Small animal skin wounds: management of simple, open wounds and non-healing wounds

In order to most effectively manage skin wounds in small animal patients, the clinician must have a thorough appreciation of the aetiology and potential complications associated with a wide variety of wounds and be mindful that the injury seen on the surface may only represent a fraction of the trauma to the deeper tissues. This article discusses the stages of wound healing and how to achieve a clean wound bed that can permit epithelialisation or surgical closure. It also looks at the appropriate use of antibiotics and antiseptics, in addition to the investigation of genuine non-healing wounds.