Can't STOP THE BLEEDING!!

[MakNat]

Her bandage wore down over night. I was afraid of that. But the wound is not bleeding!! It looks crusty and dirty. I sprayed it good with an antibiotic spray. The mare is normal. Isn't bothering it and wants to go outside. I want to give her a bath, but I'm afraid if I wash the wound it will start bleeding. I'm going to keep her stall cozy and clean, with tons of fly spray and a fan. The medicine has worked wonders on nasty wounds before.

 

[KDailey]

I'm so relieved your mare is doing ok.

I would definately either talk you your vet about getting an emergancy number from them. If they can't give you one or if that was the emergancy number you were calling I would look into another vet. An emergancy number is for emergancies and if they can't be reached in an emergancy, the time they are needed most, there's something wrong.

 

[arabianequine]

Did the vets you called ever call you back?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Quote:
Ditto. I would not stick with any vet that could not be reached and/or did not return a call in a crises. Especially a horse vet. With the things horses get themselves into and with how fast they can go downhill when they get sick you need a vet that you know you can get ahold of immediately.

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
Ditto. I would not stick with any vet that could not be reached and/or did not return a call in a crises. Especially a horse vet. With the things horses get themselves into and with how fast they can go downhill when they get sick you need a vet that you know you can get ahold of immediately.

X 2

 

[Hawkeye95]

Do not wash off that scab or get water on it. I once had to sit for 40 mins applying pressure to my neighbors horse (she was feeling faint from the puddle of blood that was accumulating under the horse from all the blood loss) because her gelding cut an artery on the rear leg. We wrapped it in a diaper (after we got it to stop) and then she drove him to the vet the next morning since it ended up not being too serious. Though, I bet he lost about a liter of blood.

Anyway, I would find another vet if you can't get them to call back. I have two regular Equine vets that I switch back and forth with depending on the injury (they are 30 miles apart)- one is good with feet and legs and the other is great with eyes, and the head and body. But neither of them will do night calls. We also have an all-night 'Emergency Equine Surgery Center' that I have called about 3 times for a horse nearly near death, and of course happened at night. All times- worked out great. But you really need to find someone who can get out there and find an all-night center that can do emergency care for you. I have all of my numbers taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinent doors so I can just run in there and dial it quickly. Glad to hear your mare is feeling better.

 

[piecemaker]

Quote:
Ditto. I would not stick with any vet that could not be reached and/or did not return a call in a crises. Especially a horse vet. With the things horses get themselves into and with how fast they can go downhill when they get sick you need a vet that you know you can get ahold of immediately.

X 2

X3

 

[86121]

I just ran into this problem with a sliced open dog pad, try applying pressure after you have frozen the area.
We had to take ice filled cold water and soak the foot in it just to get the bleeding to stop.
It worked for us and Its worth a try if nothing else!

*Scratch that XD Just read the latest post, im glad shes doing better!*

 

[welsummerchicks]

Please, please, please, folks do NOT soak arterial wounds or even venous wounds in water, not hot or cold or ice water. Not with man nor beast.

If the dog stopped bleeding with its foot in water that is a lucky coincidence and nothing more. Hopefully the water did not get down to the base of the wound and it was able therefore to clot. It is NOT how wounds that continue to bleed aggressively should be dealt with.

It prevents blood clotting and you can cause an animal to bleed to death. ANY amount of moisture around a wound can interfere with clotting.

Especially when soaking in water the amount of blood being lost is not apparent; that is an additional issue. An animal can bleed to death before the amount of blood loss is apparent.

Ice and cold will NOT cause a spurting wound to clot, and if enough cold is used that circulation is actually impaired, you will cause serious tissue damage - frostbite, which may in turn require amputation or euthenasia.

Additionally, keep in mind that with dogs, their circulation in their extremities is extremely powerful, and they have normal circulation even when walking on ice or wading through chest deep snow. Sufficient ice to slow circulation WILL call cold damage (frostbite). Pad and foot wounds need to be bandaged tightly, with more wraps added over and the original not removed, and the dog needs to go to the vet for serious wounds that continue to bleed.

Please apply pressure and leave the pressure bandage on. Do not apply so much pressure that circulation to the lower extremity is reduced - continue to feel for a pulse and a continuing normal level of warmth in the extremity periodically.

Do not put anything in the wound to 'clot' the blood - it will only encourage infection and have to be removed in order to debride the wound and keep it draining normally. Especially with punctures they must heal from the bottom up - if you try to close the top of the wound it WILL VERY LIKELY become infected.