Wound Management for Farm Animals

By Jon Geller and Dvm
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PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
Any informed person can administer some early treatments to ensure complete wound healing.

Jon Geller, DVM, offers his farm animal health experience in caring for cows, calves, horses and sheep. This issue covers the art of wound management for farm animals and details on how to treat common injuries.

Liters of blood ran down my arms, soaking my coveralls and congealing like cherry pudding in puddles around my boots. “All bleeding eventually stops,” I said over and over to myself as the blood from a gelding’s shoulder wound began to ease. Soon the horse would weaken and collapse and the bleeding would, in fact, stop.

Critters on the farm manage to get hurt in many ways, and while Mother Nature does a pretty good job with healing wounds, domestic animals do not possess the genetic fortitude of their wild relatives so wound management for farm animals is a must. Untreated wounds can get infected, abscess, putrefy, necrotize and slough, leading to amputation, or, in the case of a large animal, euthanasia. For the cat with the bite-wound abscess, the foal with the wirecutter, the dairy cow with the lacerated teat, or the dog whose foot was crushed by a coyote trap, timely and correct treatment is essential. By following a few consistent steps, any informed person can administer some early treatments to ensure complete wound-healing.

Farm Animals: Open Wounds

If you have to stop the bleeding on a bad cut, there are few treatments better than applying direct pressure. It is by far the most effective way to stop bleeding. Ice packs can also help to constrict blood vessels.

  • Published on Dec 1, 2000
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