Novel extracellular matrix wound dressing shows increased epithelialization of full-thickness skin wounds in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in the healing of surgically created full-thickness wounds in dogs treated with a novel extracellular matrix (ECM) dressing as compared with a standard wound management protocol and to investigate the effect of antibiotics in these 2 populations. ANIMALS: 15 purpose-bred Beagles, 8 female spayed and 7 males neutered, operated on, and monitored between March 14, 2022, and April 18, 2022. METHODS: Four 2 X 2-cm full-thickness skin wounds were created on the trunks of each dog. The right-sided wounds were treated with the novel ECM wound dressing, and the left-sided wounds served as the controls. Wound planimetry and qualitative wound scores were obtained at 12 time points. Wound biopsies for histopathologic assessment of wound repair and wound inflammation were obtained at 6 time points. RESULTS: Wounds treated with ECM had higher percent epithelization at days 7, 9, 12, and 18 postoperatively (P < .001) and better histologic repair scores (P = .024) than wounds treated by the standard protocol. Subjective wound assessment scores of wounds treated with ECM did not differ from those treated by the standard protocol at any time point. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Wounds treated with the novel ECM dressing epithelialized more rapidly than wounds treated by a standard protocol.