The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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28 TheHorse.com The horse April 2015 How Wounds Heal In many instances, horses are wound- healing superheroes, capable of filling in huge skin and even muscle defects, given enough time. In the initial inflammatory phase of healing, blood clots form and white blood cells (WBCs) infiltrate the affected area to fight potentially infection-causing bacteria. Next, some of these WBCs, the neutrophils, move in to break down and remove dead or damaged tissue and debris. This is what creates the pus we commonly see in and around wounds. Within a few days, new skin cells develop along the edges of the wound as the skin regrowth process begins. A thin margin of delicate-looking skin starts to appear around the wound's perimeter. The proteins fibrin and collagen begin to lay down scaffolding within the wound around Day 4 or 5 of healing; this be - comes the foundation for what is known as the granulation bed, which is made up of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels. This pink, bumpy tissue helps fill the defect and creates a surface that allows the wound edges to contract and new skin to move across. This contraction causes the wound's surface area to shrink and speeds healing. Factors That Delay Healing Sometimes, however, the above- described process gets derailed. When any of the healing stages are compromised, wounds can become chronic, yielding ongoing complications and damage. Infection is a major cause of delayed healing, says Lisa Fortier, DVM, PhD, professor of surgery at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. She points out that wounds can become contaminated with every bacterial organism in the environ - ment. "Treating chronic infection of four to five days' duration is much more diffi - cult than if the infection is caught acutely, within one day," simply because there are fewer pathogens at play, she says. Like real estate value, wound healing quality is all about location. Horses' up - per body regions tend to heal even large wounds well, but lower leg injuries are trickier. Most upper body skin is loose, facilitating the contraction phase, and plenty of underlying muscle is available to support the new tissue and provide adequate blood supply. "When I think about chronic wounds, the very first thing (I think of) is the location," says Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, professor of equine surgery and gastroenterology at North Carolina State University College of Vet - erinary Medicine, in Raleigh. Injuries that penetrate joints or tendon sheaths, for instance, can pose particular problems. Fortier says that in her experience the most common wound-complicating scenario "is a lack of recognition that a joint can be contaminated. Even if the cut is two or three inches away from where most people think the joint is, that doesn't mean that joint couldn't have been con - taminated at the time of injury." Joint and tendon sheath infections not only challenge wound-healing but also potentially ruin a horse's athletic potential or even end his life. "When a joint is in - fected, the infection has no place to drain out," says Fortier. "The body responds (to the presence of bacteria) with WBCs, just like in skin, but in the joint WBCs are needed until they can clear the infection." Tackling Tough-to-Heal Wounds During the wound-healing process, granulation tissue helps fll in the defect and creates a surface around which wound edges can contract and new skin can move across. DusTy perin Abdominal Pressure Bandage www.cmequineproducts.com Copyright 2006 CM Equine Products all rights reserved You do not have to settle for elastic materials that lose shape and cannot give firm even pressure 888-431-7771 or 951-278-1042 Durable One person can install Washable Even pressure promotes faster healing Aids in the prevention of hernias Reduction of post surgical hernias Excellent for high risk pregnancies Patented System & Method of Treatment Available in an Umbilical Hernia Repair Style Dryable Saves Time TM Heal Belt