Trauma injury to the flank area by a fence post.

This is a filly that got hurt from a fence while trying to flee from her owner who was trying to catch his 2-yo filly that has never been handled. There is a lesson to be learned here…

The pole from the fence went through all of her superficial ad deep muscles in the flank area and chipped a piece of her transverse process of two lumbar vertebrae. Through the incision palpation of the intestines, uterus and ovaries was possible. A 7- 10 inch hole was palpated. On palpation of the wound and the internal organs, no damage was noted to the viscera and other organs in the abdominal cavity.

On the first examination the wound was very contaminated, so it was decided not to close the wound. Debridement and primary closure was made, with intention of reassessing the wound in three days time. IV fluid therapy and antibiotics were administered at this time. IV and IM antibiotics were given daily for a period of 10 days.

Remarkably the filly remained alert and responsive. No other major abnormalities were noted except for the great discomfort that the wound was causing her. Her heart rate was mildly high (56 p/m) and a slight fever was taken at the time (38.8c).

A week after the initial treatment, granulation tissue and contraction of the space that was left open inside the wound led to closure of more than 65% of the space left from the trauma.

The wound was bandaged every three days (for economical reasons, hospitalizing her was not an option). The space was packed with gauze soaked in saline and antibiotics.

We are still far from the end but it looks promising. Amazing what the body can heal with just the help of fighting infection and stabilizing the animal initially. Contraction of the musculature did most of the primary closure of the dead space left after the injury. Granulation tissue will fill in the rest, from inside out.

Very interesting.