Exosome ice-needling for chronic wounds in dogs: a case series

Chronic wounds in dogs represent a significant clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation and impaired tissue repair. This case series describes four canine patients with chronic, treatment-resistant cutaneous wounds treated with plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PNELs) delivered via ice-needling technology (IN). Three dogs presented with post-surgical wound dehiscence and one dog with a chronic pressure sore. The dogs included in this case series presented with non-healing cutaneous lesions characterized by persistent wound dehiscence or pressure ulceration despite prior surgical and medical management. Clinical examination revealed chronic inflammation, impaired granulation tissue formation, and delayed epithelialization. All cases had previously failed conventional therapies, including surgical revision, topical management, systemic treatments, and photobiomodulation. Weekly PNEL applications were performed using IN without additional wound-specific interventions. All dogs demonstrated rapid clinical improvement characterized by reduced inflammation, healthy granulation tissue formation, progressive wound contraction, and accelerated epithelialization. Complete wound healing was achieved within 2 to 12 weeks depending on lesion chronicity and severity. No local or systemic adverse effects were observed. These preliminary findings suggest that PNEL ice-needling may have potential as a minimally invasive regenerative approach for chronic wound management in veterinary patients. Further controlled clinical studies are warranted to confirm efficacy and safety and to establish standardized treatment protocols.