Friday, August 7, 2009

The miracle of duct tape: New hope for bandaging

Riley update: My contact at the clinic called. While things appear to be going well there are a few things they are "keeping an eye on." Riley has a strong digital pulse in the affected foot. They consider it to be within normal limits but it is something to be watched. Also, he seems uncomfortable in the morning (just before he gets his bute), and fairly gimpy during his hand-walking. She says as he walks he seems to improve. They are going to take him off bute on Sunday, and put on his shoe on Monday. The wound appears to be healing well and they are going to try a "dry" bandage (no betadine) to see if there is any unusual discharge tomorrow. No horrible news, but a little worrisome.


Am I the only one who has dreamed of a world where I don't have to to piece together six lengths of duct tape to make a poultice covering or bandage? Where the tape doesn't stick to itself, and my fingers, in the process? Well, I was doing a product search to see if there is such a thing as extra wide duct tape (there is) and stumbled across something even better. Sheets of duct tape available in several dimensions.

I ordered both the extra wide tape and the sheets -- heck, why not? I've got four months of duct tape bandaging ahead of me. The extra wide tape is 2.88" compared to the 1.88" width of regular duct tape. The sheets are in several dimensions, 4"X4" and 8"X11". While I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to trying these, I'm definitely eager to see if they make things easier.

Better living through consumerism. Wish me luck.


5 comments:

  1. Don't know enough about that kind of surgical recovery to make comment except that I am sure Riley is the best of hands.

    Great idea about the duct tape. When I have to piece it, I sit on my plastic mounting stool at my horse's feet, cut off a dozen or so strips and stick them to the edge of the stool for easy retrieval. Really works to solve some of the stick to itself issues.

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  2. Do watch your hands though. I've just come out the other side of Hoof Abscess Stress and had couldn't understand why I kept getting a rash on my hands - until a fellow livery who is a doctor asked if I was allergic to elastoplast...apparently duct tape is so vicious they stick it on warts to make the body reject them!

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  3. My former trainer taught me a great technique of how to wrap a hoof with duct tape or vet wrap. It covers the whole thing very well and I never had problems with the duct tape sticking. It'd be pretty difficult to explain online though, you'd have to see it in person.
    That being said: duct tape sheets sound perfect, too! And not just for wrapping a hoof.. ;)

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  4. Wespi -- video! If u ever get the chance...

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  5. Holding Riley up in my thoughts and prayers.
    And love the duct tape.

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