Feelin' a bit sheepish...

[Kusanar]

So, did a search for lidocaine, surgical stapler, sutures, hemostats, etc and found, to my astonishment!, that these things are not only affordable but readily available online. Things ya learn.

Other items that come in handy are disposable scalpels, stitch removal scissors, disposable needles and sutures, Kotex pads for large wound drainage pads. Lots of vet wrap (cheap on line), Alumashield spray, etc. Hemmorrhoid cream, etc.

I second the disposable scalpels, you can buy them in sterile single use packaging so you can buy 5 and only need to get 1 dirty if you only need 1 at the time.

Another odd one for bandaging horses is menstrual pads and diapers. They both absorb a lot of ick and the pads at least don't stick to blood so you can put them straight on a weeping wound and they will pull the pus and blood away but will not stick to the wound surface.

One trick my friend Erick (breeds Anatolians) taught me for puncture wounds is to use mastitis tubes. He uses Tomorrow tubes and after cleaning the wound, inserts the tube end into the puncture and squirts in the antibiotic. He says this works like a charm on punctures.

Something I tried on the last horse I had with a puncture that was abscessing was I got one of the cheap disposable condiment bottles from walmart (like $1) and put the end of it in the wound and flushed it with water, then I made a liquid version of sugardine (betadine and white sugar mixed), I made mine liquid by microwaving it to warm it up so the sugar would melt and went heavy on the betadine, then put that in the bottle and filled the abscess pocket with that and left it. Looked horrible because every time he moved he would weep betadine down his shoulder (looked like he was bleeding to death) but it healed from the inside and healed well and quickly.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, it is absolutely essential to have a lot of first aid supplies at home. Even if you have a local vet you can often treat the wound yourself.

One trick my friend Erick (breeds Anatolians) taught me for puncture wounds is to use mastitis tubes. He uses Tomorrow tubes and after cleaning the wound, inserts the tube end into the puncture and squirts in the antibiotic. He says this works like a charm on punctures.

Punctures are terrible to treat since you can't stitch them up or they form an abscess when they heal on top. That s why vets will put an irrigation tube in one end of the wound and stitch up around it. I had a mare that developed cellulitis after coming home from the horse hospital with instructions to "just hose it off a couple times a day". A new vet was recommended to me by my farrier. This guy was older and a real old fashioned horse doctor. He showed me how to use a Water Pic to irrigate inside the deep puncture (about 6" deep") to flush out the pus and bacteria. Had to do this 2x daily with iodine and water. Took her 3 months to heal. That water Pic was wonderful. He also gave me an old coffee grinder from the thrift store to use to crush antibiotics to drench her. I still have them in my medical cupboard.

Other items that come in handy are disposable scalpels, stitch removal scissors, disposable needles and sutures, Kotex pads for large wound drainage pads. Lots of vet wrap (cheap on line), Alumashield spray, etc. Hemmorrhoid cream, etc.

I add to my kit every time we have an emergency and it seems like the emergency doesn't often recur. LOL

Good suggestions!!! I'll need to get me some suture scissors....used to have all that years ago but after a few moves, I've lost my usual nursing supplies~even lost my stethoscope! I've got mini e kits in each vehicle and large sanitary napkins are in each one....folks don't know just how valuable those are until you go try and buy ABD pads, which are hugely expensive and absorb less than the SN.

Raw honey is in my home doctoring wheelhouse, as is castor oil, sulfur powder, iodine, peroxide(yes, I still use it on wounds, especially puncture wounds, all the new craze to the contrary....Dr. Pol still uses it too), vet wrap, various wound dressing supplies as well as syringes, antibiotic ointments, bag balm, Nustock, etc.

 

[farmerjan]

The good thing about using mastitis medicine is that it is NOT irritating to tissue. We use Today or Tomorrow... whichever we can get as sometimes it is not in stock.... tomorrow is a little longer lasting since it it designed for use on a cow going dry.... We use it in eyes for pinkeye... it does not irritate or hurt, and if you squirt it under the eye lid, as they blink it will coat the eye... and helps. We do other things too, but for eyes that are weeping but no real sign of white spot for pinkeye, it is often enough to save the eye. And it will soothe the eye and if only some sort of irritant, it will help it to flush out. Have also used it in puncture wounds.

 

[Mini Horses]

I keep most all those things mentioned on hand. Also ambu bag, meds for bloat, Epsom salts, goat puncture equipment, oxygen tanks etc. Today and Tomorrow is used on goats, too, if needed. My medicare OTC benefits let me buy all the basic ointments, wraps, topicals I will ever need... . I still have equipment from when mom was here to refill the oxy tanks, a concentrator?? Whatever it is.

Jeffers, Valley Vet...look under fish for SMZs, amoxicillin, etc...no script. Yep, it's out there, once you start looking.

