JUNE/JULY 2011 THE RIDER /27
WHAT’S UP DOC From the desks of Dr’s Armstrong & Frost.
HALTON EQUINE VETERINARY SERVICES
What happens when your horse injures his foot?
Foot and distal pastern lacerations are extremely common in the horse, especially in the horse that lives outdoors. They are almost always caused by sharp metal objects.
These lacerations can have different shapes and forms, which is why they can affect multiple struc- tures in and around the foot.
The horse may or may not be immediately lame. Loss of blood is typically minimal.
A relatively frequent site of injury is the hoof wall itself, which often occurs in conjunction with lesions at the coronet band and/or heel bulbs.
An infected coffin joint, difficulty in healing and “proud flesh” are among the most common complications when the lat- ter are involved.
What should I do until my vet comes?
You should be aware that a severe wound to the foot may be life threaten- ing, but don’t panic!
Walk your horse to a dry and clean area, prefer- ably a stall, wipe off the gross contaminants and wrap the foot with whatev- er you find around. Any- thing is cleaner than con- tact with the ground. You want to be very careful about hosing, especially if the coronet band or heel bulbs are involved. These are close to vital synovial structures within the foot, like the coffin joint, the navicular bursa or the digi- tal tendon sheath. You could inadvertently “push” contaminants from the out- side, allowing them to reach these sensitive ele- ments.
What do we do about it now?
Hard to give a short answer. It basically depends on which elements are involved.
repaired with wires or heavy sutures. After repair, a foot bandage is applied. Unfortunately, these distal limb wounds are often subject to a lot of ten- sion every time your horse takes a step. This makes it very hard for them to heal with just sutures and a ban- dage. In such cases, a foot cast is indicated to immobi- lize the foot/pastern area. It typically needs to stay on for about 3 to 4 weeks and the horse kept in a con- fined, dry and clean area (a well kept shed is enough). It’s the best way to achieve a cosmetic and functional foot. It’s a light fiberglass cast, saves money and time in repeated bandaging and it can be taken care of at the farm. The results are impressive whether the lesion was initially sutured or not.
check for splinters in the paddock. Not an easy task. The reality is that no matter how diligent we are, our equine friends can manage to hurt themselves any- ways.
As for the foot in par- ticular, regular trimming and care are important. When the foot grows too much, any section of the excessive and irregular hoof can get trapped, resulting in the horse pulling on it until it gets free and thus hurting him- self. Preexisting hoof wall cracks may be a problem
too, specially those that reach the ground. It’s a week area over the hoof wall that also has the potential to get “caught”. The foot is a complex part of the horse’s digit. When it gets hurt, it requires care and atten- tion…..just like we do!! ---------
Do you have a ques- tion to Ask The Doc? Call (905) 659-4387 or email to:
info@hevs.ca, visit
www.hevs.ca or email The Rider at
barry@therider.com
843 Concession Rd. 1, Canfield ON N0A 1C0
2011 Team Ranch Sorting Points & Jack Pot Series Compete for Year end Trophies
One caveat: if your Veterinarian finds that a critical structure within the foot has been penetrated and is infected, he or she will treat it accordingly with aggressive antibiotic therapy until the infection is resolved. Only then can any sort of repair be insti- tuted.
Therapeutic shoeing (e.g. bars, clips, etc) and trimming is oftentimes required as part of the treatment for these foot injuries.
How to prevent these “nasty” wounds?
As for any wound in our beloved patients: keep them away from sharp objects!!. Avoid barbed wire fences; regularly
After After
Practice Ranch Sorting and Roping Indoor Arena • Runs year round
Visit our website or call Kevin or Steffany (905) 774-1373 •
www.foxlairstables.com
Before Before
Broadly speaking, the wound over the skin (e.g. heel bulb) should be sutured whenever possible. The hoof wall could be
Email:
info@intercityinsurance.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68