Q: My horse gets nicks, scrapes and cuts all the time. He is an accident waiting to happen. I am never sure if the wounds are serious enough to warrant a vet visit, as some minor wounds look more horrendous then they really are. Could you give me some basic tips on wound management?

A: Questions regarding wound management are some of the most frequently asked. Although your first concern should be loss of blood, it is rare for a horse to hemorrhage so profusely that its life or general health is in danger. An average-sized (1000-pound) horse would have to lose over two gallons of blood before it is in danger. If your horse is bleeding profusely, the best way to stop the bleeding is with a pressure bandage or, if the area is not one that can be bandaged, with direct pressure.

Determining if a wound needs sutures is based on a number of factors. How old the wound is, how deep and long the wound is, and where the wound is located. One rule to remember is that if a wound needs to be sutured, the sooner the better. Although six hours is considered the cut off time in terms of suturing a wound, in most cases one to two hours is the limit. In general, wounds on the head, neck and body heal better than wounds on the lower limbs. For this reason, wounds on the lower limb should be attended to as soon as possible (within two hours). Also, wounds on the limbs generally require antibiotic treatment whereas minor wounds on the upper body often can do without.

Wounds that are not all the way through the skin do not need to be sutured. Whether the wound is all the way through the skin is not always easy to determine. Long, gaping and deep wounds are obvious. Smaller wounds are more difficult to determine. If the edges of the wound are pulling apart, or if you can gently pull the wound apart, this usually indicates that the wound is all the way through the skin and needs to be sutured.

If you are ever in doubt, call our office and page us if necessary, and we will be glad to discuss treatment options with you.