Injured horse legs: make dressing changes cheaper & easier
Today I'll try a hint. Even if I have to reckon with too strong criticism. It is about how to make a dressing change in an injured horse leg cheaper and easier.
My horse had a bad pasture fence accident three years ago. A wound the size of a DIN A5 leaf on the ankle joint. Skin and flesh were gone to the joint and tendon. The joint and tendon, however, were harmless, so it was not necessary to go to sleep as long as the large flesh wound would heal. I chose the long healing path. The veterinarian was still so fair to tell me that the resulting association costs to over 1000? could grow up without medication and his fee is understood.
The first two weeks, the dressing change, every three days, carried out personally by the veterinarian, then I ran myself. The first bill came and I was baffled, how expensive such a roll of dressing wadding and the rest of the stuff was. Reason enough to think about alternatives. On the internet, I found a provider that offered Neopreen associations for this leg area. Was relatively expensive, but I had to expect 4-6 months, then expected two of these parts already, they could be washed in turns in the washing machine. Disadvantage was that the Velcro was closed just above the wound. So I had to sew a contrasting matching inner pad, I also got somehow.
But the main problem was to get a suction-absorbent and hygienic wound dressing in this now easier-to-change dressing. My friend, a trained veterinary assistant, recommended this Wisch & Weg - kitchen paper for me, but they were too unhygienic for me (I once saw a report, not on wounds, they are pure bacteria slingers).
After some discussions with her and the veterinarian present, we settled on cheap sanitary napkins. These are available in different versions, sometimes thin times thick, which makes it easier for us to choose the dressing thickness / upholstery. Practically, the sanitary napkins were self-adhesive and more easily adhered to the inner padding. Then I stuck with needle and thread, again a suitably cut piece of bandage cotton, on which then the respective drugs were applied. I had to change bandages for about 5 months, every third day.
Thanks to the sanitary napkins and the Neobreenverband the costs were limited. Even the feared association pressure remained. I also found that the DA pads absorbed the wound fluid very well. The entire bandage did not stick so much and made it easier to lose weight. In addition, my mare was allowed after two weeks of individual husbandry in a small spout, back to her flock. The normal wound bandage that I made in time just lasted a day ... so I needed another solution.
I do not wish anyone a similarly bad case, but I had to do so much mental work back then, that I would like to pass on my experience.
