How to Remove Skin Staples From a Cut on a Horse
Horses are accident-prone creatures, and their veterinary care can be enormously expensive, especially for accidents that occur after office hours. Removing skin staples from cuts yourself is an easy way to save some money. You will need to borrow or buy a skin staple remover from your veterinarian. Skin staples are generally used in easy-to-reach places, so removing them is an easy process. However, if your horse is hard to handle or will not stand still, for his safety and your safety you should have your veterinarian remove the staples.
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Things You'll Need
- Sturdy halter that fits your horse
- Lead rope
- Skin staple remover
- Mosquito hemostat or needle-nosed pliers
Instructions
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1
Put the halter with lead rope on your horse.
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2
Remove any bandaging material from the cut, and wash off any topical medications.
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3
Place the horse in an enclosed area. Face the side of the horse that does not have staples against a wall or other solid object. If you can, place the hindquarters of your horse in a corner with the body along a wall. A stall or corner of an arena works well.
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Grasp the staple with the skin staple remover. Gently lift the skin staple remover. The staple should come out of the skin easily. If the staple doesn't release from the skin, use needle-nosed pliers or a mosquito hemostat to gently remove the staple completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Have your veterinarian demonstrate removing skin staples. Stay calm and talk quietly to your horse as you are removing the staples to keep your horse calm. If your horse starts moving around or becomes upset, stop, walk your horse until he calms down and start over again. Having a few helpers to hold your horse and keep him calm will make the staple removal easier.
Never try to remove staples from swollen tissue. If the wound reopens or starts bleeding, stop and call your veterinarian for advice. Do not use a rope halter on your horse while removing staples. If your horse becomes upset and simply will not hold still, have your veterinarian tranquilize your horse and remove the staples.
