Last Friday afternoon Trigger had a vet visit scheduled -- it was the 13-day mark since the injury, and the vets said that typically the casts lasted about 10-14 before they needed to be removed/replaced... so right on schedule. I did notice earlier in the week he started to wear through the toe of the wrap a little, so I threw some extra vet wrap on it every other day to keep a fresh surface there, so he didn't wear through the elasticon and damage the cast. By the visit, he'd been off Bute for a week, and while you could still see that he wasn't *sound*, he was weighting the leg well and definitely comfortable moving on it.
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| Being a V GOOD BOY |
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| Letting them check for cast sores -- not a single one to be seen. Responding emergency vet the day of did a FAB job casting the hoof. |
They brought two trucks of students again (I told them Trigger is going to start thinking he's some kind of celebrity or something lol), and they ran through the basic TPR -- different students than the last visit, so more practice on a steady eddy. His digital pulse was slightly elevated on that foot, but nothing out of the ordinary all things considered. So then they moved on to cutting the cast off. After a quick discussion, they opted to try it first without sedation, but kept the option of drugs if he wasn't willing to stand.
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| Who are we kidding, it's Trigger. He stood like a rock. |
I was prepared for all sorts of possibilities when they pulled the cast off -- I was hoping since he remained relatively comfortable and sound, that we'd find some good healing when they finally removed all the layers of wrapping... and Trigger did me the solid of letting that dream come true, haha.
The vets were very pleased with how it looked -- it was pretty much best case scenario. It's healing well, no signs of infection, so they didn't recommend follow up rads, or even a hospital plate (things we had discussed at the previous visit as being on the table). Then we had some choices to make about the treatment going forward. They offered two options -- we could cast it again for another two(ish) weeks, or I could take over wrapping it on my own. The casting would have a higher up front cost from the vet (which honestly was so negligible it didn't really factor into my decision), and he would need to stay on pretty strict stall rest. Wrapping the foot myself would have the added bonus of me being able to lay eyes on the wound to keep an eye on the healing regularly, and if it freezes up and is relatively "nice", he could *potentially* be allowed outside if we could sort out a situation where he wouldn't get near mud. Of course, the day they visited was POURING rain, so that maybe be more of a pipe dream than anything else, but we decided to go ahead and start wrapping it ourselves. I can always tap out and have them come back and cast it if I don't think it's healing as it should with me wrapping.
It's been a long time since I had to wrap a hoof, but thankfully my animals are always willing to sacrifice themselves to make sure my first aid skills stay sharp! (Heavy sarcasm)
Yahoo! Good job, Trigger!
ReplyDeleteHoof wrapping is like riding a bike. A few days of it and you'll be a pro again. My best advice is that not all duct tape is created equal, and there is no substitute for the Elastikon layer.
An additional thought: after Tristan's foot was wrapped/booted for months, his sole was mush. Two weeks or so of Durasole made a huuuuuge difference.
I went ahead and shelled out for the duct tape brand "max force" stuff, so we'll see how that holds up, haha. I am also covering the whole thing up with this velcro boot creation that I found when I was restocking supplies at TSC, so I hope that will provide an extra layer of protection.
DeleteI had thought about the sole thing, as I am already not thrilled with how soggy the whole thing seems (I get it but I don't like it lol). I'll have to grab some durasole and have it ready, his feet were not the greatest to start with so this is definitely not doing him any favors.
So I fully recognize how weird this is but I have my favorite duct tape brand for hoof wrapping saved on an Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BPD9AC/?coliid=I49PZ9N1USJN4&colid=HYGTP2ZYREZG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
DeleteTristan had great soles and I can clearly remember pushing in with my thumb and it just...squishing. I almost threw up. I swear by Durasole. I apply it once a week or so just as a matter of course. For Tristan's recovery, I was doing it many times a day. You can apply a new layer as soon as the previous layer is good and dry. So I would do it before ride, after ride, after he'd hung out in his stall for a bit while I put away tack, etc.
I don't think having it saved on Amazon is weird at all 🤣 I added it to my list for my next supplies order (although I have a LOT of this max force stuff on hand lol). I guess the pro to currently working from home and having him in my backyard means I can apply as frequently as I want!
DeleteThat looks SO much better that I might have thought it would! Hoof wrapping is my favorite part of first aid, though I seriously would never complain if the opportunity never again presented itself haha. Glad he is on the mend, and fingers are crossed that he continues trending in that direction!
ReplyDeleteYeah I think we were all pleasantly surprised but how good it looked! I mean, he was relatively sound and comfortable, and he definitely still has a giant hole, but I feel like it's trending in the right direction (knock on wood lol). I wish I could delegate my hoof wrapping duties to you though, I'm not great at it! :)
DeletePro tip: if you're using duct tape for the outermost layer, make a big duct tape patch by pulling long individual pieces and overlapping a little of each piece so they form a large square. Bigger is better, you cal always trim away excess! Best of luck to you, if it wasn't for COVID I'd be tempted to come up to help with this duty haha
DeleteYes, I made a big 'lattice' overlapping square by running a bunch of pieces one direction, and then the other. Seems to be holding up so far! 🤞🤞
DeleteGlad Trigger is doing well! Looks like we're all rolling around our noggins trying to remember how to wrap a foot - it comes back quickly and you'll be a super pro at it again in no time.
ReplyDeleteI was actually trying to remember this weekend and I think my last actual abscess that required treatment was Jack in 2009, and I mostly just soaked his foot -- the farrier has found a frog abscess on Cinna before just during a routine trimming, but nothing that's actually required any sort of hoof wrapping in the last 10+ years. So I think I had a basic understanding of the mechanics of HOW I just never actually... had to do it myself? Thanks Trigger! lol
DeleteI'm amazed at how well that's healing! Good boy Trigger!
ReplyDeleteI've been using Gorilla tape with my foot wraps in recent years, if you find the duct tape isn't holding up well enough. (I hate how much foot wrapping I've done in the last three years! Horses.)
I *did* look at the gorilla tape to be sure... I knew enough not to get the cheapest duct tape on the shelf (ha), so I went for a mid range to start before jumping to the gorilla tape (which was the most expensive stuff my local walmart carried lol). So it's definitely a possibility if this max force doesn't hold up! I will say that adding the $20 velcro hoof boot thing I picked up at TSC on the freshly wrapped foot definitely seems to be buying me some longevity for the duct tape :)
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