When Is a Dog or Cat Laceration an Emergency?

The appearance of the skin wound is only part of the assessment. A small opening can occasionally hide significant damage beneath the skin, while a larger-looking superficial cut may be less dangerous than it first appears.

Veterinary wound management begins by assessing the whole patient. Trauma severe enough to tear skin can also injure muscle, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, joints, the chest, abdomen, or internal organs.

Seek immediate veterinary care for:

• Bleeding that does not slow with several minutes of steady direct pressure
• Blood spurting or rapidly soaking through dressings
• A deep or widely gaping wound
• Visible fat, muscle, tendon, bone, or another deep structure
• A wound over the chest or abdomen that could penetrate a body cavity
• A wound directly over a joint
• Severe paw-pad lacerations
• Eye or eyelid injuries
• Large facial wounds
• Degloving injuries where skin has been separated from underlying tissue
• Animal-bite wounds
• Deep punctures
• Wounds contaminated with dirt, sand, plant material, asphalt, or other debris
• Severe pain or inability to use a limb
• Pale gums, weakness, collapse, or difficulty breathing
• Major trauma such as being hit by a vehicle

For severe trauma, uncontrolled hemorrhage, respiratory distress, collapse, or an injury likely to require ICU-level or overnight care, a 24-hour emergency hospital may be the safest destination. See our Laguna Beach Pet Emergency & Urgent-Care Guide.

Does My Dog or Cat’s Cut Need Stitches?

One of the most common questions we hear is, “Does this need stitches?”

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes closing the wound immediately would actually increase the risk of infection or wound breakdown.

The decision is based on much more than wound length.

A laceration is more likely to need surgical closure when:

• The skin edges are widely separated
• The wound extends completely through the skin
• Subcutaneous tissue or deeper structures are exposed
• The location is under substantial movement or tension
• The wound is likely to repeatedly reopen without closure
• The injury creates a large tissue defect
• Important deeper structures require protection
• The veterinarian can adequately clean and debride the wound
• The remaining tissue appears healthy enough to hold sutures

Fresh, adequately cleaned wounds with viable tissue and manageable contamination can often be repaired by primary closure. Depending on the injury, this may involve sutures beneath the skin as well as skin sutures or staples.

Deep layers matter. Closing only the surface while leaving a large empty pocket underneath can allow blood, serum, inflammatory fluid, or infected material to accumulate.

Veterinary surgeons call this empty space dead space. Eliminating or managing dead space is an important part of good wound repair.

Why Would a Veterinarian Leave a Cut Open Instead of Stitching It?

It can surprise owners when a veterinarian recommends not immediately closing a wound.

But sometimes that is the safer surgical decision.

A heavily contaminated or infected wound can become much more problematic if bacteria, damaged tissue, debris, or infected fluid are sealed beneath the skin.

Immediate closure may not be appropriate when:

• The wound is heavily contaminated
• Infection is already present
• There is pus or substantial infected discharge
• The viability of skin or underlying tissue is uncertain
• Additional tissue may become necrotic over the next day or two
• There is extensive crush injury
• A bite has created multiple hidden pockets under the skin
• Closing the wound would create excessive tension
• The injury is older and bacterial contamination is substantial

In these situations, the veterinarian may clean and debride the wound, manage it open for a period of time, perform bandage changes, control contamination or infection, and then close it once the wound bed is healthier.

This is called delayed primary closure when closure is intentionally postponed while contamination and tissue viability are addressed.

The MSD Veterinary Manual notes that contaminated wounds may be managed open before delayed closure, with minimally contaminated wounds sometimes becoming suitable for closure after approximately 24–72 hours. More heavily infected wounds may require longer management.

This does not mean treatment has failed. In the right wound, waiting to close is part of the treatment plan.

When Does a Laceration Need a Penrose Drain?

Some wounds look fairly small on the surface but create a much larger cavity underneath the skin.

This is common with bite wounds, shearing injuries, blunt trauma, and injuries in which the skin separates from the tissue underneath.

If that pocket is simply sutured shut, fluid can accumulate inside it.

A drain may be considered when there is:

• A large pocket or dead space under the skin
• Ongoing fluid accumulation
• Substantial tissue separation
• A contaminated bite wound
• An abscess or infected cavity that requires continued drainage
• A wound that cannot be completely converted into a clean, tightly apposed surgical space

What Is a Penrose Drain?

A Penrose drain is a soft, flexible passive drain placed through the wound cavity. A small portion exits through the skin, allowing fluid to escape rather than collect beneath a sealed incision.

