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  Discussion on Burns
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Posted on Wednesday, May 1, 2002 - 11:49 am:

I had two horses at my trainers when her barn burned down. My two and four others survived out of twenty four. One of mine is out of the woods and I expect her to have a full recovery, the other has a long way to go and I need anyone's help if they have had any experience with his problems. This happened three months ago and to make a very long story short, I have been getting great care at Cornell, but we are all learning as we go. He has a condition called cicatricial ectropion which is a retracting upper eyelid do to third degree burns. His globe is healthy and normal at the present time but it will eventually have cornea ulsers without corrective surgery. We need a plastic surgeon to advice us on the best approach. If it is not possible he will have to have a tarsorraphy(stich the eyelid permentantly closed). He has had seven temporary tarsorraphy's to protect the eye and his lid has live tissue and is very strong as the stitches only hold about six days instead of ten days. He also has an allograph(donor skin) on his face between his eyes. This is the third one he's had and the purpose is to protect the bone where he encountered 4th degree burns. At some point he will have a skin graph with his own skin on this area, but we are waiting to see how much tissue he can generate himself and as of now he does have some dead bone but I see no signs of sinus problems so more time will tell. I'd appreciate any information you may have as the opthamologists feel we can't wait too much longer to save his eye.

Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2002 - 5:49 am:

Hello Susan,
What a nightmare to have to go through Susan and my heart goes out to you and all the others who lost horses in this fire. I am currently doing an article on the treatment of burns in horses but have not come across anything in my research that may apply to your very specialized problems. In such a case very small details make all the difference in treatment and prognosis and the only way to get those details in through examination. You will have to follow the advice of those around you who can examine the horse and have the specialized skills to deal with this problem.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2002 - 8:24 am:

Thank you DrO, yes it has been a nightmare but there is a reason this horse is alive. It may be because of the great amount of learning that has developed because of him. He will go in all major medical journals as his case had been recorded in detail. He got himself out of that barn from an area where no others made it and I'm sure my mare had something to do with it as they were bonded before the fire and you can imagine the bond they have now. She also got herself out of there. I was hoping someone has had experience with plastic surgery in horses but I guess we may also be developing new experimental studies in this field. The good news is that he is feeling very well and although very headshy, he is getting over that a little every day. He has the will to live and heal as much as possible. With as much as he's been through he is still sane, quiet and easy to handle.

Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2002 - 9:02 pm:

Susan, your experience is so stunning and frightening. Heartfelt sympathy and sincere wishes for the strength and fortitude to see you and your horses through this. If possible, please let us know what is happening.

Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2002 - 11:20 pm:

I want to wish you and the horses the best of luck! Your nervs must be just about threadbare right now!!! Fantastic to see that he has the will to live and heal, that is the hardest battle of all with something like this.
I remember a couple of years ago there was a big fire at a very large training facility in Japan and many were lost. I think from memory the stables were affiliated with Shadai Stallion Station (home of Sunday Silence) If you email them they may have had an instance like yours and may have some ideas for you.
Give him a big kiss on his least burnt bit from us all and congratulate him and your girl on their brains and courage.
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