EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / APRIL 2018


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despite the continued separation of the coronary bands. At one point, maggots invaded the sites of coronary band separation and fipronil (Frontline spray)18 was applied to the area with no apparent deleterious effect. Pruritus was evident on Day 10. Different topical dressings,


including SSD, Aloe vera gel, sorbolene and honey, were interchanged with no decrease in the pruritus. The mare would also have periods where her appetite appeared to decrease and then resume. The pain control was changed to meloxicam (0.6 mg/kg bwt, per os q. 24 h)19 as her pain appeared to be decreasing. Visual deterioration of the burns peaked at about Day 12 (Fig 8). On Day 22, she no longer needed sedation for treatments


and bandaging, but on Day 28, the mare was intensely pruritic and appeared agitated; she was toe pointing and the source of the pain was not clear. Venograms were considered, but the process of injecting through already inflamed skin was prohibitive. Radiographs in the affected foot showed no distal phalangeal rotation. It appeared that her bandage was the most likely cause of the irritation. She was given ketamine combined with detomidine, as per Case 1. A new bandage was applied, she was turned out to grass and the pain seemed to subside. The ambient temperatures were very high during this


Fig 6: Case 2: The initial presentation before the extent of the damage was obvious.


fire by running through a fence. Tetanus toxoid was administered. She had a good appetite on the first night and ate hay, despite the pain from her blistered lips. The next morning, she was reassessed with heavy


sedation as per Case 1. Her legs were cleaned and bandaged using SSD cream. The primary concerns were coronary band effusion, possible shock and carpal and hind limb lacerations, which may have penetrated the carpus and fetlock joints. She was given Hartmann’s solution at the same rate as previously reported, as well as flunixin and omeprazole. While the lacerations and especially the puncture wound on the carpus were an issue and required continued antibiotic administration, this report concentrates on the effects of the thermal injuries. She drank and ate well despite the burns on her muzzle and i.v. fluids were discontinued after the first day when the laboratory report indicated adequate hydration overnight. The eyes were treated with the same antibiotic ointments mentioned in Case 1 and her face and chest initially treated with raw honey. Her coronary bands showed further signs of inflammation with continued leakage and honey was applied. After the first day, her legs were bandaged with raw


honey on one side and SSD cream on the other to assess which treatment was best. This application was continued for a week before the SSD cream was discontinued because of hyperaemia and effusion; honey was used under the bandages instead. On Day 9, radiographs of her four feet were taken. Both


dorsopalmar and lateromedial views were examined (Fig 7). No early sign of distal phalangeal rotation was evident,


period. Again, water coolers were implemented and the mare was notably more comfortable and showed less evidence of pruritus. She returned to eating and was no longer agitated. The ketamine-detomidine combination was continued as needed, no more than three times per day for a few days. Over the next 2 weeks, her wounds continued to improve


and the burns re-epithelialised quickly (Fig 8). She became more animated and even cantered around when given access to a yard in the evening or early morning when the outside temperatures were cooler (Fig 9). The mare was discharged after 40 days of hospitalisation.


Subsequently, she was examined at 3 and 6 months. The burns on her legs healed with very little residual scarring. Her lacerations also healed, but she was lame from the puncture wound to her carpus. Her coronary band defects were growing out and not causing any lameness. However, at 9 months, she developed lameness when the


last of the hoof wall defect was growing out, as in Case 1. Sole pressure was painful, but when her feet were cleaned, the pain subsided. Also at 9 months, she developed bilateral sole abscesses, which were poulticed. At the next hoof trim, the last of the old sole was removed and she was deemed sound except for loss of range of motion in the damaged carpus. In February 2017, she was successfully bred and will foal in January 2018. Of the initial 14 horses brought to the clinic, eight were


considered significantly burned. The range of hospitalisation for all the horses was 4–134 days. Six of the horses stayed approximately 1 month. All but two of the horses admitted to the clinic have returned to their designated sport. The days for various treatments and days hospitalised for the worst cases are presented in Table 1.


Discussion


Our experience with these severely burned horses from a large, rapidly moving bushfire showed some differences with the predominant equine burn literature, which is more


© 2017 EVJ Ltd


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