A Penrose works primarily through gravity and capillary action. It is usually positioned so fluid can move toward a dependent exit site.

In some wounds, a closed suction drain may be preferable because a closed system can reduce exposure of the wound cavity to outside contamination. The type of drain depends on wound anatomy, contamination, expected fluid production, patient size, and surgeon preference.

Why Pocketing Matters

A closed pocket containing blood, serum, devitalized tissue, or bacteria can become an excellent environment for infection.

Low-oxygen areas within damaged tissue can also favor growth of certain anaerobic organisms. However, a Penrose drain is not placed merely because “anaerobic bacteria might be present.” The important surgical goals are to prevent trapped fluid, reduce dead space, and permit contaminated material to exit.

The MSD Veterinary Manual describes wound drains as tools for directing fluid out of a wound or body cavity and recommends eliminating dead space with appropriate suturing, bandaging, or drainage when necessary.

Why Dog and Cat Bite Wounds Can Be More Serious Than They Look

Bite wounds deserve special attention because teeth can push bacteria deep beneath the skin while leaving only a small puncture visible on the surface.

The skin may close over quickly while deeper tissues remain crushed, contaminated, and separated.

That can create:

• Hidden pockets
• Dead space
• Bruised or devitalized tissue
• Abscess formation
• Cellulitis
• Accumulation of infected fluid
• Damage to muscle, vessels, nerves, or other structures

A puncture wound therefore should not automatically be treated like a simple superficial cut.

Bite wounds may require exploration, clipping, lavage, removal of damaged tissue, antibiotics, pain medication, placement of a drain, delayed closure, or a combination of these treatments.

Do Wounds Heal Differently in Cats and Dogs?

Yes. Cats should not simply be treated as small dogs when it comes to wound biology.

Veterinary surgical research has demonstrated meaningful differences between canine and feline cutaneous wound healing. In experimental studies, cats developed granulation tissue more slowly, epithelialized more slowly, and had slower overall healing of open wounds than dogs. Sutured wounds in cats were also substantially weaker at seven days than comparable wounds in dogs.

That means feline wounds deserve particularly thoughtful handling of skin, subcutaneous tissue, tension, contamination, and postoperative protection.

Why We May Stage the Repair of a Cat’s Wound

A contaminated or traumatized feline wound may benefit from initial stabilization, pain control, cleaning, debridement, and open wound management before final repair.

Cats also appear to have a more persistent inflammatory response and a somewhat less vigorous proliferative phase of wound healing than dogs.

This does not mean every cat laceration should be left open. A clean, fresh, healthy feline wound may still be an excellent candidate for immediate closure.

Instead, it means we are careful not to force closure over tissue that is contaminated, devitalized, excessively inflamed, or of questionable blood supply merely because closing it immediately seems cosmetically preferable.

For more feline-specific medical information, visit our Cat Care in Laguna Beach guide.

How Does a Veterinarian Treat a Laceration?

Treatment is individualized to the wound. A relatively clean two-centimeter cut and a deep bite wound with six inches of undermined skin are completely different surgical problems.

1. Stabilize the Patient First

If trauma caused the wound, the first priority is making sure the pet is stable.

Breathing, circulation, blood loss, pain, neurologic status, and possible internal injury may be more important than the visible cut.

2. Control Pain

Lacerations hurt. Appropriate analgesia is part of responsible wound treatment.

Depending on wound severity and the procedure required, treatment may involve injectable pain medication, sedation, local anesthesia, general anesthesia, oral medication, or a combination.

3. Clip the Hair and Examine the Entire Wound

Hair can hide punctures, bruising, damaged tissue, and the true extent of skin separation.

Sedation or anesthesia may be needed so the veterinarian can safely explore the wound without causing unnecessary pain or fear.

4. Lavage the Wound

One of the most important steps is flushing away dirt, bacteria, dried blood, hair, and microscopic debris.

Large-volume lavage can substantially reduce contamination and also makes it easier to inspect the underlying tissues.

5. Debride Dead or Severely Damaged Tissue

Dead tissue does not heal normally and can support bacterial growth.

When necessary, the veterinarian removes clearly nonviable tissue while preserving healthy tissue whenever possible.

In some traumatic wounds, tissue viability is uncertain during the first examination. Rather than aggressively removing tissue that might survive, staged debridement and reassessment can sometimes be the better surgical approach.

