# Prayer request please



## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

My horse, Cueball, is in serious trouble. She somehow managed to get her leg (between the fetlock and coronary band) caught in some rope last week. We don't know how long she was stuck like that - possibly 3 hours until we found her & got her loose. She was completely down for nearly 14 hours until the vet came, gave her a few shots & we've been giving her antibiotic & bute daily for over a week now. 

She's up and moving, eating, drinking, etc., but now the area where the rope burn was has gotten infected. We wash it daily & soak in epsom salt bath, apply antibiotic ointment & wrap again - it is better, but there's still a chance she may lose her foot. I.E. we might still have to put her down. Vet says we won't know just yet what the extent of the damage is (unless we could afford thousands in lab fees & more vet bills, which we can't). The only thing keeping from it at this point is her disposition - she's up and walking around, not isolating from the herd. She's obviously uncomfortable, but stands so well for all of this doctoring we do on her.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh MissM .... :hug: ....I am so sorry... Cueball was hurt.....just remember ...there is hope with Prayer....and I will Pray... for your Cueball..... ray:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

OH no. I sure will pray for you and the horse. How horrible. It sounds good that she is up and with the herd. I had my rescue horse that had a nasty cut when we got him. What I did was wash it daily with a Tea Tree oil and water. Rinsed it really well, and they I put Calnegia (sp) on it really thick and wrapped it. The vet was amazed it healed like ti did much less at all. It sounds like it was in the same spot. The hardest part was every time it would start to heal it would crack because of the walking around. 
I sure hope it all heals. :hug: ray: ray:


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## BetterBuckskins (Feb 1, 2009)

:hug: prayers for your horse, you are doing everything you can for him.


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

ray: ray:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Prayers sent for Cueball's recovery, with a loving heart like yours, he knows you'll do your best to help him. :hug:


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

I would use a peroxide wrap and get at that infection. Tie the horse as it might sting a little but most of the antibiotic creams are a petroleum base and do not work well for serious treatment. Witch hazel and listerine mouth wash work well as well. Wrap the leg after the treatment of peroxide and apply tea tree oil to the leg and wrapping. Good luck... I am sure you can get this under control.


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## Idahodreamer (Sep 19, 2009)

Prayers heading your way. ray:.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Thank you so much for your prayers folks. The infection is drawing out, but it is so very raw....... she's such a good girl though and will stand for the whole thing providing there's someone there to keep the other horses away. If we try to isolate her to work on her, her buddy horse goes balistic (Lucas - our QH gelding, has not left her side this whole time). 

I've been washing the area good and using a poultice antibiotic wrap - most of the infection appears to be gone. I tried to spray peroxide on it & almost got my head kicked into the next county. The wound is on the inside of her right front hoof - hard to get to that way. 

Where do I get this tea tree oil & what is the ration of oil to water?


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

You can find tea tree oil at some pharmacies but mostly at health food stores, try calling around. I order it on line at www.sfherb.com but you need it now but sf herb is a wholesale company and they sell spices herbs and teas. Tea tree oil is used straight or dilute with a carrier oil like almond oil. Try the witch hazel as that does not burn like the peroxide and is good for drawing out the infection. Best of luck!! Aggressive treatment will cure her!


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

I've never heard tea tree oil being used for wounds :scratch:

I would email Kat Drovdahl, she's an herbalist in Oregon, she has this stuff called Wonderful Salve, its a combination of a bunch of herbs and it really helps to heal wounds. She could also recommend some stuff to give your horse to ward off infection: http://firmeadowherbs.tripod.com/id10.html

Good luck


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

goathappy said:


> I've never heard tea tree oil being used for wounds :scratch:
> 
> Good luck


 Oh heavens yes. It is wonderful.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Thank you for all of the suggestions. No Tea Tree Oil at the po-dunk pharmacy in the town closest to me - next option is an hour away but I'll go there this weekend. 

What is "calnegia" ? I've searched for it on Jeffers but can't find it. 

The infection appears to be cleared up - but the hide is gone on her leg from the coronary band to about 3 inches up - raw, so very raw & painful for her it must be. I'm keeping it wrapped - soaking the foot, changing bandage daily & applying antibiotic salve, but OMG it looks horrible. I don't know how it will ever heal. By the time I get home from work, she's chewed the wrap off. Gggrrrr...

The DH won't be home until tomorrow night (he's the farrier / horse person in the family) to give his opinion. Lousy timing for him to take a job where he's gone Monday am - Friday night, but I'm doing the best I can. I really do appreciate the support of TGS members.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> By the time I get home from work, she's chewed the wrap off. Gggrrrr...


maybe try this type of cribbing gadget....check out this link....

http://www.shanestack.com/shop/index.ph ... page-13468

Horse wounds always take so long to heal...maybe try this...below..
when you get wounds on horses legs you also have to worry about proud flesh...

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... f_id=11793

Good luck.....I am still praying for you horse.... :hug:


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Thanks Pam! I've actually got WonderDust & a cribbing helmet (that might take me a month of Sundays to find, but I know we have one). 

Proudflesh would be gross.... but even that would be an improvement over bare tissue. I have a boot and leg wrap that I wanted to use, but the vet said that would rub & cause more damage. 

I hope we don't have to continue with the oral antibiotic after tomorrow cause Cueball is starting to rebel every time I come in there w/the syringe (powder mixed into a slurry). Even if I try to hid it, she knows........throws her head & makes us both wear more than she swallows.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

The Calengia (sp), you will need to get it at a health food store. The Proud flesh is what I was dealing with. Also, we used Duck tae to hold the bandages on. It worked better then anything.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Do you mean Calendula? You can get that at a health food store and that will help it to heal up really fast. If you can find Hypericum salve(or st. john's wort tincture) that would be even better to put on it since it is for tissue damage and will help with the infection.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Yes Sarah, that is really what I meant. Calendula THANKS.


