Horses seem to have a penchant for getting into trouble, sometimes injuring themselves in the process. When trying to decide if a vet should be called to look at an injury, the main assessment of the severity of an injury is its location.
Size doesn't matter much when it comes to wounds, said Dr. Suzanne Mund, a veterinarian in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. A small wound on a joint can be much more serious than a large wound over a lot of muscle.
More-severe wounds often occur on areas of the horse's body that has a lot of blood vessels, which increases the risk of bleeding and infection. Areas of concern include along the jugular vein, between the hind legs, around the elbow and underneath the skin. Injuries to the backs of legs are of great concern as many tendons and ligaments are located here. Wounds in any of these areas should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Wounds that occur on high-motion areas like joints are fraught with complications, including the trapping of gas beneath the horse's skin. Wounds in these locations open and close as the horse moves, forcing air up and potentially elsewhere into the horse's body, like between the lungs and heart. This can become an emergency situation if the air collapses a horse's lung.
Tears or cuts to the skin are generally treated by flushing, draining and stitching them. Puncture wounds are more dangerous and can carry bacteria and debris deep into tissues, potentially encouraging an abscess or tetanus.
If there is an object embedded in a horse, it's important that it not be removed until an X-ray of the area can be taken. This will help guide the veterinarian on the correct course of treatment. Any wound that exposes internal structures is an emergency situation and a vet should be called.
Mund encourages owners and caretakers to call a vet if there is any question on how serious the wound is.
Read more at Horse Journals.
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