Pet First Aid UK
Emergency — phone the vet nowStart cooling immediately, then see a vet the same day

Pet with a burn injury

Cool with cool (not cold, not icy) running water for 20 minutes. Then go to a vet immediately. Do NOT apply butter, cream, toothpaste, or ice.

DogCat

In the next 60 seconds

  1. Ensure your own safety first — if the cause is electrical, switch off the power at the mains before approaching. If chemical, wear gloves.
  2. Remove the animal from the source of heat or chemical immediately.
  3. Cool the burn with cool (not cold, not icy) running water for a full 20 minutes. Use a tap, hose on low flow, or wet cloths changed frequently. This is the single most important first aid step and dramatically reduces burn depth.
  4. Do not apply ice, ice packs, cold water (below 15°C), butter, oil, toothpaste, egg white, or any other substance to the burn — these worsen tissue damage or cause infection.
  5. For chemical burns: rinse copiously with cool water for 20 minutes. Collect the product packaging or photograph the label — bring it to the vet as it tells them the specific chemical involved.
  6. For chemical burns on cats who have groomed contaminated fur: bathe the cat carefully in warm water with a small amount of washing-up liquid to remove remaining substance, then rinse thoroughly. Go to the vet — ingestion risk is high.
  7. After cooling, cover the burn loosely with cling film (do not wrap tightly), or a clean damp cloth. Do not use fluffy materials (cotton wool, towelling) as fibres embed in the wound.
  8. For electrical burns: even if the animal seems recovered, go to the emergency vet — cardiac arrhythmias can be delayed. Check inside the mouth for burns.
  9. For smoke inhalation: move to fresh air immediately. If breathing is laboured or gums are discoloured, this is an emergency — oxygen therapy may be required.

Recognise the signs

  • Redness, blistering, swelling, or charring of skin
  • Hair loss or singed fur at the affected area
  • Pain on touch — or notably, absence of pain in deep burns (full-thickness burns damage nerve endings)
  • Animal licking, biting at, or guarding the affected area
  • For chemical burns on cats: signs may not be local — cat grooms off substance and ingests it, causing vomiting, drooling, and oral burns
  • For electrical burns: burns visible inside the mouth, collapse, cardiac arrhythmia, respiratory distress
  • For smoke inhalation: coughing, wheezing, grey gums, laboured breathing, eye irritation

First aid steps

  1. Ensure your own safety first — if the cause is electrical, switch off the power at the mains before approaching. If chemical, wear gloves.
  2. Remove the animal from the source of heat or chemical immediately.
  3. Cool the burn with cool (not cold, not icy) running water for a full 20 minutes. Use a tap, hose on low flow, or wet cloths changed frequently. This is the single most important first aid step and dramatically reduces burn depth.
  4. Do not apply ice, ice packs, cold water (below 15°C), butter, oil, toothpaste, egg white, or any other substance to the burn — these worsen tissue damage or cause infection.
  5. For chemical burns: rinse copiously with cool water for 20 minutes. Collect the product packaging or photograph the label — bring it to the vet as it tells them the specific chemical involved.
  6. For chemical burns on cats who have groomed contaminated fur: bathe the cat carefully in warm water with a small amount of washing-up liquid to remove remaining substance, then rinse thoroughly. Go to the vet — ingestion risk is high.
  7. After cooling, cover the burn loosely with cling film (do not wrap tightly), or a clean damp cloth. Do not use fluffy materials (cotton wool, towelling) as fibres embed in the wound.
  8. For electrical burns: even if the animal seems recovered, go to the emergency vet — cardiac arrhythmias can be delayed. Check inside the mouth for burns.
  9. For smoke inhalation: move to fresh air immediately. If breathing is laboured or gums are discoloured, this is an emergency — oxygen therapy may be required.

Do NOT

  • Do NOT apply ice, ice packs, or freezing water
  • Do NOT apply butter, lard, oil, toothpaste, or any home remedy
  • Do NOT burst blisters
  • Do NOT use fluffy materials (cotton wool, towels) directly on the burn
  • Do NOT wrap burns tightly
  • Do NOT touch an animal connected to a live electrical source — switch off power first
  • Do NOT underestimate the burn — full-thickness burns may appear painless and smaller than the actual area of damage

While transporting to the vet

  • Keep the animal warm (burns cause rapid heat loss) except over the burned area — keep the burn loosely covered but not insulated. Call ahead to the vet. If electrical injury is suspected, tell the vet explicitly — they will need to perform an ECG. Keep the animal calm and still.