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

You hang in there as you are doing all the right things. Be careful with ducktape or anything like that as that wound needs air to help heal. If you can find bitter apple spray you could use it in the wrap and it might not be chewed on. All the best of luck....God is with you!!


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

I love this site....... I have bitter apple spray (for the dog when she got hurt) but never would have thought about using on the horse. 

An elderly neighbor with horse experience (old enough to be back in the day when farm implements were still pulled by horses) take a look at Cue & he believes it's only surface damage. The tissue (although raw and exposed) and muscle appears to be ok. Upon hearing that, I think I took my first relaxing breath in over 2 weeks. 

This weekend we're going to manufacture an isolation stall somehow where she can see & "nose" the other horses, but be on a clean, dry surface (the rubber truck beds are gonna get sacraficed for a while) so the wound can get some air now that the infection is gone. Buy stock in WonderDust people cause I'm gonna be going through a lot of it. 

Thank you again for all of your help.


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

Wonder Dust is okay- but you should definately get ahold of some Underwoods! Just take a look at some of those testimonials.
I have never had to use it- thank god (and knock on wood) but I know quite a few people that swear by this stuff!

http://www.underwoodhorsemedicine.com/index.htm


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

MissMM....what a beautiful horse you have there...  ....I am glad ..the injury isn't into the muscle ....sounds like... she should be OK ...with time and patience...I know it takes alot of that.....Good luck... and keep us updated........ :hug:


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

*Re: Prayer request please - update*

I don't know what to do. Am I asking to much of this creature to tolerate the horrible pain she must be in to see if this will heal? As bad as this looks, it's actually improved over the past few weeks. The vet hasn't said "this animal needs to be put down" - even though I asked him to be up front with me if it comes to that. I can't afford to take her in to have it surgically repaired so time will have to do that - if it will. I'm cleaning it daily & applying nitrofurozone ointment (that's the yellow gunk you see in the pic). She's temperature free, respirations normal, eating, drinking, excellent temprament, walking around - even though she's obviously so terribly sore. We have her isolated so she gets all the groceries, minerals, etc that she needs - and she can still see her herd mates so she doesn't get panicked.

I keep praying for an answer & every morning when I go see her & think if it's still so bad, I'll have to put her down. But then, I go into the barn & Cue perks up, walks up to the gate & gives me her knicker/greeting.... Hope is renewed & I think to myself "one more day."

I guess I'm looking for someone to affirm it's ok to keep trying...... or for a majority to say I'm evil for putting this beautiful soul through so much torture to selfishly save my own heart from breaking if I have to let her go.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Did you get anything from Fir Meadow herbs to try? Please email Kat, I know she's be able to help your horse, there's also herbal things for pain and infection as well as knitting the tissues back together.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

I'm going to do that today, thank you. I'd been trying to stick close to the vet's recommendations up to this point - he gets annoyed when I ask about using anything herbal - but now I'm ready to try anything that might help.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Most vets are pretty ouchy about using herbal stuff, mostly because there have been no official studies that have proven that they work, its mostly people that use it and know it works.

Be sure to email her a pic of her leg as well for a better diagnosis. She is a Master Herbalist, which is the equivalent of a MD or a DVM in the herbal world.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Wow, she wants $35 just for a consultation. I think I'll try the Underwoods instead & pay for it with the consultation fee.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

MissMM. That does not look as bad as you think it does. It looks a lot better then I thought it would.

Here is the link to the rescue horse we got and what his looked like I after I had the vet cut the proud flesh off.
http://www.freewebs.com/sweetgoats/kaluah.htm

I used the tea Tree oil and water and washed it twice and used the Calendula. If you do not have either close or anywhere where you can buy it I would be happy to get some and send it to you. It is so worth its wieght in gold.

As for the duct tape. I had gauze on it first but I just used the duct tape to help hold it fro m falling off. I never had it tight so it couldn't breath. The vet was very impressed with how well it healed.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

just an update...... Cue is still hanging in there. Slow improvements. I dont think she'll ever be the same again, but time can do amazing things. 

I got Tea tree oil to use w/the washing & have the Calendula on hand finally (nearest GNC is 1 1/2 hours away & a .5 ounce thing of Tea Tree oil was $17.99 at the local drug store). Still fighting the DH and vet's attitude toward natural products like the Calendula or one of the other options. Men can be so freaking stubborn..... it isn't improving much with their "dvm endorsed" products so it wouldn't hurt to try........ :hair: No infection at all, thank goodness.

Cue and I are waiting for the DH's next out of town trip (next week) so we can try some of these other options. 

The funny thing in all of this...... Cue is actually the DH's horse & I didn't do much but groom her, but after all this started & he was out of town during the week so it was up to me to play horse-nurse-maid........ Cue now gives him fits when he tries to soak and wash her foot...... but she stands there beautifully for me ..... and I'm the one that's scared of horses.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

It looks better then i thought it would. At the store i work at we carry a product called schreiners Its an herbal antibiotic. Prcey but AMAZING. I have a friend whos pony jumped the trailer hitch on his horse trailer and totally sheered off the skin on one front leg. There was nothing left it was down to the muscle. He puts this on it daily and you wouldnt believe the improvement. I wish i had pictures. Its working really well.
beth


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