Negative pressure wound therapy: experience in 45 dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Wound Healing
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Extensive cutaneous wounds in dogs present significant treatment challenges.
• Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has shown promise in human medicine for managing complex wounds.
• Its feasibility and efficacy in a veterinary hospital setting for canine patients require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the application and outcomes of NPWT in dogs with extensive cutaneous wounds.
• To determine the feasibility of implementing NPWT in a veterinary hospital practice.
• To assess the effectiveness of NPWT in preparing wounds for definitive closure.

Main Methods:

• Prospective descriptive study involving 45 dogs with 53 extensive cutaneous wounds.
• Data collected included patient and wound characteristics, NPWT application details, adjunctive treatments, complications, and outcomes.
• Wounds were categorized based on granulation tissue presence and time since injury.

Main Results:

• The majority of wounds were traumatic in origin and treated with NPWT for a median of 3 days.
• Most wounds (62%) were surgically closed after NPWT, with healing by 14 days.
• An overall healing rate of 96% was achieved, with wounds healing by second intention or surgical closure.

Conclusions:

• Negative pressure wound therapy is applicable to a diverse range of canine wounds.
• NPWT is well-tolerated by dogs and can be utilized in veterinary practice.
• The therapy optimizes wound beds for successful surgical closure or healing by second intention.