What Does a Chemical Burn Look Like on a Dog

How To Prevent, Identify & Treat K9 Chemical Burns

This week we discuss K9 chemical burns: a specific type of burn that's caused by exposure to certain chemicals. The chemicals that can burn your K9 can be found in places you might not consider to be threatening at all (like self-inflating rafts), so it's crucial that you know how to prevent, identify and treat K9 chemical burns!

In 2015, over a period of just a few months, 7 dogs were found with severe burns on their backs which appeared to be chemical burns. There was a lot of controversy around what really happened to the dogs, because soon after they were found, it was declared to be just sun burn.

While dogs do suffer from sun burns from time to time, it's highly unlikely that a dog with full fur would get a 3^rd degree sun burn without some degree of heat stroke as well.

Because of the controversy and confusion, these cases are still a mystery.

K9 Chemical Burns

It can be really difficult to distinguish heat burns (e.g., burns from boiling water) from chemical burns. But in many cases, chemical burns leave odd pattern on the dog's body. For example, you might notice a dripping patter down their sides or back, or in patches.

It's worth noting that if your dog suffers a burn of any kind and you want to "cool" them with a garden hose, you should run the water first until it's truly cold. (We've seen K9s suffer 3 ^rd degree burns from being "cooled off" with a garden hose that had been sitting in the sun all day when the temperatures were ~107F.)

Which chemicals can burn my K9?

The most common agents to cause a chemical burn are:

• Laundry detergent
• Drain cleaner
• Deployed airbags.

Airbags inflate due to a chemical reaction that occurs within them, and these chemicals can cause burns if an animal is exposed to them. Most of the time, airbag burns affect the eyes (corneal burn), and sadly these types of burns can occur even if your airbag doesn't actually touch your dog. Self-inflating rafts can cause burns in a similar way.

Acid vs. Base Burns

There are two major kinds of chemical burns: acid and base. This is because chemical burns can be separated into acid agents (proton donors) and base agents (proton acceptor). The severity of the burn depends on the pH of the agent (how acidic or basic it is) and how long it stays in contact with the skin or other tissue.

Acid Burns

Acid burns cause a dead area of skin (called an eschar) to form that limits further penetration of the acid. The most common causes of acid burns are:

• Toilet bowl and drain cleaners
• Metal cleaners
• Battery fluid
• Fertilizers
• Rust removers
• Tile cleaners
• Ingredients used to manufacture plastics and resins.

Base Burns

Base burns cause a more severe injury than acids because they don't form the dead layer of skin that protects the body from the chemical penetrating deeper. Instead, they cause the skin to liquefy and die. The most common base agents to cause burns are:

• Drain cleaner
• Oven cleaner
• Denture cleaner
• Mortar
• Plaster
• Cement
• Bleach
• Pool chlorinators
• Some household detergents.

Signs of a K9 Chemical Burn: What To Look For

If your dog exhibits any of these signs, or even if you think there's any chance they've come into contact with a harmful chemical, always seek treatment right away!

Skin

The skin may not show any clinical signs until after it begins to die. If you think your dog might have encountered a chemical agent suddenly seems to be in pain (i.e., he's crying, whining, pawing or biting at an area), get treatment!

Eyes

Getting a potentially toxic chemical into the eye can be extremely painful for your dog. He'll likely paw at his eye, rub his eye on the ground, run around frantically, or just whine. If there is any chance a chemical has gotten into your dog's eye, get treatment.

Ingestions

It's really hard to tell if an animal has ingested a chemical without actually seeing them do it. Often the only clues have are them crying or pawing at their mouth, drooling, whining, or noticing redness or sores in their mouth. If there is any chance your dog has ingested a chemical, get treatment.

Emergency First Aid for K9 Chemical Burns

If your dog has been exposed to a harmful chemical, you'll need to flush the area. Remember to always seek emergency veterinary treatment as well, as soon as you possibly can.

Skin

First, always wear gloves and do not allow the chemical to come in contact with your own skin! And remember to prevent your dog from licking the burned area.

Flushing the wound a lot (copious irrigation) is essential:

• Use tap water, as it allows for large amounts of fluid to wash over the wound.
• Avoid spraying with force as it may spread the chemical.
• Flush the area for at least 20 minutes. Many chemical burn wounds need to be flushed for hours (up to 12 hours for some bases).
• If pH paper is available, it can be used to determine if the flushing can stop. If the wound is still very acidic or basic (ideally the skin should be at a pH of 7.4) continue flushing.

Eyes

Flush the eyes out immediately with saline (0.9% NaCl), contact lens solution or tap water.

Be careful not to splash more of the chemical into your dog's eye. If you know that some of the chemical got on to his skin, shield his eye as you flush it. Flush the eye for 10 minutes.

Ingestion

Flush your dog's mouth out with tap water, with her head downward to prevent her from breathing it in.

Flushing your dog's mouth for 5 minutes if she'll tolerate it, and make sure to allow her time in between flushes to breathe.

Be prepared for the mouth and throat to swell and possibly block her airway. Get to a veterinarian immediately!

So what's the bottom line?

Many substances can cause K9 chemical burns. It's essential that you are familiar with these chemicals so that you can prevent them, and provide emergency treatment when necessary.

As always, thanks for your help on the front lines! I want to help you feel prepared to protect your working K9. If you have any questions, send me an email and I'll reply with recommendations and information.

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What Does a Chemical Burn Look Like on a Dog

Source: https://workingdoghq.com/k9-chemical-burns/#:~:text=It%20can%20be%20really%20difficult,or%20back%2C%20or%20in%20patches.

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