Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466 
|
Post by Terry on Dec 15, 2013 16:16:14 GMT
It appears that Zena may have a case of scratches on the pastern on one of her hind legs. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good/quick/easy way to get the scabs off? It's 12 degrees (F) here right now, so way too cold for me to soak her leg to soften the darn things. Obviously I need to get the scabs off so I can treat the skin, but I've never dealt with this before so I'm not sure what would be the best way to attack this thing. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
|
|
mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320
|
Post by mingiz on Dec 15, 2013 22:50:16 GMT
I used a antibacterial ointment to soften it up. Then give it a good scrubbing after it Hard when it's cold and wet to keep it dry. Then just keep putting the ointment on. I'm sure some one else has a different way of doing it.
Wonder dust will also dry it up...
|
|
|
|
Post by horselady on Dec 16, 2013 1:38:38 GMT
You are going to think i am nuts but sauerkraut, put it on the leg and wrap with saran wrap and polo wrap, leave it on for 3 days and than do it again. no need or water.
it is an old farm cure and i did read that the vinegar disinfects also .i have done it and it works.
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Dec 16, 2013 3:44:10 GMT
Mingiz, will Wonder Dust get the scabs off, or is that for use after the scabs have been removed? I thought about trying the antibacterial ointment, but again, with it being so cold out right now, washing the leg would be difficult to say the least. I have no heat or hot water in my barn. 
Horselady, I would be willing to try the sauerkraut trick, but Zena hates (goes crazy!) having anything wrapped around her leg. I tried putting fly boots on her one year - I think she spent the entire day in the pasture bucking and kicking trying to get the darn things off. 
I did manage to get some of the scabs off after I brought her in for dinner tonight. With all the  we have right now, it seems like the helped to soften some of them up a bit so I could get them off, but there are still more that need to come off, and she's getting a bit "fussy" about me picking at her leg (and I don't feel like getting kicked in the face). At least I was able to spray Vetericyn on the area that I was able to clear, but I've still got to get rid of the rest of those scabs somehow.
|
|
|
|
Post by lorddaxter on Dec 16, 2013 13:32:32 GMT
Isis had the worst scartches ever, I tried everything, no kidding, I found a product that has been the only thing that helped, bonus is you don't pick the scabs off!
It's called aromaheel, smells amazing too!
But 2 tubs, works out more economical and worthwhile shipping wise!
|
|
mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320
|
Post by mingiz on Dec 16, 2013 17:11:32 GMT
Mingiz, will Wonder Dust get the scabs off, or is that for use after the scabs have been removed? I thought about trying the antibacterial ointment, but again, with it being so cold out right now, washing the leg would be difficult to say the least. I have no heat or hot water in my barn.
Horselady, I would be willing to try the sauerkraut trick, but Zena hates (goes crazy!) having anything wrapped around her leg. I tried putting fly boots on her one year - I think she spent the entire day in the pasture bucking and kicking trying to get the darn things off.
I did manage to get some of the scabs off after I brought her in for dinner tonight. With all the we have right now, it seems like the helped to soften some of them up a bit so I could get them off, but there are still more that need to come off, and she's getting a bit "fussy" about me picking at her leg (and I don't feel like getting kicked in the face). At least I was able to spray Vetericyn on the area that I was able to clear, but I've still got to get rid of the rest of those scabs somehow.
You can always take a thermos of warm water out there to get the old off and apply new...Let me know how the Vetericyn works. The wonder dust will dry them up. But ya still have to scrub the area...HL 's idea is good. I have used bacon grease and sulfer for wounds. Another old farm way. |
|
redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
|
Post by redzip on Dec 25, 2013 4:02:23 GMT
I used Furacin ointment on Red's scratches this summer.
I kept the scabs pretty heavily coated for a good week- 10 days time,
and it softened them, and eventually they came off easily.
The ointment healed the skin underneath beautifully.
|
|
|
|
Post by lorddaxter on Dec 26, 2013 23:45:26 GMT
mine are finally cleared up after almost 6 months!
i have a supply of aromaheel ready for next year, im not getting caught out again
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Dec 27, 2013 1:56:28 GMT
I ordered some Aromaheel to try, and I also ordered some Scratches Formula to try. Both say I don't have to pick the scabs off, so that's good. While I've been waiting for those to arrive (the mail has been insanely slow due to the Christmas holiday), I've continued to treat it with Vetericyn. It does seem to be looking a bit better, but of course now the temps have risen to just above freezing and we have mud... again. Ugh!!! I'm already so ready to be done with winter!  Looks like I'll be washing that pastern a lot over the next few days, because Zena just loves to play in that mud.
