Horse impaled with t-post

[RockyToggRanch]

Something I thought I would never say. But the snow was high and packed and somehow she managed to get a t-post through her brisket muscle. It happened last friday. the vet was out and gave her bute and antibiotics and said he wouldn't stitch it because it needs to drain. She's been eating fine. It's draining a lot like he said it would. She walks around the paddock.

Tonight she seems "puffy" to me. Should I be concerned about this? Enough to call the vet out tonight? or wait til normal hours? I don't want to over react.

She's 19 and a QH mare. I've never had an injured horse:/

The t-post has been removed

Edit to add...puffy in her torso and face.

 

[freemotion]

I'd call the vet, but first have ready her vitals: Temp, pulse, and respiration rate. That will help your vet decide if it is an emergency call or if you can wait until tomorrow.

 

[goodhors]

Is the hole still draining well? Fluid retention could be the problem if her drain hole has closed.

Are you doing any wound cleaning? Often cold hosing will do a lot for you, keeping hole open, removing drainage on the area, allowing hole to close from the inside out.

Guess how much trouble you will have is going to depend on how much damage was done inside the horse. From previous wound experience, daily care will be needed for at least a couple weeks, with alternating day care after. Big hole will take a while, 6 weeks or more, to make significant progress in healing. Easily could be longer.

They sell T-post caps, help things not get as badly damaged if they come down on a post end. I got ours from the TSC store, but other farm places sell the caps.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My vet said not to clean the inside of the wound unless there was debris. But to keep the outside from scabbing over. It is dripping yellowish/clear fluid..

The t-post was left from construction of the barn... I tried to remove it but couldn't without the tractor. I can't believe I didn't think to hang and secure a bucket over it or something. I can't get in there with the tractor with this snow Totally my fault. I should have done more.
ETA...the horses never went near that back corner.... I know...I should have known better

 

[goodhors]

Clear drainage is to be expected, might have yellowish tinge. When drainage is not clear, you have issues going on. Funny, none of Vets I used over the years wanted wound left alone. Gentle hose water would clean the wound without poking around in there. Is he SURE he got out everything, pieces of rust or paint from the post?

Hosing also helps soften that drainage, which we always have called serum. If left on hair, skin, it hardens and removes hair, can make sores on the exposed skin. Softened serum is more easily removed from hair, to keep drainage path open below the wound.

If your horse starts bothering the wound, you may want to get a bib for her halter. That will prevent her being able to reach the hole or drainage area. Hangs down below her chin, so lips, tongue can't reach back to chest area. My horse pulled out her drainage tubes before we got the bib on her! Your horse is up-to-date on Tetnus, correct? Horses carry Tetnus inside, so horse poop is a rich source for the disease with any wounds, theirs or yours. Don't need that issue along with the wound.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

A second vet was just out. She assured me that Dreamer is doing far better than expected. She aparently punctured her chest cavity and has air escaping and that's what the puffiness is. Her temp is 99 and her lungs sound good. She's eating like normal and moving around the paddock.

We're extending antibiotics another 10 days.

The cold hosing was suggested by the first vet. However, we are still under feet of snow and in water carrying mode, so I have been improvising with buckets and squirt bottles. I was able to run a hose out today for the first time today

I've had to mix her antibiotic tabs with chopped apples and apple butter twice a day to get her to eat them. She's on to the bute paste and starts spitting before I even get it near her, so I had the vet leave powder to mix in her applesce.

I was terrified that she was getting worse, but thank goodness she's not.

I don't think she'll bother her wound, but just in case, where do I find a bib?

Thanks