# Proud flesh



## luvsmygirls (Mar 3, 2009)

ok so my mare got into a fight with another horse through a fence line a couple weeks ago and cut up her right hind leg pretty good. its been healing pretty well but yesterday i noticed that she is developing proud flesh in two spots. they are not big but the poor girls got enough scars as it is from previous injuries and i really don't want to end up with more scars if i can avoid it. so my question is does anybody know of an easy was of removing proud flesh or discourging its growth without having a vet lance it or using an acid? everything is healing really clean but i REALLY want to get rid of the proud flesh. thanks!!


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

You could probably use human anti-scarring cream. I've heard aloe vera helps as well.

Here is a link to another discussion about this: http://www.equinerescue.info/flesh.txt


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## luvsmygirls (Mar 3, 2009)

thank you!


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Call your vet, and ask.


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## charlene1985 (Aug 4, 2009)

this is going to sound kind of weird but we use Preparation H (the hemorrhoid cream) on proud flesh and it works wonders. We had a horse who was blind in one eye and she had gotten a big gash above that eye by her feeding post. We called the vet and he said he couldnt put stitches in it because when she blinked it would rip out the sitches. He told us to use the Preparation H after cleaning it with betadine water. We did and she had a scar that you could barely see which was awesome because the gash was in a V shape so it would of scarred BAD. We have also used it on other occasions and it helps SO much with proud flesh. Best thing about it is you can use the generic kind. WORST thing about it is you have to go to the store and BUY it lol


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Charlene, I've also heard of preparation-H being used too. When T had a horrible gash on her lower back leg and started to develop proud flesh, I researched and found a product called Equaide. It doesn't harm the healthy tissue like so many other products out there do. She healed beautifully and you can barely even see a scar. 

Proud Flesh - Horse Wound Care


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

a crazy boarder brought me an OTTB with a gash on its leg that had been open for 8 months and would not heal.. had issues with proud flesh to. The vet gave me 10cc of dex and told me to mix 4 oz of DMSO gel in a jar of furazone. It has worked wonders on that horse and others.


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## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

Wonder Dust or Underwoods then heavy coating with baking powder. 

I do hydrotherapy for 15 mins twice daily - you want the area to be red and bleed some - it will increase blood flow and help debried the area so it will granulate in better.


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## yankee doodle (May 25, 2009)

My friend has a rescue mare who has had this problem for over a year. She has had the vet out twice and the flesh has been lanced on both occasions while a sedation was given. He has given her a acid solution to apply which reduces the area and the flesh then tends to dry up like a scab before dropping off. But just as you think it has nearly gone - bang there it and as big as ever, it just wont stop growing. My friend has tried all kinds of preparations.
My point is get the vet out to see your horse as it will be easier to treat a small area, and this may stop you running into the problems my friend is having one year on.


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## Loosewolf (Oct 31, 2008)

Consider this too...Sometimes the scar will decrease in size over time by itself. This is often true if you have been keeping it clean, not interfering with it's natural healing process. I'm not sure I would want to interfere with this process, it can wind up infecting or aggravating it, and making matters far worse. There are some chemicals on the market that actually inflame the injury, and will then result in a larger scar tissue size.
This too may depend on your horses particular ability to handle whatever remedy you may decide to use. Whenever practical, I allow the natural defense systems to handle what they were designed to do. Just a little assistance with keeping the area free from dirt, further injury, etc. is usually all that is needed.

Either way, good luck -Lw


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## bloodhoundmom28 (Jun 1, 2009)

*I agree*



Barrelracer Up said:


> Wonder Dust or Underwoods then heavy coating with baking powder.
> 
> I do hydrotherapy for 15 mins twice daily - you want the area to be red and bleed some - it will increase blood flow and help debried the area so it will granulate in better.



i do the same thing and it has worked on all the major cuts and boo boo's i use a sugar med. that the vet gives me though to put on after and it seems to work very well.


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## Ryle (Jul 13, 2007)

Since you have proud flesh just starting, I wouldn't go with any of the caustic powders like wonder dust. Talk to your vet and get a combination antibiotic/steroid cream. Where caustic powders will damage healthy horses along with proud flesh thus slowing healing, using a steroid will simply prevent proud flesh from forming in the first place and doesn't slow healing.

Also, you need to look at what is causing the proud flesh. If this wound is near a joint then you need to stall her while it heals.


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## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

You need to also be aware that steriod use, even topical, will slow the healing process - which is why the proud flesh will slow down. So either way it is going to get a little hairy for the good tissue. Even hydrogen peroxide will damage new tissue growth. 

If the proud flesh gets large enough it may have to be cut down. I just read an article from The Horse where they are looking into the merits of bandaging versus not bandaging. The bandaged cases in the study actually had more proud flesh and less healing - the author did state to wait for further studies before taking this to heart.


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## Barrelracer Up (May 22, 2009)

Sugar or glucose is not a bad idea - it will shrink the tissue too. We use that for prolapsed uterus and rectums.

You can either squirt on the injectible glucose or make a mixture of reg. sugar and water. You can make it as thick as a paste if needed.
We just had a neighbor with no money that had a male dog with his male bit swollen and stuck in the sheath overnight. Little sugar water paste and down he went.


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## Ryle (Jul 13, 2007)

The effect of topical steroids is much less pronounced on wound healing than than are the effects of caustic wound treatments


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