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Dec 29, 2013 4:05:53 GMT
It has been very warm here the past few days, so our dry lot turned into a "mud lot".  Tomorrow we are supposed to be back below freezing again and headed back into the deep freeze for a while, so since that should hopefully eliminate the mud problem for a while, hubby and I went out to the barn tonight when we brought the girls in and washed Zena's pastern really well to get all the mud off, put iodine on it, and then put Aromaheel on it. That stuff really does smell good!! I'm hoping it works as well as it smells! 
|
|
|
|
Post by lorddaxter on Dec 29, 2013 13:27:37 GMT
trust me it does, it looks horrid in the morning but just keep adding more, after a week it was all black and yukky, I soaked his feet in Epsom salts for 15mins and couldnt believe the difference when they were cleaned off, you do have to keep applying till the hair starts to grow back though, Im stocked up with 2 for next year, I tried everything, I did like the keratex powder to prevent it coming back and its cheap.
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Dec 29, 2013 15:34:02 GMT
After only 1 application I'm already pretty impressed with the Aromaheel. Hubby reapplied it this morning and he said that while he was doing that, several of the scabs just came right off! Those things were on her like cement and I'd been trying to get them off with no success, so I'm pretty pleased with this stuff already!
|
|
|
|
Post by lorddaxter on Jan 5, 2014 14:12:53 GMT
Hows the scratches now?
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Jan 6, 2014 4:40:56 GMT
We seem to be making progress already; thanks for asking! I'm really liking the Aromaheel so far! Thanks for the suggestion!! 
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Sept 4, 2014 3:21:46 GMT
You are going to think i am nuts but sauerkraut, put it on the leg and wrap with saran wrap and polo wrap, leave it on for 3 days and than do it again. no need or water. it is an old farm cure and i did read that the vinegar disinfects also .i have done it and it works. I hate scratches! It has been so rainy here this year that we've had lots of mud, so of course, Zena developed another case of scratches which I have been battling for almost 2 months now.  The Aromaheel did a great job of clearing it up when she had it over the winter, and it did a great job of getting rid of the scabs this time, but her pasterns and fetlocks are swollen this time, and that's not going away. At this point the scabs are pretty much gone and the skin doesn't look that bad, but the swelling just won't go down. I called and left messages for my vet yesterday and today trying to get some help, but I never got to speak to her, and the only message she had the office pass on to me was to wrap Zena's legs with sauerkraut. Zena hates having anything wrapped around her legs (I put fly boots on her once and she completely freaked out!), but I'm willing to risk getting kicked in the face in order to get the swelling down and get this completely cleared up if that's what I have to do.
Here is my problem, and please don't throw tomatoes, but I have no idea how to do this. I have never wrapped a horse's leg in my life, and I know that if I wrap too tight it can cause problems, so if I'm going to do this, I don't want to cause more problems by doing it all wrong. I also don't want all the sauerkraut to fall out of the wrap as soon as Zena takes a step (or takes off bucking and kicking, which will more likely be the case). Can someone please tell me, step by step, exactly how I should go about wrapping her legs in sauerkraut? I need some very clear, easy to follow, step-by-step directions on how to do this correctly from start to finish.
|
|
|
|
Post by horselady on Sept 4, 2014 14:19:58 GMT
I think it is not so much the kraut as it is the vinegar and juice that helps the scratches.
sooooo that being said. and an easy way for you to use it is to soak a vet wrap or cloth diaper type cloth in strips about 6 inches wide.
than wrap around the leg starting from the bottom. another vet wrap over the top of that to hold the cloth on.
of course you will need one person to hold the horse and you work with the leg.
the wrap is put on like a spiral. overlapping as you go up or down the leg.
leave this on for 3 days.
