Benefits of Casts for Severe Horse Limb Injuries (AAEP 2011)

An equine surgeon described an improved casting technique to reduce cast complications.
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Casts are veritable double-edged swords in equine practice: While they play an important role in stabilizing fractures and treating wounds and tendon lacerations, they can cause a variety of complications. Some horses don’t tolerate casts well, casts can cause pressure sores, and many veterinarians prefer to hospitalize horses with casts–an overwhelmingly expensive endeavor for many horse owners.

At the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 18–22 in San Antonio, Texas, Ashlee Watts, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, described an improved technique for applying and reapplying a standing bandage cast to horses with severe lower limb injuries.

“When a wound or injury is anticipated to require repeated care from the veterinarian on a near-daily basis but needs the stability of a cast, a ‘bivalved’ bandage cast is indicated,” advised Watts. A bivalved bandage cast is one that can be removed by two equal cuts on the inside and outside of the limb.

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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