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Efficacy of Ozone Bagging Therapy in Equine Chronic Distal Limb Wounds: Clinical Evaluation of Eight Cases
by
, , and
Călin Cosmin Repciuc
1, 
Nicușor-Valentin Oros
2,
Ștefana Maria Cristina Mureșan
1,*,
Bogdan Sevastre
3,
Jean Guilherme Fernandes Joaquim
4 and
Liviu-Ioan Oana
1 1
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3
Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4
Bioethicus Institute, Botucatu 18605-545, SP, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010016
Submission received: 10 October 2025
/
Revised: 23 November 2025
/
Accepted: 18 December 2025
/
Published: 23 December 2025
Simple Summary
Wounds on a horse’s limbs sometimes take a long time to heal and can easily develop complications such as proud flesh (exuberant granulation tissue) or scars that are painful and difficult to treat. These complications make recovery frustrating and costly for both owners and veterinarians. Ozone has recently been explored in veterinary medicine because of its ability to fight infection and support tissue repair. In this study, we treated eight horses with long-standing limb wounds that had not healed with traditional therapies. Using a simple technique called the “bagging method,” the affected limb was placed in a sealed bag filled with medical ozone gas for 30 min every two days. All horses recovered completely within two to three months, most with normal skin and hair regrowth and only minimal scarring. Our results suggest that ozone therapy can be an effective and affordable option for managing difficult leg wounds in horses, and it may be worth considering when other treatments fail.
Abstract
Limb wounds in horses represent a significant therapeutic challenge due to poor vascularization, reduced skin elasticity, and high risk of complications such as exuberant granulation tissue. Conventional treatments sometimes fail to provide satisfactory healing outcomes, leading to prolonged recovery and increased costs. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical ozone therapy using the bagging method in promoting the epithelialization and contraction of chronic distal limb wounds in horses refractory to conventional management. Eight horses, aged 3–21 years, with chronic wounds averaging 48.79 ± 21.20 cm2, were treated exclusively with ozone (50 μg/mL) administered by bagging for 30 min every 48 h until complete healing. All cases achieved full wound closure within 27–91 days without systemic medication or major complications. Macroscopic evaluation showed favorable healing, with the restoration of skin pigmentation and hair growth in most cases, while only minimal fibrous scarring was observed in a few patients. Statistical analysis revealed significant improvements in epithelialization, particularly during the last four weeks of treatment. These findings suggest that ozone bagging therapy is a simple, cost-effective, and well-tolerated method that may enhance the healing of chronic distal limb wounds in horses. Further controlled trials are needed to standardize treatment protocols and compare ozone with conventional therapies.
Keywords:
horse; distal limb; ozone therapy; chronic wounds; wound healing
