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Your horse comes in with a small but jagged laceration on his chest. The veterinarian cleans it up, decides it doesn’t need stitches, and tells you, “It should heal just fine. Keep an eye out for infection.” What do you watch for?

Though many cuts and injuries heal cleanly, infection is always a concern. Signs that an injury is becoming infected include unusual heat (warmer than the surrounding tissue); pain (discomfort should subside in the days following an injury, so increased pain is a danger sign); color (reddened skin, or red streaks radiating from the injury); and odor (anything out of the ordinary). Other warnings of infection include greenish or yellowish pus or fluid leaking from the wound and unusual swelling that increases after the initial irritation has gone down.

To avoid infection, ask a veterinarian how to care for the injury, and follow his instructions about bandaging, antibiotic ointments, and complications that may occur. Keep the injured area clean but avoid scrubbing or probing, as this may irritate the tissues more.

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