"My 4yo ASH gelding severed the extensor tendon over cannonbone of near side hind leg. Accompanied with de-gloving wound exposing cannon bone. He has had surgical clean and repair and now has a cast. He has been in hospital since Wednesday and I am bringing him home Friday. He will be in cast for another 2 weeks and stabled for up to 8 weeks. What would you recommend to assist with tendon and wound repair, fighting infection and maintaining gut health while on high dose antibiotics and anti-inflammatories?
Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
These injuries are so horrible - and such an intense treatment program. I have treated many wound on horses now and we have had great success in supporting the healing to 100% soundness!
You will need the following.
To treat the infection: (a minimum of 12 weeks is advised)
Silver Bullet (Colloidal Silver)
Colloidal Silver was used and proven to be effective against hundreds of disease-causing bacterium and viruses by the 1940s. Its action as a broad spectrum antibiotic has never been matched by the modern pharmaceuticals in that it produces no drug resistance whatsoever.
Now that modern antibiotics are almost completely useless due to their creation of resistant organisms, Silver is our very best option. Silver is completely safe to take, has no side effects and is cheap and simple to produce.
I mostly recommend that Silver is best used in conjunction with other equine herbal treatments which support the immunity and the elimination of toxins required to completely resolve the brush with infectionIf you would like to try this program for 12 weeks, let me know, and. please keep me informed of your progress.
For the infection:
Robust immune and elimination systems should actively and positively discharge waste products of infection and inflammation. A min of 12 weeks is recommended as an initial course.
Less robust systems will try to function with a toxic load in the blood and will deal with these toxins by storing such products in cysts just under the skin and/or promote elimination through boils or sores.
This blood cleanser contains a class of herbs called alteratives which are particularly high in iron and sulphur and work to support the blood in a number of ways. Other herbs included in the mixture will break down the walls of cysts, aid the lymphatics, kidneys and liver and assist in driving toxins out through the skin and kidneys.
Infect-A-Clear includes:- Garlic, Elecampane, Echinacea, Nettle, Maritime Pine, Yarrow, Kelp, Violet Leaves, Horseradish, Horsetail, Red Clover and Rosehips along with the Bach Flowers Crab Apple and Rescue Remedy.
The treatment is to be administered at a dose of 20 mls for the first 10 days syringed over the tongue or mixed with water into feed, twice a day. After the initial booster the dose may be reduced to 10 mls twice per day.
To protect the GIT from the side effects of Bute (If giving it) , you need Slippery elm and chamomile as a feed additive or feed Equigesta-Pre
To aid Repair of the tendon and connective tissue use Tendon and Bone
Pain can be managed with an initial course of Alleviate;
This combination of Elecampane along with Kelp Granules, Ground Linseed, Ground Millet, Yarrow Herb and the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy promotes the re-growth of attachment points and the re-tensioning of stretched or damaged ligaments. This mix also help to normalise the osteblast production. ( therefore breaking down bony growths)
Elecampane is a stimulant to fibroblast and osteoblast activity due to its allantoin content. It is also the highest vegetable source of Vitamin B 12.
The treatment is formulated as a mush in a base of ground roots and seeds high in silica, calcium, minerals and trace elements. A cupful is mixed with feed and given twice daily.
If there is any inflammation still present then a course of Alleviate is an ideal supplement
This treatment has evolved from a consideration of the dangers of administering phenylbutazone (Bute), routinely, to horses sensitive to its side effects.
My prescriptions are based on; White Willow Bark and Devil's Claw as anti-inflammatory agents; Guaiacum as a lubricant, and Burdock as a blood cleanser for Rheumatoid processes as well as Pine Bark, Rosehips, Elecampane and Yarrow in a Vinegar Base supporting healing. The Bach Flowers Honeysuckle, Vine, Walnut and Rescue Remedy are also included.
All these herbs not only reduce inflammation and pain but assist in the healing process which will help reverse the underlying condition completely. These formulations may be used safely for both emergencies and in the long term for comfort. They do not swab and they do assist other equine herbal healing programs.
On Bone and Ligament health
Oats and Millet - Millet and Oats both contain especially high levels of organic silica compounds as well as carbohydrate and many other minerals. As oats can be too hot for some situations, I would suggest that a daily cup of millet as a feed supplement is sufficient to ensure all the silica required to produce tough bones and to aid in recovery from injury. Silica is the key to balancing the calcium scaring that occurs in conditions like ringbone.
Linseed - is specific for strength and elasticity of ligaments and attachment points. A cupful (boiled and drained as too much raw linseed can be toxic) daily in a young horse's diet and regular application of raw linseed oil to the legs of young horses is the very best thing you can do for a growing horse to avoid a working life plagued by ligament injuries.
Both Millet and Linseed appear in my most popular formulation, Tendon and Bone, which dramatically increases the speed of healing of all these sorts of injuries and prevents them from becoming chronic by completely resolving the injury.
Wintergreen and Arnica - are applied topically (externally), specifically to improve the circulation around healing, and these are important in assisting the healing process in limb injuries. Both wintergreen and arnica are ingredients I include in my creams and oils, but great care must be taken not to make them too strong if you are making them yourself. Slow healing in the equine hoof and lower limb is a direct result of its design and the fact that blood flow is very sparse. Application of Wintergreen and Arnica in anything but the tiniest amounts can cause blistering and counterproductive swelling in most areas of the lower limb. Also neither of these ingredients should be applied too close to open wounds as neither are antiseptic, and in the early stage of injury they can slow the healing by over stimulating blood flow near open wound.
Arnica dramatically reduces the swelling associated with all bruising. What is not commonly known is that it also improves the circulation within the bones themselves, and will therefore speed healing and to prevent a region of bone bruising area from becoming the site for arthritic problems - or even bone cancer - in later years.
Yarrow - is a herb which in extract form closes off blood vessels and acts as an astringent to help close up open wounds. Yarrow also stimulates bone marrow health and the production of red blood cells within the bone marrow again supporting the resolution at the most profound levels of damage or weakness following strain or injury.
White Willow Bark - is a herb containing natural salicylates and it is where the first aspirin was produced from. Of course, after humankind learned to produce the active ingredients chemically and were able to patent them, we were no longer interested in the herb, (which incidentally, as a whole herb produces no irritation to the stomach whatsoever). White Willow is a useful ingredient in a bone and ligament treatment program as it reduces inflammation naturally and will reduce stiffness and soreness to allow a more even exercise program during recovery without masking pain artificially, as do drugs.
Elecampane - in spite of occasional bad press, is the most important herb in speeding up healing of structural injuries. Mashed up Elecampane leaves mixed with Linseed Oil makes a poultice which will astound you with the speed at which ligament or bone injuries will completely resolve themselves when used in conjunction with the an appropriate selection of other herbs above.
12 weeks later:
"Hi Cath,
I am really happy with Mac's recovery, no infection at all, and he is walking with good toe lift and hoof placement. We will be taking him out of the stable and into a slightly bigger yard in the next few days to start him mobilising more.
This is what we did to re-cap:
Tendon and wound were surgically cleaned and repaired in hospital
Cast for one week (removed 3 weeks early)
Robert Jones bandage and stabled for the following 7 weeks (stable large so he was able to walk around); bandage changed every 10 days.
Supplements: Tendon and Bone treatment, Alleviate, Silver Bullet colloidal silver, Slippery elm powder, turmeric powder (with pepper and ground linseed)
Will continue with another batch of the Tendon and Bone treatment and he will be put into yard slightly larger than the stable in another week. Light wrap bandage only.
