
• These items may include a single dose of
  Banamine, antibiotic eye ointment, and some type
  of oral or injectable antibiotic.

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First Aid Kits

• The most important item that goes along with any
  first aid kit is knowledge. It is critical that
  every horse owner know when and how to use each
  of the following items. More harm can be done if
  something is used improperly or under the wrong
  circumstances. Utilize the information found in
  section B of the Infovets Equine Manual and the
  discussion found on the following pages for
  additional help.

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Equine First Aid Kit

• Bandage material (sterile pads, cotton rolls,
  gauze, vet wrap, ace bandage)
• Phenylbutazone (bute)
• Antiseptic solution (betadine and alcohol on
  gauze pads in sealed container)
• Antiseptic ointment (Nolvasan ointment)
• Vitamin K
• Scissors or knife
• Hemostat
• Stethoscope
• Thermometer

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Equine First Aid Kit

• Easy boot
• Duct tape
• Hoof pick
• Syringes
• Tongue depressor
• Latex gloves
• Veterinarians phone number and a cell phone