COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF NORMAL DRESSINGAND COLLAGEN DRESSING IN CHRONIC ULCERATIVE LYMPHANGITIS IN EQUINE

Ulcerative lymphangitis in equine is characterized by formation of skin ulcers with involvement of lymph vessels of limb. It heals by either secondary intention healing or by granulation normally. Horses with the history of local swelling and edema at the canon regions of both fore limbs were clinically treated out of which 6 horses suffering from lymphangitis were selected for therapeutic study after confirmation by ultrasonography within 30 -40 days from first day of treatment. Along with common antibiotic therapy, these six horses were divided into two equal groups. The first group of selected horses were treated with normal saline, hydrogen peroxide and gentamicin whereas collagen granules with gentamicin was used for dressing in second group. All the animals of group 2 recovered uneventfully and returned back to the exercise after 90 days whereas only two animals of group 1 recovered after 90 days with small scars. In the present study, collagen-based dressing led to clearly satisfactory, faster and better recovery as compared to normal dressing in management of ulcerative lymphangitic wound in equines.