How to Treat a Leg Wound on Your Horse When No Vet Is Available

 needed, and some products may not be available in different countries. In some places, these antibiotics are only available to vets or horse owners by prescription. I would suggest you talk to the people working in your local feed store to find out what is available for horses over the counter. You may also be able to buy antibiotics elsewhere, so be sure to speak with your local pharmacist.

• Penicillin: A first good choice for a leg or flesh wound is to treat with procaine penicillin. You can usually buy the antibiotic in dry form so that you can carry it in your first aid kit. It has a really long shelf life when dry, so only mix it up just before using. (Your horse will need anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 units per kilogram every day. It does sting, so make sure that you have someone holding and distracting the horse when you give this.)
• Penicillin/Dihydrostreptomycin/Piroxicam: This is a Merck

•  product, so it is available in many places. Like normal procaine penicillin, it does sting when injected, but this product has a long shelf life even when mixed and has a non-steroid anti-inflammatory that may be helpful for some wounds.
• Tetracycline: If you do not have access to penicillin, you can also use tetracycline at 10–20 mg per kg.
• Oxytetracycline: This antibiotic is another option for some bacteria that do not respond to penicillin. Use it at about 4 milligrams per kilogram.

If your horse has a serious wound that cannot be bandaged, you should still try administering antibiotics. The cost of giving your horse a little help in his fight against infection is pretty minor, and if it does not work you are not out much.