My horse got a wound under his eye?

Question

Okay...So this morning I went out to the pasture to get my pony. I discovered a wound right under his eye, and it was still bleeding, so it occured recently. I dont know how he got it, but I did tell the "boss" of the stable, and she contacted the vet, who is going to stitch it up.

My questions about stitches on horses are

(These may sound stupid, but Im not a stitch expert)

Do they shave the fur around the area like with dogs/cats?

Will it leave a scar? (Not that its that much of a problem, but the wound makes him look like Scar in the Lion King, which I had to look up)

They give the horse anesthetics right? (This worries me b/c its so literally like right under his eye)

Sadly, since the wound is going to be swollen by tomorrow, I cant ride him for a Jumper show, so I'm going to be riding my friend's horse (My friend is in Italy right now)

If you know the answers to my questions or have stories relating to this, Id love to hear them!

Answer 1

I recommend using Derma Gel to prevent scarring as the wound is healing. I originally got it from my vet, but here is the link to it at Valley Vet Supply - http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...

It is very effective to minimize the effects of scaring - I highly recommend it.

Answer 2

My yearling got a bad gash just below his eye when he was 8 months old.

Yes my vet shave the area before cleaning and stitching it up.

Yes it will probably leave a scar...My yearling has a scar covered with white hair but it is much smaller than the gash was.

Your vet most likely he will give give him some sedation, it really depends on the vet. My vet almost completely put my horse under.

Hope i helped!

Answer 3

Sorry I can't answer your question, I'm big on horses but don't have much knowledge on them.

Just wanted to say that your pony is gorgeous, I'd love to have one like him.

Here's to a speedy recovery, I hope he's ok!

Answer 4

owwww

alright this is what i know so i hope it helps you....

-unless the horse is really woolly near the injury they wont but they may trim the sort of eye whiskers.

-it may leave a scar but if your worried about appearance at shows you can use make up to match your horses colour eg. from the photos, your horse is black so you'd use black make up.

-and as to cause the horse as least amout of pain as possible, your horse will probably have a small amount of seditive to make him a bit floppy.

because you asked for any stories relating to this question ill tell you this one.

while on holidays we moved my horse to another property to give him some grass and we returned early because he had cut his leg. we got a vet console and he said that my horse had cut into his tendon sheeth. we asked about stitches but my horse wouldnt have been able to walk. so what im getting at is that maybe your horse wont need stitches because he may not be able to close his eye.

anyway good luck with his recovery

Answer 5

Hope he recovers soon.  I would like to suggest that you check into purchasing a set of blinkers with a full clear cup for the injured eye.  This will allow him to see while healing and it will keep the flies and dirt out of the wound. He is a beautiful horse.

http://www.saferhorseracing.com/

Answer 6

The vet will likely sedate the horse so he can work on the wound without getting kicked or accidentally poking the horse's eye.

They will likely shave a small area DIRECTLY around the wound so no hair gets tied up in the stitches.....don't worry, they won't shave the horse's whole head.

Get some apples and carrots for afterwards.........like a lollipop for a kid

Answer 7

In May my aunts horse cut his ear pretty badly in our trailor at a horse show. We took him home and called the vet right away. Goliath, the horse, is terrified of needles and vets so they were fighting just putting in anesthetics, they use this for the horses safety, and theirs when dealing with horses like Goliath, ha. There were seven stitches, and they were taken out two weeks later. The wound is hardly noticeable, but he is a black horse. The swelling will go down, but the vet should know exactly what to do.

Hopefully in show, the judge wont take off points do to the scar, they usually dont. My horse has scar on her leg thats been there since she was a foal, and it doesnt affect our placings.

Answer 8

hey! first off, i hope your horse heals soon. one of my mares tore her eyelid off in some freak accident about 3 days ago. it was still hanging on a little so the vet fixed her rite up.

there might be a little scaring but it shouldnt be that bad.

the vet will give her some anesthetics to keep her calm and he/she will most likely NOT shave off that hair bc of the location and the fact that it could easily start bleeding. the vet will also give your mare a tetnus shot and an ointment for the cut. you will also need to give her bute twice a day to keep the swelling down.

good luck and i hope this helps you some!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

I don't mean to be rude, but it sounds like you are more worried about his appearance than his well being. You don't seem concerned with his vision or long term affects. I wouldn't worry abot the scar. Most face wounds heal very well because of the large blood supply to the area. Some vets shave everything they stitch, some do not. They will numb the area and will probably sedate your horse to make sure he is quiet (especially since it is very near the eye). If you want to be worried about his appearence, make sure he is bathed better than he is in your pictures. If you are going to show a mostly white horse, make sure he is spotless in the show pen.

Answer 10

call to vet.they no Wat it is.