Experimental and clinical free cutaneous transfers in the dog

Various reconstructive techniques have been applied to the management of difficult wounds in the dog. Wounds in the distal extremities and on the face are hard to manage by conventional methods. A free cutaneous flap, based on the superficial cervical vessels, was developed and used in a series of experimental and clinical cases. Six of eight experimental orthotopic transfers survived. The two failures were thought to be related to technical error. The seven flaps, used in clinical cases, all survived and successfully resolved the dogs' clinical problems.