In mine
there is:- scissors, hoof pick, syringe for flushing
out, baling twine, cotton wool, hibiscrub,
iodine/antiseptic liquid, antiseptic cream (dermobion,
sudocream, savlon etc), vetwrap, gamgee, antilimalinex
(for poulticing)(sorry about the spelling), couple of
stable bandages, and some bute. Cant think of anything
else right now.
Scissors, 3 x vetwrap bandages, 1 x flexi bandage (for
areas like knees), Robinsons Kool Wrap, cotton wool roll
and cotton wool pads, hibiscrub, purple spray (one with
Aloe Vera, one without), iodine spray, digital
thermometer, wound powder, antiseptic cream, cleansing
cream (got this one from the vet when my boy cut his
knee and it's great stuff), salt and Dettol. Can't
think of anything else at the moment but my First aid
box is bigger than my grooming kit!!!
Stainless
steel dog or cat water bowl (so it can be boiled to
disinfect it) - useful for all sorts of thins - saline
solution, keeping cotton wool clean etc etc.
arnica,
rescue remedy, salt, honey, syringe for flushing,
scissors, gamgee, parcel tape, old socks (clean!!)
kitchen paper.
Arnica - shock, deep bruising, flesh injuries
rescue remedy - shock (good for owner after horse
accident!!)
salt - emergency wound cleaning in conjunction with
syringe, but I do mean emergency cos it STINGS.
Otherwise use syringe to sluice out wounds.
Honey - for deep wounds and poultices, spread on kitchen
paper, wrapped with gamgee secured with parcel
tape (BRILLIANT stuff for securing poultices and
bandages)
socks - for securing hoof dressings (then parcel tape
round fetlock)
scissors you know about!
I heard somewhere that disposable nappies were
good for poultices as well. Would you mind expanding a
little more on WHY honey? I remember being told ages ago
that germs couldn't survive in it. I always wondered why
this was.
I don't
understand the mechanics of it, but believe me honey
does work on wounds. Have used it many times myself when
the self-destruction thingy has taken over at historical
re-enactment events, where even the treatment of minor
wounds has to be seen to be achieved by "authentic
16th century remedies".
(Incidentally, blisters can be soothed by putting a
snail on them and allowing it to crawl about. The slime
does wonders. Or so I'm told. I've never been willing to
put that one to the test, myself.)
All the
above quite correct - the word for attracting water is
hydroscopic, but if you want to reduce a watery
swelling, sugar in a muslin bag does the same and is
less messy - I once fixed the fist of a security guard
who'd been in a tussle by making him plunge it in a
basin of sugar - the hand went down from twice the size
to nearly normal in a matter of minutes. I don't usually
advocate getting swellings down - they are there for a
reason or they wouldn't happen - but he had to drive
home and couldn't bend his hand.
Honey is also antiseptic - it never goes off in the jar,
does it? antibacterial, ant fungicidal, antiviral - in
short the most wonderful stuff, inside and out.
I hope you never have to clean a badly festering wound,
but a honey poultice will do it. After 10 minutes
remove the kitchen paper and you have a nice pink clean
wound. Foreign bodies come out, too.
