One October morning, Trudy Courser noticed something was wrong with her six-year-old horse, Chrome. As she stopped by to give him breakfast, she spotted a metal hinge stuck to his blanket. Upon further inspection, she discovered that the hinge was not stuck to the blanket as she had hoped, but instead was lodged in his shoulder. The night before, Chrome was startled during a thunder storm and bolted through his stall door, tearing a metal door latch from the frame.
“We immediately contacted Chrome's veterinarian who is a short drive away and they came right out to remove the hinge, insert a drainage tube, and suture the wound,” Courser said. “At this point, we held off going to MSU for treatment, as he had limited mobility in the right shoulder and leg, and we did not think we would be able to get him on the trailer and through an hour long trip.”
Initially, the wound seemed to be healing well. However, Chrome soon developed a secondary infection. In spite of the antibiotics and daily care he was receiving, two separate wounds appeared, breaking through the skin on his chest and leg. Based on the sudden and rapid progression of the wound, Courser made the decision to bring Chrome to the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center.
During his stay at the hospital, the veterinary team treated Chrome to clear his infection, including intensive daily wound care. The process lasted a month. Courser said that the treatment Chrome received was second to none.
“MSU treated Chrome as one of their own. The doctors, staff, and students all gave him personalized attention during his stay,” Courser said. “The team kept us and Chrome’s veterinarian updated on his progress. Even after he was home, the doctors asked for weekly updates and made sure he was making progress.”
In November, Chrome returned to the Veterinary Medical Center for a follow-up visit when his wound failed to close as hoped. The doctors cleared scar tissue and Chrome went home the same day.
By the end of December, Chrome’s wounds had fully healed.
“Chrome is doing great!” Courser said. “He is just as friendly and spoiled as ever and glad to be home with his pasture mates. His wound is completely healed and he is currently on a rehabilitation program to regain full use of his injured leg and hopefully return to his career as a show horse.”