6. Decide How the Wound Should Heal

The veterinarian then determines whether the best plan is:

• Immediate primary closure with sutures or staples
• Closure with a drain
• Delayed primary closure after initial wound management
• Open wound management with bandaging
• Second-intention healing, in which granulation, contraction, and epithelialization gradually close the wound
• Reconstructive surgery or referral for an extensive defect

Aliso Beach Animal Clinic performs veterinary surgery and wound repair in Laguna Beach and evaluates many appropriate injuries through our same-day urgent-care service.

What Should Be Used to Clean a Dog or Cat Wound?

More antiseptic is not always better. Some products kill bacteria but also injure the healthy cells responsible for rebuilding the wound.

Sterile Saline

Sterile saline is one of the least toxic fluids for healing tissue and is frequently used for wound lavage.

Its value comes largely from mechanically flushing contaminants from the wound without damaging healthy cells.

Dilute Chlorhexidine

Veterinarians may use appropriately diluted chlorhexidine solutions in selected wounds. Concentration matters. Strong chlorhexidine preparations and surgical scrub products can damage healing tissue.

Dilute Povidone-Iodine

Properly diluted povidone-iodine may also be used in selected circumstances, although organic material and wound debris can reduce its antimicrobial activity.

What About Hydrogen Peroxide?

We generally do not recommend repeatedly pouring hydrogen peroxide into an open wound.

Although it has antimicrobial effects, hydrogen peroxide is toxic to healthy healing tissue and may delay normal wound repair.

What About Alcohol?

Alcohol is painful and damaging to exposed tissue and is not an appropriate home lavage solution for an open laceration.

What Is the “Holistic” Wound-Cleansing Option?

Sometimes the gentlest option is also the most biologically respectful one: thorough lavage with a tissue-safe solution, removal of contamination and dead tissue, good moisture balance, and protection of the wound.

A natural product is not automatically gentler than sterile saline, and essential oils, concentrated botanical extracts, homemade disinfectants, or other topical remedies may irritate tissue or be unsafe if licked.

For integrative wound care, we prefer to start with sound surgical wound-management principles and then add supportive treatments only when they are appropriate for that particular wound.

How Does a Laceration Heal?

Wound healing is not one single event. It is a coordinated biological process with overlapping stages.

Phase 1: Hemostasis and Early Inflammation

Immediately after injury, blood vessels constrict and clotting begins. Platelets and inflammatory mediators help stop bleeding and initiate the repair process.

Over the next several days, inflammatory cells help remove bacteria and damaged tissue.

Some redness and mild swelling can therefore be part of normal early healing. Excessive swelling, severe pain, heat, foul odor, pus, worsening redness, or systemic illness are not expected and deserve reassessment.

Phase 2: Proliferation and Granulation Tissue

Fibroblasts begin producing the framework needed for repair, new blood vessels grow into the area, and healthy granulation tissue develops.

Granulation tissue is typically pink-to-red, moist, vascular tissue that fills an open wound from its deeper surfaces.

Phase 3: Contraction and Epithelialization

Open wound edges gradually contract toward each other while new epithelial cells migrate across the surface.

Dogs and cats use these mechanisms somewhat differently, which is one reason feline wound management deserves species-specific planning.

Phase 4: Remodeling

Even after a wound looks closed, collagen continues reorganizing and strengthening for weeks to months.

A fresh incision is therefore not “fully healed” the day the sutures come out.

Will My Pet Need Antibiotics?

Not every small, clean laceration automatically requires systemic antibiotics.

Antibiotic decisions depend on:

• Degree of contamination
• Whether the wound is infected
• Whether the wound is a bite or puncture
• Amount of damaged tissue
• How much time has passed
• Whether foreign material remains
• Depth and location
• The pet’s immune status and other medical conditions

Dirty, infected, puncture, and many bite wounds are much more likely to require antimicrobial therapy.

If significant infection is present or treatment is not progressing normally, bacterial culture and susceptibility testing may sometimes be recommended so medication can be selected more precisely.

Pain Medication

Many pets go home with oral pain medication after laceration treatment.

The specific medication depends on the patient’s species, age, kidney and liver health, concurrent medications, injury, and procedure.

Never give ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or another human pain medication unless a veterinarian has specifically instructed you to do so for that individual patient. Some human medications can cause serious or fatal toxicity in dogs or cats.

Why Your Pet Really Does Need the Cone

Owners often ask whether an Elizabethan collar — the “cone” — is truly necessary.

For many wound repairs, yes.

