Burns can result in shock, tissue damage, and infectionMany horses are lost annually in barn fires, and some survive barn fires with burns-from minor to severe. A burned horse needs immediate first aid treatment, especially if the burns are deep. A burn injury can be minor or very serious, depending on the extent of surface area involved, and on the depth of the burn into the tissues. A superficial burn affects only the outer layer of skin, while a deep burn involves several layers of skin and perhaps the fatty tissues underneath, or even the muscles.
If much of the skin is destroyed, many problems can develop. A severely burned horse is likely to go into shock and may collapse into a coma and eventually die. Shock may occur soon after the burn or up to 12 hours afterward. It is brought on by circulatory failure due to loss of fluid from the many small blood vessels that are injured in the burn.
Toxemia and infection can follow an extensive burn. The damaged skin cells die and produce toxic substances. Opportunistic microbes may also invade the raw surfaces and damaged tissues and start multiplying, producing poisonous toxins in the process (this is why a burn should be treated carefully and properly and kept very clean). The body absorbs these toxins and they are carried through the bloodstream, which can lead to a general poisoning of the body (toxemia) with fever and illness.
Another serious result of a burn may be pneumonia, due to lung damage from inhaling the fire's smoke and ashes. Damage to a horse's lungs from fire can also produce scarring within the lungs and leave the horse with a permanent respiratory problem.

Appearance of burns
The appearance of a burn will depend a great deal upon the depth of the damage. Excessive heat will completely burn off the hair; it will also kill the surface cells and injure the deeper tissues. The small blood vessels in the skin, damaged and dilated, allow fluid to escape and accumulate in the surrounding tissues, creating edema and swelling. Some of the fluid escapes to the surface, making a hairless area look red and moist. If the skin was scalded by hot liquid or chemicals and the hair is still in place, the oozing fluid makes the hair mat together, forming a crusty mess.
An extensive burn that covers more than 5% of the horse's body surface will need immediate veterinary attention. The horse will need treatment to prevent shock as well as first aid treatment for the burn. The horse should be given painkillers and steroids to reduce the efforts of shock and limit the amount of swelling and inflammation, and it also needs intravenous fluids to counteract circulatory failure-to keep circulating blood volume up and keep blood pressure from dropping. If shock can be reversed or prevented during the first 24 hours after a serious burn, the horse has a much better chance of surviving.

Cold water immediately
First aid treatment for a serious burn should include ice packs or cold packs, or even cold water from a garden hose-as soon as possible if the burn was caused by excessive heat-to try to reduce the depth of the burn and minimize tissue damage. A serious burn from high heat keeps going deeper into the tissues for awhile, and the sooner you can halt this, the better. The horse should be given painkillers, and antibiotics also should be administered to help prevent infection in the damaged tissues and to head off pneumonia.
A severely burned horse may also need help with his body functions. Depending on the site of the burn, it may be painful for the horse to urinate and defecate. A catheter may be needed to help the horse pass urine, and he may need soft food and enemas (or oil in his feed or by stomach tube, to soften feces) to help bowel movements.
Dark brown urine will be an indication of serious tissue damage; a breakdown in body tissues creates waste products that are carried off by the bloodstream and eliminated in the urine. But any urination at all is a good sign. If damage and shock are too great, the horse will be unable to urinate.
Along with intravenous fluids, the horse can be given additional fluids and nutrients by stomach tube to keep up its strength and help keep body functions working. If the horse tries to eat or drink on its own, this is a very good sign. Encourage these activities with clean water and very palatable feeds, such as green grass or fine, leafy alfalfa.

Careful cleaning
The burned areas should be gently and carefully cleaned. Any loose charred skin, hair, or debris can be gently removed with gauze soaked in warm saline solution or with a mild antiseptic solution. A soothing antibiotic ointment can be applied to the raw areas.
In the days following the burn, more skin may begin to slough away if the skin cells were killed or damaged by the heat. The dead and dying skin will have to be carefully removed, and the raw areas disinfected and covered with a soothing and protective salve. The horse should be kept on phenylbutazone during these first days to help reduce inflammation and pain. Vitamins A, D, and E can be given to help promote healing and regrowth of skin. The horse should stay on systemic antibiotics until the worst danger from infection and pneumonia is past.
Growing skin back over the burned area may be a very lengthy process if the burn is extensive. Usually any animal that is burned more than 50% of the body has a poor chance of surviving, but there have been cases of horses (with excellent veterinary care) recovering after having as much as 80% of the body area burned.
The raw areas should be cleaned and treated daily to help prevent infection. New skin will start to grow in from the edges of the raw places, eventually covering the flesh again. The attending veterinarian may decide to use skin grafts to help speed up the process if the raw areas are very large.
During the healing process, the raw flesh should be protected from dirt and flies. If the burn is on the main body, a light covering made from old bed sheets may be helpful in summer to keep flies off the raw tissues. In cold weather, the horse will need some kind of heavy blanketing to protect the injured areas from the cold, since it has lost the insulating cover of skin and hair.
A serious burn may take months to grow the skin and hair back, but the body's ability to regenerate is amazing when given half the chance. Prompt action to prevent shock will help the horse survive the first crucial hours, and diligent, conscientious doctoring of the burns to prevent infection (as they heal) will help speed the recovery.



Burns without flame or fire
A deep scald from hot liquid can do just as much damage as a burn from fire. Effects of this kind of burn might not be as obvious for several days-until the damaged and dying skin starts to slough off. The scalded skin will begin to ooze, and the oozing fluid will crust and cause the hair to mat.
A burn caused by hot liquid, or corrosive chemicals, should have immediate veterinary attention, just like a burn from heat. A burn caused by acid should be rinsed with an alkaline solution to neutralize the acid. An alkaline solution can be made by adding a spoonful of baking soda to a pint of warm water. If no soda is available, the acid should be immediately washed off with plenty of warm water. A burn from a caustic alkali should be rinsed with a mild acid solution such as vinegar and water to neutralize the alkali.
Damaged tissue from frostbite (which can occur if a horse has to stand in mud during very cold weather, or is caught in a severe winter storm where temperatures are below zero, with strong winds) should be treated like a burn. The effect of cold and wet can cause death of the surface skin cells and damage the deeper layers. Just like in a burn, the small blood vessels of the skin are damaged and will dilate, oozing fluid through the capillary walls into the surrounding tissues. The area becomes swollen and painful and, if the damage is deep, the skin and tissue will slough away.
-Heather Smith Thomas