Page 112 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

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secured in place with a soft orthopaedic bandage such as Soffban . The gel helps to keep
the wound moist and healthy and provides the right environment for the white blood cells
VetBooks.ir to clear up any dead tissue or foreign material.

SECOND LAYER
• Layers of cotton wool or Gamgee are wrapped around the limb. These keep the first
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layer in place and absorb exudates including blood, serum and pus. Sufficient padding
must be used to absorb the discharges between dressing changes otherwise bacteria from

the environment may be drawn through a wet bandage towards the wound.

• Several layers of cotton wool or at least one layer of Gamgee must be used to reduce
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the risk of pressure injuries from the securing bandage.

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• A conforming type of bandage, e.g. K-band or Knit-firm is used to keep the dressings
in place and provide compression which reduces swelling and the risk of proud flesh.

THIRD LAYER

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• An elastic, conforming self-adhesive bandage such as Vetrap or Co-plus may be
applied as a top layer to secure and protect the dressings underneath. Alternatively, an
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adhesive bandage such as Elastoplast or a stable bandage may be used. Bandaging
techniques are described on pages 80–85.

Managing proud flesh

When granulation tissue grows above the level of the skin, it is called ‘proud flesh’ or

‘exuberant granulation tissue’. It is usually knobbly, pink and shiny in appearance (Figure
3.7b and 3.11). It may have a yellowish tinge and it bleeds very easily if knocked. Sometimes
the tissue can bulge out of the wound and look like a pink cauliflower. This acts as a physical

barrier to the healing of the skin which will not grow over a mound of proud flesh. The skin
cannot close until the proud flesh has been removed.