(topical) drugs of choice

Just about 7 years ago, I learned some hard truths about wound care and management. Isabel and I were a few years into our lease and finally feeling like the pieces were coming together. She was a hardy mare, tho, and I'd never owned before. And let's be real, some stuff you just plain old can't suck out of your thumb. 

heel slice. look closer and you'll see a grab from last year growing out toward the toe

For those who don't remember, Izzy's a chromey red arabian. At that particular moment in time, she had a minor interference wound on an inside hind cannon (right smack in the middle of her fantastic socks). I treated with my absolute favorite liquid bandage spray -- Alushield.

suspicions are that *somebody* was climbing thru the tensile wire reaching for grass

And. Lo and Behold, that entire leg blossomed into a months and months long battle with scratches. Maybe bc red and chromey. Maybe bc some topical sprays have exactly the right characteristics to covertly cultivate some nasty fungus.

some of the blue stuff is from prior treatments

Either way. Right then and there I resolved to avoid EVER using Alushield in skin-funk-prone lower limb areas --- really anything below the knee or hock. Not bc I don't love Alushield (it's legit my liquid bandage of choice for basically everything-not-a-puncture). But... Bc... #NeverAgain.

for real, tho, i hate coronet band wounds

True story, tho. Horses will still wound their lower limbs, regardless of whether you have a solid treatment method lol. So I've kinda been lowkey searching for a new favorite for these types of ouchies. 

locals know that bartville orange sticker lol

A couple trusted barnmates have always sworn by Red-Kote for general wound care (I understand it to be like a wound spray similar in application to the Alushield), and was especially interested when I spied Blu-Kote (same manufacturer) at Bartville a couple weeks ago. 

i've gotten a little nuts about reading labels since izzy's scratches fiasco

The key to this stuff seems to be its fungicidal and drying properties. Which... Naturally, Charlie immediately put to the test by getting hung up in the high tensile fencing back in March. 

No worries -- no serious injuries or lamenesses resulted from that encounter.... But the horse walked away with a very raw pastern and heel area. Not unrelated, those same areas are also often very skin-fungus prone....

tidied up and treated

I was really impressed with this stuff tho. There were maybe two back to back days of more intensive cleansing and rinsing with betadine etc before spraying on a Blu-Kote treatment. 

But... Honestly? After that? The wounds basically immediately looked dry, stable and protected -- and I stopped fussing with them entirely for the rest of their healing process (beyond occasionally testing a scab or two bc #pickersgonnapick).

don't believe that sad pony face --- he recovered fully, much to his chagrin

So it's official. While the Alushield silver spray remains a favorite for generalized bodily dings, dents, scrapes and scratches.... This Blu-Kote stuff pretty immediately secured a permanent spot in my medicine drawer. Specifically for lower limb woes.... but maybe more too! 

Obviously every horse person has their very favorite tinctures and tonics, ointments and oils etc. We all kinda know what we like and gravitate toward prior experience etc. But this was a useful lesson for me that, ya know, there are a LOT of really really fantastic products out there, only a fraction of which I've ever actually used. 

Which leads me to my question to you... Do you use either of these wound care products (Alushield or Blu-Kote)? Have you had similar experiences? Or maybe you have an entirely different roster of go-to products? Have you had to learn the hard way about using a treatment incorrectly? Or do you also have tried 'n true Old Faithfuls that you'll stick to thru thick or thin?? Curious minds want to know lol.