IF you can get that done on one leg you are good.
also the kraut is used under syran wrap. what i do is put the syran wrap on and than place the kraut as is wrap the leg.
if you have to leave her leg down than do the wrapping that way.
if you have to hold the leg up. perhaps another person can hold the leg and you place the wrap.
it is real tricky with a horse that hates to have something on their legs. and perhaps the best way is the first way i described.
less time and less bulk
|
|
mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320
|
Post by mingiz on Sept 4, 2014 14:28:49 GMT
What? Sauerkraut Never heard of doing that!! It's easy to wrap. Get the kraut on her and wrap that with plastic saran wrap Then you can use cotton leg wraps over that or just the leg wraps. Start in the middle of the pastern and warp them but not to tight just enough to hold the wraps on. Snug but not tight. You don't want to cord her. Wrap it to the bottom of the leg and go around the ankle then start wrapping it back up to just below the knee. Kinda like putting an ace wrap on. Just make sure it's snug but not tight enough to cut off circulation to the leg. Good Luck...
I would think that it may sting so keep a hold of the leg cause she is going to pick it up. Keep you head out of the way. If Nate is there get him to hold her front leg up If it's on the back legs. That will keep her off balance and maybe she will stand for you...
|
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Sept 4, 2014 15:05:47 GMT
Thanks, ladies! I knew I could count on you!  I am not planning to do this without Nate's assistance. I like the idea of him holding up her front leg while I wrap the back legs to keep her off balance and keep her from kicking out at me.
Like I said, this whole thing is just so frustrating. With Zena's white legs she is prone to scratches, but this year has been especially bad for it, and I've never had a case before where I couldn't get a handle on it, or where her legs swelled up like this. Right now the scabs are 99.9% gone, and the skin looks good, but the swelling just won't go away! I'm not sure how the sauerkraut is supposed to help with the swelling, but I'm willing to give it a try. I've already got a couple rolls of vet wrap and some saran wrap, but it looks like I need to buy some canned sauerkraut and maybe some leg quilts the next time I go to the store. |
|
Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by Terry on Sept 5, 2014 2:16:34 GMT
I am a big enough person to admit when I'm wrong, and boy was I wrong!!
When I had casually mentioned Zena's scratches to my vet when I was in the office a month or so ago, she asked me if I had clipped Zena's legs. I told her I hadn't, and she said that was good because this time of year the flies would be eating her alive. Well, in preparation for attempting the sauerkraut wrap, I decided it would probably be best to wash off all of the ointments I have applied and go ahead and clip her, so tonight I washed her legs really well with an antibacterial soap and then, when she was completely dry, I clipped her legs. I was shocked by what I found! I was correct that most of the scabs are gone, but I was very wrong in thinking that the skin was healing and the only thing left was the swelling. I found several areas of really angry looking skin that had been hiding under all the hair! I'm so glad I clipped her, and I'm wishing I had done it sooner! I took some pictures her legs after I clipped them.
You can REALLY see the swelling, especially in her left fetlock in this picture.  
I feel terrible that I didn't clip her sooner, but at least now I can get the medicine directly on the bad spots, and air can get to them also.
After I took the pictures I put iodine on all the ouchy areas, then I gooped them all up with the medicine I'm currently using. I'll keep gooping the medicine on them twice a day until I can get to the store to get the supplies I need for the sauerkraut wraps, or until things start showing improvement, whichever comes first. Wish us luck!
|
|
hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
|
Post by hugs on Sept 5, 2014 2:35:06 GMT
Maybe I missed it but how does Zena get all "scratched" up? What do you really mean when you say "scratches"?
|
|
we have right now, it seems like the 
Looks like I'll be washing that pastern a lot over the next few days, because Zena just loves to play in that mud. 
Tomorrow we are supposed to be back below freezing again and headed back into the deep freeze for a while, so since that should hopefully eliminate the mud problem for a while, hubby and I went out to the barn tonight when we brought the girls in and washed Zena's pastern really well to get all the mud off, put iodine on it, and then put Aromaheel on it. That stuff really does smell good!! I'm hoping it works as well as it smells! 
The Aromaheel did a great job of clearing it up when she had it over the winter, and it did a great job of getting rid of the scabs this time, but her pasterns and fetlocks are swollen this time, and that's not going away. At this point the scabs are pretty much gone and the skin doesn't look that bad, but the swelling just won't go down. I called and left messages for my vet yesterday and today trying to get some help, but I never got to speak to her, and the only message she had the office pass on to me was to wrap Zena's legs with sauerkraut. Zena hates having anything wrapped around her legs (I put fly boots on her once and she completely freaked out!), but I'm willing to risk getting kicked in the face in order to get the swelling down and get this completely cleared up if that's what I have to do.
I am not planning to do this without Nate's assistance. I like the idea of him holding up her front leg while I wrap the back legs to keep her off balance and keep her from kicking out at me.
