Patient: Bill, anglo-arab gelding, aged 21.
7 January: Bill stumbled on the road and fell on the gravel, gashing his nearside knee quite badly. His offside knee and fetlock were also opened, but nowhere as bad as the nearside. He did not fall right over, but righted himself and got back up with rider still on board. Walked home about two miles.
Vet came about 30 minutes after injury. Gave local anaesthetic and stitched gaping nearside knee with three holding stitches and six dissolving stitches. Knee was bandaged.
The vet put wound powder (black stuff that looked like gunpowder) on to the offside knee and fetlock.
Too busy cleaning, holding, and waiting for vet to take proper before pictures ... but trust me, it was pretty ugly, and deep. The wound went right down to the ligaments.
Vet asked if he had raced, and remarked that he looked "very well cared for" (if only he knew how well!). He was amazed to learn that Bill is 21.
7 Jan
8-10 January: Put manuka honey on the offside wounds. Both legs very swollen, above knee and right down cannons. Bandage stayed on as per instructions from vet.
11 January: Got Colloidal Silver from Sue Fowler at Astek, plus some special wound cream (containing zinc, cod liver oil, comfrey, sulphur, beeswax and strong Colloidal Silver). Decided to redress bandaged leg as it had slipped slightly (although in the pictures he is not standing on even ground - nearside downhill) and he was looking uncomfortable and kept snuffling at it.
The wound was quite smelly (understandable) and a little mucky with pus -- not huge amounts, but thick pale stuff.
Below pictures are before starting Collodial Silver treatment. Note the swelling above his knee. (the scar below the offside knee is years old).
The swelling above the knee is quite marked in this picture, plus shows where the bandage was. (Compare this picture to the one taken 16 hours later, below).
12 January: These pictures taken about 6pm.
The boy himself.
The picture below shows a huge improvement in the swelling, and the stitched wound looks a lot better. Hardly any weeping.
The offside knee looks a bit blah because of the pale-coloured cream that has been placed on it. There is only a light amount of runny liquid coming from it ... where it reopens when the knee is bent as he walks. Still looks a little swollen, but improved.
13 January: Below pictures taken at 10am.
Surprising improvement again in this knee -- knitting very well, especially on right (of picture) side. Improvement again in swelling, although it is still puffy around the stitched area.
If it was not for the "holes", you'd hardly know there was anything wrong with this leg. Knee area has returned almost to normal.
Bill himself. The swelling is hardly noticeable from the front. He is still walking gingerly and taking care of himself.
That's what I thought until I spied him having a little trot and a short canter in his paddock ... seems he's worse when he sees me watching him!
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