An acid attack on a defenseless horse left it seriously injured in the head. If not for a pioneering treatment using fish skin, the vets may have put her down.
In May 2018, a horse was found in an appalling condition in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. She was in a very distressed state, covered in parasites, and suffering from chemical burns to her face, the MailOnline reported.
The injured and malnourished horse was taken to the Rainbow Equine Hospital in North Yorkshire, where Cinders, as she was named, received a skin graft made of Tilapia fish skin—the world’s first such treatment for a horse.
The fish skin helps heal and prevent infection; it also contains a good amount of collagen and keeps the burned areas moist.
Dr. Jamie Peyton, from the University of California, flew to Britain to perform the surgery with the sterilized Tilapia skins. Her pioneering treatment was used before to treat burnt bears in the California wildfires.
“Animals that have been treated with fish skin dressings before seem to be far more comfortable after these dressings have been applied,” David Rendle, a vet from the equine hospital, told the BBC.
“We want to change Cinders’ dressings as infrequently as possible to spare her the pain of doing so and these dressings are likely to last longer than anything else.”
“Extraordinary injuries called for extraordinary treatments.”
After two weeks, the fish skin was removed, and Cinders began to slowly recover from her injuries.
Rendle was confident that the horse would not suffer from any long-term ill effects.
He said, “She has a long road ahead but she seems untroubled by her ordeal.
“We take one day at a time but the more days that pass the brighter the outlook becomes.”
“It has been a gradual process of recovery. She is ready to go to a new home where she will be spoilt rotten and want for nothing,” Rendle said in an interview with the MailOnline.
He also added: “The injuries were as bad as they get and we came very close to putting her down. Thankfully it has worked out well for Cinders.”
“She has a wonderful mischievous nature,” Rendle said. “She sneaks up behind you and looks in your pocket for food and she will give you a little nibble if you don’t pay her enough attention.”
Cinders is sure to be grateful for the chance to lead a healthy, happy life thanks to the kindness and compassion of the vet team, not to mention their expertise.
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