When to phone the vet immediately

  • Burns covering a large body surface area (any burn larger than the palm of your hand is significant)
  • Burns to the face, mouth, or throat (respiratory risk)
  • Full-thickness burns (white, brown, or black appearance; painless)
  • Electrical injury — always escalate regardless of apparent severity
  • Signs of smoke inhalation
  • Chemical ingestion in a cat that has groomed off a caustic substance
  • Signs of shock (pale gums, collapse)

When it can usually wait

  • Very minor superficial burns (smaller than a 10p coin) that are cooled successfully, with intact skin surface and no blister formation, may not require emergency care — but should still be seen by a vet same day to assess depth and risk of infection.

Common causes

  • Thermal burns: contact with hot surfaces (cooker hobs, BBQ grills, bonfires), scalding from boiling or hot water, steam
  • Chemical burns: contact with caustic household products (oven cleaner, bleach, battery acid, drain cleaner)
  • Electrical burns: chewing through live cables or power cords — common in puppies and kittens
  • Friction burns: road rash from being dragged on tarmac in RTAs
  • Smoke inhalation burns: respiratory tract damage during fires
  • Radiation burns: prolonged UV exposure (rare, but occurs in pale-skinned dogs and white cats, especially ears and nose)

What the vet will need to know

  • Type of burn (thermal, chemical, electrical, friction)
  • Cause and substance involved — bring the packaging
  • How long the animal was exposed
  • Whether 20-minute cooling has been applied
  • Any substances that have been applied to the burn
  • Signs of respiratory distress or collapse
  • For electrical burns: was the animal thrown, or lost consciousness?

Aftercare

  • Burn wounds are managed with specialist dressings changed regularly — usually every 1–3 days depending on wound type. Pain management is essential. Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection. Feeding support may be needed for severe burns (burns are metabolically demanding). Follow-up wound assessment is critical. Hydrotherapy and gentle physiotherapy can help with healing of large burns. Recovery from significant burns can take weeks to months.

Prevention

  • Keep pets out of the kitchen during cooking
  • Allow BBQs and fire pits to cool completely before allowing pets near
  • Store all household chemicals in locked cupboards
  • Use pet-safe cleaning products where possible
  • Use cable management to secure and cover electrical wires — especially with puppies and kittens
  • Keep cats indoors if using caustic cleaning products
  • Ensure smoke alarms are fitted — pets die in house fires too

Breed-specific notes

  • White cats and light-coloured cats are at risk of sunburn (solar dermatitis) on ears and nose — a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma. Bull Terriers, Dalmatians, and other pale-coated breeds are similarly at risk. Cats are uniquely at risk from chemical burns because they groom contaminated fur and ingest toxic substances. Kittens and puppies are at highest risk of electrical burns from cable chewing.

Frequently asked questions

Why shouldn't I use cold water or ice on a burn?

Cold water (below about 15°C) and ice cause vasoconstriction in the skin, which reduces blood flow and actually worsens tissue damage. They can also cause hypothermia in small animals. Cool running water at around 15–20°C is optimal — lukewarm tap water works well.

My pet touched the hob briefly — do I still need to go to the vet?

Yes, even brief contact with a hot surface can cause significant burns. Fur can mask the true extent of the injury, and burn depth often cannot be accurately assessed visually — especially within the first few hours. Have a vet assess any suspected burn.

My cat got oven cleaner on her fur and has been grooming herself. What should I do?

This is an emergency. Bathe her immediately with warm water and a small amount of washing-up liquid to remove the substance from her fur, then rinse thoroughly. She may have already ingested some — take her to an emergency vet immediately with the product packaging.

My puppy chewed a cable and got a shock — she seems fine now. Do I need the vet?

Yes, urgently. Electrical injuries can cause delayed cardiac arrhythmias and pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs) that are not immediately apparent. The puppy needs an ECG and chest assessment even if she seems to have recovered. Oral burns may also be present.

How serious are burns in pets compared to humans?

Burns are generally more serious in pets because their skin is thinner than human skin, the relative body surface area of even a moderate burn is proportionally larger, and they cannot communicate their pain level accurately. Additionally, fur conceals the true extent of burns. Always take burns in pets seriously.

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