This document discusses firing and counterirritants used in veterinary medicine. Firing involves burning the skin with hot irons to induce acute inflammation and is used to treat soft tissue and joint injuries. It is very painful for animals. Counterirritants like capsaicin, camphor, and methyl salicylate are rubbed on the skin to relieve pain elsewhere by stimulating sensory receptors and inhibiting pain signals to the brain. They work through the gate control theory of pain but can cause redness, burning, and other side effects if not used properly.

2. FIRING AND COUNTER IRRITANTS USED

3. Contents
• firing
• types of firing
• uses of firing
• welfare significance
• counter irritants used
• mechanism of counterirritant
• classification

4. FIRING
• Firing (also known as thermocautery) is the practice of
burning or branding the skin with red hot irons or wires.
OR
• Application of heat to the body in order to convert the
chronic inflammation into acute one in cases in which
other treatment fails.
• It is a form of counter irritation and is performed with
red hot iron under local anesthesia.

5. • Firing marks can be seen as lines, dots or
patterns. They are commonly found on the
limbs, but can be located anywhere on the body
including on the face/head, neck, shoulders and/
or hind-quarters.
• In case of Firing of the palate (roof of the mouth) ,is
carried out to treat “lampas” (swelling of the hard palate
due to eruption of incisors).

7. Indications
1. Soft tissue damage around joints ,tendon and
ligaments
2. Carpitis popped knee especially if there is no
periosteal new bone growth
3. Chronic arthritis
4. Tendonitis and tendosynoitis
5. Sesamoiditis ,bone spavin or splints

8. Contraindications
1. Near open wound, area of dermatitis or infection
2. Acute inflammation
3. Healthy tissue
4. Flexor surface of joint
5. Young or emaciated animals
6. Active new bone growths

9. TYPES OF FIRING
1. Objective Firing
Without touching the surface the heat source ( red hot
iron) is kept near to the site of inflammation.
2. Bar firing/ Superficial point Firing
Rows made by the application of hot iron over the
site of inflammation

10. Bar firing

11. 3.Line Firing
• It can be use as transverse , oblique or tree manner
• It shouldn’t penetrate skin
• It can be used over volar surface of tendon or the long
axis of stifle joint
• The edge of the instrument shouldn’t be more than
3mm wide
• Its not recommended and doesn’t cause any more
irritation than blistering.

12. 4. Pin firing/ Needle point Firing.
• Most commly performed in horses and specially
racehorses
• Used for the treatment of injury to horse leg
• Special type of needle is used which is heated and
inserted deeper into the tissues to reach tendon and
ligaments.
• It is used for the treatment of affections like splint ,
bucked shins.
• Note = Before application of heat give local anesthetics
or pain killers.

14. Uses of Firing
1. Attempt to prevent or treat injuries.
2. Decoration of the animal. In some cultures,
firing is used to create patterns on the skin or the
equines or other animals (sometimes humans).
3.Identification purposes. Equids may be branded
in order to signify ownership or differentiate
from others.

15. 4. Lack of access to veterinary facilities and
treatments. Where veterinary services are
scarce, under-resourced or unaffordable, owners
are more likely to use local healers or traditional
remedial practices.
Complications of Firing
1.Firing is an extremely painful and traumatic
procedure and will cause a great deal of distress
to the animal.

16. 2. Fear responses and escape attempts during
and after the procedure can make the animal’s
behaviour unpredictable, which is potentially
dangerous for handlers.
3. The process has been found to cause pain and
stress for at least 24 hours after the procedure.
4. When animals are subjected to repeated firing,
the trauma can lead to a state of depression.
5. Firing causes thinning of skin resulting in poor healing and
skin damage

18. COUNTER IRRITANTS

19. COUNTER IRRITANT
• A counterirritant is a substance which creates irritation
or mild inflammation in one location with the aim of
relieve irritation in another location.
• Capsaicin, menthol (mint oil), methyl salicylate, and
camphor etc are examples of counterirritants.

20. GENERAL MECHANISM
• Infection/irritation is there,so when preparation used
topically increases blood supply to the area by
dilating the vessels.
• when blood supply increaes so there will be increase
macrophages and lymophocytes
• so they will convert the chronic inflammation to acute
one.

22. How do they work?
• Counterirritants work by chemically stimulating
(irritating) sensory receptors in the skin, especially
those associated with thermal sensations. The
irritation of receptors in the skin may also inhibit pain
signals reported from the nociceptors (pain receptors),
thereby blocking pain sensations sent to the brain.
• This process isknown as ''Gate control'' was first
described by Melzak & Wall.

23. open gate closed gate

24. Synthetic counter irritants
1. Rubefacient
•They increase circulation leading to redness and mild
heat, and it should be repeated once or twice daily as it
has temporary relief.
• It has many terms like
1. Iodine ointment
2. Ichthyol ointment
3. Liniments
4. Tightener
5. Brace
6. sweat

25. • Capsaicin
• Capsaicin (Zostrix) is an alkaloid extract derived from
hot chili peppers that is available as both a cream and a
lotion in strengths of 0.025% and 0.075%.
• When used therapeutically for pain relief, capsaicin is
usually applied topically as a gel with a capsaicin
concentration ranging from 2.5% to 8%.
• Side Effects of Capsaicin
• Redness and swelling.
• Soreness.
• Dryness.
• Burning and itching.
• Pain

26. Camphor
• Camphor is a terpene (organic compound) that is
commonly used in creams, ointments, and lotions.
• Camphor has a wide variety of topical uses due to
its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory
properties. It can be used to treat skin conditions,
improve respiratory function, relieve pain,achne
and hair loss.
• Disadvantage
• itching
• redness

27. • Note: Camphor should never be ingesting internally as
this can cause serious side effects and even death.
Signs of camphor toxicity appear within 5 to 90
minutes of ingestion. Symptoms include burning of
the mouth and throat, nausea, and vomiting.
• Taking camphor internally is thought to cause liver
damage. Don’t use camphor if you have any medical
conditions affecting your liver. You also shouldn’t
take camphor if you have asthma or epilepsy.

28. Methyl salicylate
• Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen or wintergreen
oil). It is the methyl ester of salicylic acid. It is a
colorless, viscous liquid with a sweet odor. It is
produced by many species of plants, particularly
wintergreens.
• Uses
• In high concentrations as a rubefacient and analgesic
in deep heating to treat joint and muscular pain.
• In low concentrations (0.04% and under) as a
flavoring agent in chewing gum and mints.
• providing fragrance to various products

29. • Disadvantages
• fatigue
• nausea
• hallucination
• dizzines
• vomiting
• difficulty in breathing

30. 2. Blisters & vesicants
• It is used to sub acute and chronic inflammation to
produce blistering and inflammation down sub cut
tissues .
• Generally it is ineffective painful
method ,especially for bone conditions like exostosis.
A.Red iodide of mercury and cantharides.

31. 3.Pustulants.
• Seton in the form of gauze impregnated in
turpentine oil and inserted subcutaneously
from one opening to a ventral one
• And should be kept in situ for 14 days.