Horse emergency: Minor bleeding wound
It usually happens very quickly: the horse has contracted a wound. Do I need a vet right away or can I take care of this wound on my own? Our emergency card explains when you can do it alone and when veterinary advice is useful.
The wound is small if it is recognizably superficial and its depth can be easily estimated (i.e. it is not very deep). In addition, the wound must not have penetrated the skin. This can be recognized by the fact that the wound can be moved together with the surrounding skin. The area around the wound should not be swollen, red, overheated or painful. In addition, the horse should not be lame, have a fever, and there should be no foreign bodies in the wound. Then it is a small, superficial wound. It is also problematic if the wound is near a joint.
Measures should be taken as follows: Carefully keep the wound clean and do not interfere too much with the healing process. Disposable gloves should also be worn to avoid bringing germs into the wound. Call the vet if the wound is deeper than superficial. The last thing to do is to keep an eye on small wounds in case other symptoms appear.
