lapis - Articles
Electrical burn injury
Synonym(s): Electric injury, Electric shock
Introduction
- Cause: electrocution from chewing live wires within the home environment. Electrocution by low voltage alternating current (AC) seen when animals bite into electrical cables.
- Signs: if survives the initial electrocution, anorexia from oral burns and lesions around the oral cavity. Respiratory compromise as a result of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, lethargy due to anorexia.
- Diagnosis: lesions within the oral cavity.
- Treatment: supportive care, analgesia, cleaning of the oral cavity, surgical debridement in severe cases.
- Prognosis: depends on severity of the exposure.
Presenting signs
- Anorexia due to oral burns Anorexia.
- Soft tissue burns within and around mouth Mouth: soft tissue trauma.
- Red, swelling and ulceration inside and around the mouth and tongue.
- Singed fur around mouth.
- Discolored and/or fractured teeth.
- Cardiorespiratory signs: open mouth breathing, respiratory noise, dyspnea, cyanosis.
- Arrhythmias Heart: arrhythmia.
- Ptyalism Mouth: ptyalism.
- Difficulty in swallowing.
- Lethargy.
- Collapse.
- Sudden death.
Acute presentation
- Sudden death.
- Significant injury and prolonged tetanic muscle contraction.
- Cardiorespiratory signs: open mouth breathing, respiratory noise.
- Soft tissue injury around mouth and in oral cavity.
Public health considerations
- Do not pull a live cable out of the rabbit's mouth due to the risk of electrocution.
- Turn off the electrical breaker and wear a rubber glove to unplug the cord.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- Severe tissue damage from biting through live electric cables.
Predisposing factors
Specific
- Wires within the household environment.
Pathophysiology
- Electrocution causes disruption of tissues and may cause muscle spasms, ventricular fibrillation and vasomotor changes in the central nervous system.
- Acute pulmonary edema may develop.
- Electrical energy transformed to heat causing tissue proteins coagulation.
- Burns and soft tissue damage within the oral cavity.
- First-degree burn causes red, slightly swollen and painful skin.
- Second-degree burn there is damage to deeper tissues and blistering is seen.
- Third-degree burns involve full thickness of the skin and part of the subcutaneous tissue resulting in the formation of escharotic crusts.
Timecourse
- A first-degree burn usually heals within 2-5 days.
- A second-degree burn (non-infected) is very painful and may heal in approximately 3+ weeks.
Epidemiology
- Any rabbit has the tendency to chew wires.
Diagnosis
Subscribe To View
This article is available to subscribers.
Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.
Treatment
Subscribe To View
This article is available to subscribers.
Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.
Prevention
Subscribe To View
This article is available to subscribers.
Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.
Outcomes
Subscribe To View
This article is available to subscribers.
Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.
Further Reading
Publications
Refereed Papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedRource.
- Johnson DH (2012) Emergency presentations of the exotic small mammalian herbivore trauma patient. J Ex Pet Med 21 (4), 300-315 VetMedResource.
Other sources of information
- Hess L (2017) Electric Cord Bite Injury in Rabbits. Website: www.petmd.com.
- Saunders R (2014) Husbandry. In: British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Manual of Rabbit Medicine. Eds: Meredith A & Lord B. BSAVA, UK. pp 13-26.
- Jekl V (2013) The Dental Examination. In: British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Manual of Rabbit Surgery, Dentistry and Imaging. Eds: Harcourt-Brown F & Chitty J. BSAVA, UK. pp 337-348.
- Mayer J & Donnelly T M (2013) Electrocution. In: Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Birds and Exotic Pets. Eds: Mayer J & Donnelly T M. Saunders Elsevier, USA. pp 368-369.