THE TREATMENT OF BURNS CAUSED BY ELECTRICITY

Electric burns/shock of pets occurs way too often in our pets and especially during the Christmas season. If you choose to have your pets indoors, then the same precautionary guidelines that you apply for your children should be in force for your active and playful house pets.
Puppies and kittens just like to nibble, gnaw and play with sundry lay-about items and loose ends – shoes and shoestrings, chair legs, and, yes, electric cords.
If the cord is not plugged into the current outlet, then you will simply have to replace it or the appliance if there is irreparable damage. On the other hand, chewing on the electric cord of a household appliance or Christmas tree lights that are plugged into an electric outlet could lead to a tragic consequence from the burns and damage to the organs.
Of course, there is always the unusual occurrence of a dog being struck by lightning. I have read about this in text books and I have seen pictures of pastured animals being hit by lightning; but, in my 57 years as a veterinarian, I have never ever seen a patient that had an encounter with lightning.
Now, let’s be clear on the damage that is actually done when electricity hits the animal. Dogs that have been hit by a live-wire exhibit all the signs associated with a collapse of the blood circulatory system. The heart function is impaired and breathing is difficult. Often those tiny blood capillaries in the lung (where gaseous exchange occurs) get damaged. This, in turn, leads to an accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary oedema).
In the case of the animal chewing the live electric cord, the first tiny blast will hit the mouth. In all likelihood therefore, only burns in the mouth area (lips, tongue, cheeks) and perhaps the nose will appear. According to the degree of tissue damage, one would treat the burn area with ice packs (crushed ice wrapped in a cloth) in order to immediately alleviate the pain, the emerging swelling and concomitant redness (commencing inflammatory process). Later on, as tissue damage further manifests itself, soothing preparations such as zinc oxide ointment or Calamine lotion may be applied. In order to stymie the ever-lurking germs that can lead secondarily to an infection, one can apply an antibiotic ointment. As I mentioned earlier, lung problems often follow electric shock; and – as a further consequence – bacterial pneumonia is a frequent complication. Again, the use of general antibiotics becomes necessary. In any case, contact your veterinarian who will help you decide how great the antibiotic therapy should be, if at all.
Of course, if the electric shock (high voltage) has led to unconsciousness, or worse, if the animal is not breathing, then the heart massage techniques and artificial respiration, described in previous “Pet Care” columns, will have to be administered immediately.
As part of the general treatment, it is always advisable to zero in on the special symptoms. For example, if the animal is showing convulsions, you may wish to cover him with a blanket. If you have Valium or any tranquiliser in the home, you may wish to administer between a quarter to a half of an adult human dose, according to the size of the animal. Get the animal, as quickly as possible, to the veterinarian. The vet has several drugs in his/her arsenal to combat the pathological developments that are associated with electric shock.
Please keep your pets away from electrical points.