Puss on healing wound: good or bad?

[Jess19]

Hello all,

I posted a few weeks ago about a large wound on our girls flank. The picture at the bottom was taken a few weeks ago when I first found it. I've been bathing it in salt water each night since and it appears to be healing: scab starting to peel away at the edges etc.

It has started bleeding a little when I've been too vigorous when bathing it. I thought this was due to the healing underneath the scab and my breaking something a little delicate. Tonight I also noticed a bit of smelly puss at one edge of the scab. Is this good or bad? I know it could mean infection, should I be concerned? What could I be doing for her aside from bathing it each night?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You could stop bathing and spray an antiseptic on it. That's all I use, antiseptic spray- blukote.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello all,

I posted a few weeks ago about a large wound on our girls flank. The picture at the bottom was taken a few weeks ago when I first found it. I've been bathing it in salt water each night since and it appears to be healing: scab starting to peel away at the edges etc.

It has started bleeding a little when I've been too vigorous when bathing it. I thought this was due to the healing underneath the scab and my breaking something a little delicate. Tonight I also noticed a bit of smelly puss at one edge of the scab. Is this good or bad? I know it could mean infection, should I be concerned? What could I be doing for her aside from bathing it each night?

If the wound is starting to smell and have pus, then it's most likely infected. You may want to debride the wound and clean out the pus.
Flush the wound several times a day with sterile water, saline, Chlorhexidine (Novalsan) or Betadine, then apply something like Vetericyn Spray on the wound.

 

[azygous]

WR is accurate in advising treatment. Pus is a result of white blood cells being multiplied in defense against bacterial invasion. It's not a bad thing in itself, but it does signal the presence of bacteria. You just need to step up your treatment of the wound. Maybe do it more often. I love Vetericyn, but I also us an antibacterial ointment with it.

Keep the would moist. It does more than anything to keep infection at bay.