Using Silver Whinnys as Bandaging

Helpful Wound and Sock Management Tips

Sox For Horses offer Silver Whinnys for bandaging issues on the lower legs and custom-made bandaging for difficult areas solution by solution needed. Our silver socks in any form, can be used over and over again, significantly lowering or eliminating your cost of expensive traditional tapes and disposable dressings. Silver Whinnys machine wash and dry, with fragrance-free cleaning products, that restore them to optimum microbe reduction with each machine cleaning.

Silver Whinnys allow valuable oxygen to reach the tissue and wick the exuding serums, blood and other matter into the socks and away from the wound assisted by evaporation. A dryer environment against the wound can contribute to faster development of durable granulation tissue. The silver in the socks act as an antimicrobial barrier helping to minimize bacteria and fungi in the environment from reaching the surface of the wound. We advise the socks are used as the wound dressing with nothing in between the socks and the tissue for this reason.

Depending on the severity of the wound, developing a dry and durable granulation tissue may take time. It could happen in a week or take longer with very larger surface wounds.

The socks help contribute to the best possible speed of healing and our goal is help keep your horse a willing patient through the process. Everything you do should be done gently and without creating pain for your horse. When the surface area of the wound is large, the socks can stick to the wound until a dry and durable granulation is achieved. Everything in wound care should be as gentle as possible so that you keep your horse a willing partner in the rehab process.

Take off the socks or bandage slowly. If an area of the sock is stuck to the wound, do not pull it off the wound. There is always risk of granulation tissue being removed by bandages and though granulation tissue redevelops, pulling it off is painful.
Gently spray clean water on that area of the socks or bandage until soaked. Give the socks time to release from the tissue. When the sock releases from the wound surface, gently remove the sock from that area. Don't be in a hurry.
When wounds are severe and large surface, changing the socks twice a day will minimize the time the socks have to adhere to the tissue during this phase of healing. This extra care does not last long as a rule, and your horse will appreciate the extra care in the beginning. A huge plus point is that the socks are at the highest level of microbe reduction during the 12 hour bandage changes.
3. We recommend using Silver Sulfadiazine cream, otherwise known as Silver Cream, SSD cream, available by prescription from your vet. This is a clean moisturizing, oil free topical that serves to help reduce sticking. As healing progresses, SSD acts to moisturize the granulation tissue. If granulation tissue becomes too hard, the tissue can crack. This is painful for your horse and can be avoided.

We've also had good results with a Silver Gel offered by Silver Solutions USA a less expensive option than the SSD cream. The SSD cream or Silver Gel is applied lavishly at first to keep the socks from sticking and later as a moisturizer.

Using Silver Whinnys® as Bandaging for Large Surface Wounds

Helpful Wound and Sock Management Tips