VIDEO: Horse severely burned in suspected chemical attack and dumped in Derbyshire undergoes pioneering surgery - using FISH skin

A pony severely burned in a suspected acid attack and then dumped in Derbyshire has had a 'world first' pioneering operation to heal its burnt face - using FISH skin.
Cinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attackCinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attack
Cinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attack

Cinders, an eight month-old pony, underwent the skin graft surgery after donations topping £14,000 were given to her adopted owners.

The foal had been dumped in Clowne before being taken to the Rainbow Equine Hospital in North Yorkshire.

A US vet had to travel across the globe from California to Britain to perform the surgery after the RSPCA had attended to the foal on April 25.

Cinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attackCinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attack
Cinders was severely burned in the suspected chemical attack

UPDATE: NEW PICTURES: RSPCA treating horrific chemical attack on horse as 'deliberate'Jamie Peyton, who flew over from the University of California in Davis, had developed the process of using fish-skin grafts to treat animals burnt in wildfires.

The operation took place on Tuesday (May 1) when a dressing made from the skin of a Tilapia fish was applied to Cinders' face to aid the growth of fresh tissue.

A team of vets worked on Cinders wounds, cleaning them before applying a fish skin dressing to her face.

Vet David Rendle worked with Mr Peyton, and Ryckie Wade, a plastic surgeon at the burns unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorks.

She has now had two operations to treat her injuriesShe has now had two operations to treat her injuries
She has now had two operations to treat her injuries

Mr Rendle from the equine hospital said fish skin was used because it is a good source of collagen and retains moisture well.

He said: "Animals that have been treated with fish skin dressings before seem to be far more comfortable after these dressings have been applied.

UPDATE: Fundraising for horse severely burned after 'deliberate' chemical attack reaches £12,000"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."

An online fundraising page to contribute towards her treatment has so far raised over 14,000An online fundraising page to contribute towards her treatment has so far raised over 14,000
An online fundraising page to contribute towards her treatment has so far raised over 14,000

Cinders has been receiving round the clock care since being found with severe burns running from her eyes to the tip of her nose

Her cause has been helped after more than £14,000 was raised on a Justgiving page for the pony - smashing the original target of £3,000.

Mr Rendle said he was confident the pony would not be left with any long-term ill effects.

He added: "She has a long road ahead but she seems untroubled by her ordeal."

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