Journey Update

Journey's hock injury after the old bandage was removed.

Journey injured his hock about three weeks ago and it has been a painful healing process for him.  The skin on the inside of his hock had been scraped off when he got his leg tangled in the fence, so the vet sutured it back in place. Unfortunately, the flap fell down inside the wound and wouldn't heal.  We thought we would have to splint his leg, but the vet found a way to suture it so the flap wouldn't fall back down again. Still, we had to change the bandage every two days and the vet had to scrape away a lot of proud flesh that had built up on the wound.  Last weekend, it had rained very hard one Saturday which caused Journey's leg to get wet and the bandage to fall down.  He also developed a bad shoe-boil abscess in his front, right leg.  This required more surgery and a series of penicillin shots.  

The alternative to sedation.  

Since we couldn't keep Journey out of the rain and weather, we decided to bring him home where he could stay in an enclosed stall.  The hock wound has improved enough now that we can change his bandage without sedation--or at least Debbie can.  I'm not sure Journey would let anyone else do it.  The wound is looking good.  He took his penicillin shots pretty well, also.  Debbie just sticks his nose in a bucket of grain and carrots, and Journey then doesn't mind the other stuff so much.  

Journey has know us for over ten years now, so he has developed a good bond with us.  The wounds are very sensitive and painful and it is amazing that he trusts us enough to treat him without sedation. We expect him to make a full recovery, but it will take a while longer and then we will have to recondition him for Army work again.  

Journey's leg with a new bandage.