Negative pressure wound therapy: experience in 45 dogs

Objective: To report experience with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in 45 consecutive dogs admitted with extensive cutaneous wounds and to determine if NPWT is feasible in veterinary hospital practice.

Study design: Prospective descriptive study.

Animals: Dogs (n = 45).

Methods: Collected data were organized into 6 categories: patient data, wound data, NPWT data, adjunctive treatments, complications, and final outcome.

Results: Wounds (53 in 45 dogs) were largely traumatic in origin, and distributed fairly evenly to the trunk, proximal and distal aspects of the limbs. Most wounds (34 dogs, 76%) had no granulation tissue and were treated a mean of 4.2 days after wounding, whereas 11 dogs had granulating wounds that were initially treated a mean of 87 days after wounding. Median NPWT use was 3 days with a mean hospitalization of 7.8 days. Most wounds (33; 62%) were closed surgically after NPWT and were healed by 14 days. The other 18 wounds healed (mean, 21 days) by second intention after hospital discharge. Overall, 96% of the wounds healed; 2 dogs died before definitive closure could be attempted.

Conclusion: NPWT is applicable to a wide variety of canine wounds, is well tolerated, allows for several days between dressing changes, and can used to optimize the wound bed for surgical closure or second intention healing.