 

[Baymule]

Can you keep Today and Tomorrow on hand, or does it have to purchased as needed so it doesn't get old?

 

[Beekissed]

Today was the very first time I did a paddock move and felt like we had done this managed intensive grazing properly!!! I've been excited about that all day long! In these brush paddocks we've been unable to keep our paddocks the right size in order for them to clean everything up and trample it well in a short amount of time, as there's not enough grass to measure how much they are actually eating.

But, in the big field, we've been playing with paddock size and grazing days to see when we hit the sweet spot and I think we have it!! Five days was the sweet spot in this last paddock and that's good....they advise to move in 6 day's time to avoid any worm cycles, especially in damp weather. We finally got to see most of the available graze and browse eaten but not overeaten and most of the inedibles trampled very well, poop scattered in all the paddock. There was a clear difference in the paddock they left and the one they moved into, whereas the last paddock was too big and was not impacted properly.

AND, even better....when I opened the gate line, they flowed in like the Israelites leaving Egypt! They moved in and immediately started eating. I could almost hear them singing "Oh, Happy Day!", they were that excited. When next we move paddocks, I'll try to get a pic to show the before and after before they graze it down.

The way I have it set up, I set up 3 paddocks, side by side and put them in the first paddock. Then they moved to the middle paddock....when they move to the third paddock, I'll take up the temp fencing for the first paddock and leap frog it forward to form another paddock so there's always a new paddock already set up ahead of them but a backline behind them. As time goes on and we get better, the pasture gets better forage and we learn how to work this field, we won't leave a backline behind them, just paddocks ahead of them. Then we'll stay two paddocks ahead of them at all times and leap frog the fencing with every paddock move to keep that flow. I'll get pics tomorrow to show all of this better.

Moving the shade shelter each day is also making quite a difference....the spot left behind is well trampled and full of poop, so those spots will flourish even more than the rest of the grass. I'm also moving the water wagon every other day for the same reason. Poop and trampling.

I've got disposable fly traps in the shelter and now one is hanging over the water wagon, where flies like to congregate. I'm happy to report a real good population of dung beetles that are working all the manure into the soils, even in the yard, which was surprising when you think of how many chickens are working this land all year long for more than a decade now. Healthy dung beetle populations mean our soils are improving.

Eli Dog has been working in the lamb paddock these past few days....he doesn't like it much but they seem much more settled now that he's in there with them. He's moving much more freely now, getting up and down more quickly and seems to be feeling a bit better, but I think he's got something wrong in there...possibly liver disease, renal disease, or etc. He's still not eating as much as a dog that size normally would, he's drinking quite a bit of water, his digestion is still slow but better than it was, and his stool doesn't look a normal color nor does it smell like it should. Yes, I inspect my dog's poops....it's one way to know what's going on inside, just like for us humans. Once a nurse, always a nurse.

 

[farmerjan]

Can you keep Today and Tomorrow on hand, or does it have to purchased as needed so it doesn't get old?

They have expiration dates, usually 2-3 years out if you get a "new batch".... but we have used them further out than that. Keep in a fridge if the temps get too high, like your summers do.... but we just keep them on the shelf out of the sun in the "open barn"....Since they work for pinkeye, I usually buy a box of 12 a year or there abouts.... they last. You can usually buy single tubes so if you don't think you would need much or often, then just buy one or 2... usually a couple dollars a piece....

 

[Mini Horses]

Here, you buy the box....where Farmerjan is there are more cattle and often store will break a box.....I have shared with another in past but haven't needed in a long time.

For Eli dog, have you tried giving him something for gut Flora? Maybe yogurt or a prebiotic to help him develop better digestion. Of course, if renal, etc, not that helpful. But immune support via gut. Only a thought after your inspection report. glad to hear he's taken on a job.

 

[farmerjan]

If someone only needs a tube or 2, I can send singles... can't cost that much can it?

 

[Beekissed]

Here, you buy the box....where Farmerjan is there are more cattle and often store will break a box.....I have shared with another in past but haven't needed in a long time.

For Eli dog, have you tried giving him something for gut Flora? Maybe yogurt or a prebiotic to help him develop better digestion. Of course, if renal, etc, not that helpful. But immune support via gut. Only a thought after your inspection report. glad to hear he's taken on a job.

I have thought about it and usually give all dogs buttermilk for their first week here but haven't had a chance to do that with Eli dog just yet. Thanks for the reminder! Life's been very busy and he's kind of been on the back burner, though he does get pain meds each day, gets brushed and Wondercide sprayed on his coat for the flies, fleas and ticks. Poor dog was covered in ticks the day I picked him up but haven't seen one on him since a few days after arrival.

All the dogs HATE that spray due to the smell(Lemongrass EO) but it sure seems to be working.

He still thinks I'm the devil and Eli is his savior...he even likes Mom more than me, so I think I'm his enemy for taking him away from his old home.