[kanisha]

Two weeks on and I'm not so hopeful for a long term solution. The horn walls are lined with vascularised tissue which shows no signs of healing although clean and not infected neither does any of the interior of the hole which is almost 1.5 inches in depth. He no longer loses any fluid down his nose so I guess that sinus has closed over.  I can spy another to the rear of his head. I am struggling to see long term how this is going to heal and not leave him with a large pit into which all and sundry willl accumulate. Apart from me manually fishing stuff out it will then be a resevoir for potential infection.

Does anyone have any bright ideas? 

[Yeoman]

No bright ideas I'm afraid as I've never had any experience in this area but I did want to say great job so far with this.  Not easy to get as far as this.  Well done!

[kanisha]

thank you Yeoman I don't feel that I've done very much but thank you.

I have an idea running around in my head i don't know if its a useable one or not. If I was to pack the socket with gelatin sponge would that help speed the filling in process or is it not really likely to happen, anyone know?

[kanisha]

Update the decision was made to arrange for euthanasia as I was concerned over the long term prospects for him. I waited until my usual vet was back off holiday, for his counsel. Imagine my relief when he volunteered that it will heal ( he has seen the same type of problem in a  calf) and that honey was as good as anything to help keep it clean and healing. I don't have huge expectations but am more positive things will work out.     

[Bramblecot]

I'm not a nurse but I know that when folk have deep bedsores, there is something the nurses use to pack the wound.  Maybe that would be suitable?  If the alternative is pts then anything is worth a try.

[kanisha]

PTS sounds drastic but if the long term option is a risk of flystrike on an open wound or infection then I don't see an alternative.
I looked up the types of packing used for bed sores I think you are talking about alginate dressings?  I don't have the experience to know if this is a better option but will mention it to my vet thank you

[shep53]

 Old blackie ewes often break their horns and ive never had one not heal over .    In an emergency to stop a horn bleeding  I use cobwebs which are very effective

[kanisha]

Its not the horn that needs to heal its the gap between his skull and the base of his horn with no central core, a cotton bud disappears inside completely

[shep53]

When  an blackie breaks a horn it can break level with the skull and rip part of the scalp as well ive seen holes down to the sinus big enough to put your thumb in  and they still heal over .    only ever bandage around the head and remaining horn in summer , in cold weather just leave

[kanisha]

Ok thankyou  wow those sheep must be tough. I was very discouraged after speaking to one of the other vets at the practice last week but that makes me feel a whole lot more positive.  We like having the fella around alot 

[Me]

Treat well for flies and keep away from the nibbling little sods and it will be fine. They have evolved bashing horns together so tend to heal really well. Chop the horns off a big steer and you can just about drop a golf ball in the hole into the skull sinuses. Always heal.

[kanisha]

Photos about three weeks after the break , thats honey around the top not pus!


And photo from yesterday  several months later, I am really hoping its going to close over.

[Fleecewife]

One of the things used to pack wounds is an expanding foam - squirt it into the hole and it expands to fit.  As the hole heals from the bottom up, the foam plug can be replaced with ever smaller ones.  The wound must heal from the bottom up or there will be a healed over hole with a reservoir of infection inside, and no way to drain.  I'm sure you know that.  A similar expanding foam is used in the building trade to fill holes which are not a regular shape.
The alginate dressings are seaweed, but I don't think they are used so much now.  I always thought seaweed was great, but it does nip a bit, and has to be redressed frequently.

It does look as if the horn is healing well, but I see what you mean about the hole filling up with gubbins and having to be flushed out, which can be done with a large syringe, no needle, of normal saline, then suck out any fluid left at the end of the process.

Well done for how he's recovering.

[kanisha]

thank you Fleecewife,  I confess it has been a learing curve hence I thought I'd put the pictures up. From the initial break which was bloody but with the ever present large hole in the top of his head. Things I have learnt,  no sinus's have healed over infact  taking the last pic his breath was steaming up my lense  . I can still flush the hole which I do from time to time. I am guesssing that the interior is a bit like the linning of the nasal passage, it doesn't appear at risk of infection, although we are careful to keep things clean  and not let stuff drop into it. Once flushed his nose will run a bit so there is still a patent connection from top of head to bottom. The healing of the external horn itself  is a bit like the  rings on a tree in ever decreasing concentric circles but the build up horn is very slow. I really  hope it does heal up as I don't want to think it will need attention for ever.  I would love to put a plug in it but fear that might actually prevent the final closure of the hole. if anyone else has any experience of getting the horn to close over I would love to know more.

[MKay]

Put a skin over the top of two part epoxy resin (its solid like playdough) the horn will heal on the inside underneath the resin.
We had it on a Jacob x once after a cretin of a shearer pulled it off, that healed just fine over the year with no intervention. And that was after I droped coarse mix in the hole whilst trying to catch him.