A step-by-step guide to managing wounds on your livestock

[Chrispen Sechere, Standard]

Dear Daktari, Thank you for your informative articles on various topics about animal health. I am a farmer from Machakos County. My Friesian cross recently suffered a nasty wound from a barbed wire fence as it tried to eat grass across the fence. Although my veterinary doctor eventually managed the wound successfully, I did not know how to minister first aid in the meantime. I know this is a common concern for many farmers when it comes to administering first aid to wounded animals. [Kennedy Mutisya, Machakos]

Thank you Kennedy for your question and for reading the Smart Harvest. Wounds are a common occurrence on farms, but as you rightly pointed out, many farmers do know what to do. Wound first aid is easy and mainly involves stopping the bleeding and cleaning to minimise chances of infection as the skin is damaged. A wound is any injury that causes a discontinuation in the skin surface, mucus membrane or any body tissue. Wounds can result in loss of blood, causing anemia or they can become infected, leading to severe illness. Wounds lower the quality of the skin and can also lower milk production when they occur on teats.