A pet’s tongue can undo an excellent surgical repair remarkably quickly.

Licking introduces moisture and oral bacteria, irritates the wound, removes scabs, traumatizes granulation tissue, and can pull out stitches or drains.

Chewing can turn a healing incision into an open wound in minutes.

If we recommend a cone, keep it on continuously unless you are directly supervising your pet and have specifically been told it is safe to remove it.

Recovery suits and alternative collars can be useful for some wound locations, but they are not equally effective for every pet. We can help determine which form of protection is appropriate.

How Do I Care for a Penrose Drain at Home?

A drain is supposed to drain. Seeing fluid around the drain during the first part of recovery does not automatically mean something is wrong.

Depending on the wound, drainage can initially appear bloody or blood-tinged and should generally decrease as healing progresses.

If your pet has a drain:

• Keep the Elizabethan collar on.
• Keep your pet indoors and the site clean.
• Restrict running, rough play, jumping, and other strenuous activity.
• Do not allow swimming or bathing.
• Follow our instructions for cleaning the skin around the drain.
• Do not pull, rotate, shorten, or reposition the drain.
• Do not put ointment, peroxide, essential oils, or medication into the drain opening unless specifically instructed.
• Give prescribed medications exactly as directed.
• Attend the scheduled recheck and drain-removal appointment.

Penrose drains are generally temporary. They are removed once the veterinarian believes continued drainage is no longer necessary, often within several days depending on the wound and the amount and character of the fluid.

Call us if:

• Drainage is increasing rather than decreasing
• Thick yellow, green, or foul-smelling discharge develops
• Swelling is increasing
• Your pet appears significantly more painful
• The drain disappears beneath the skin
• The drain falls out prematurely
• Stitches open
• Your pet becomes lethargic, feverish, stops eating, or otherwise seems ill

Can Medical-Grade Manuka Honey Help a Pet’s Wound?

Honey has been used in wound care for centuries, but modern veterinary wound treatment uses medical-grade honey, not ordinary grocery-store honey.

Medical-grade Manuka honey may have useful properties in selected contaminated or infected open wounds. The MSD Veterinary Manual specifically notes that medical-grade Manuka honey can be useful in some highly infected wounds as part of appropriate wound management.

Potential benefits are related to its osmotic properties, moisture balance, wound-bed effects, and antimicrobial environment.

But Manuka honey is not appropriate for every wound.

A clean sutured laceration does not automatically heal faster simply because honey is placed on it.

Veterinary evidence is mixed. A controlled 2024 study of first-intention surgical wound healing in dogs and cats did not show a clearly superior cosmetic outcome from Manuka honey compared with standard controls, although some wound parameters differed.

That is an important distinction: medical-grade honey can be a useful wound-care tool, but it is not a substitute for lavage, debridement, drainage, suturing, antibiotics, pain control, or surgery when those are needed.

We would also not recommend applying raw honey, kitchen honey, or an unverified honey product to your pet’s wound at home.

Can K-Laser Therapy Help a Laceration Heal?

Aliso Beach Animal Clinic offers K-Laser therapy and veterinary photobiomodulation for selected patients.

Photobiomodulation uses selected wavelengths of light to influence cellular activity, inflammation, local circulation, and tissue-repair processes.

Laser therapy may be considered as an adjunct for selected wounds, incisions, soft-tissue injuries, or postoperative recovery.

It cannot:

• Flush contamination from a wound
• Remove dead tissue
• Drain an abscess
• Eliminate a large pocket beneath the skin
• Remove a foreign body
• Replace antibiotics when bacterial infection requires them
• Close a wound that needs surgical repair

Veterinary studies of photobiomodulation and wound healing have produced encouraging results in some settings and little measurable benefit in others. Outcomes appear to depend on wound type, device, wavelength, treatment protocol, patient factors, and the quality of standard wound care being provided.

For that reason, we use K-Laser as a supportive option within a complete treatment plan, not as a replacement for surgical wound-management principles.

Can Nutraceuticals or Supplements Improve Wound Healing?

Nutrition matters during healing, but there is no supplement that can close a deep laceration, drain an infected pocket, or restore blood supply to dead tissue.

The most important nutritional priorities are usually surprisingly basic:

• Adequate calories
• Adequate high-quality protein
• Good hydration
• A nutritionally complete diet
• Correction of a documented deficiency when present

Specific vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, botanical compounds, or other nutraceuticals are sometimes discussed for tissue repair or inflammatory support, but evidence for accelerating uncomplicated acute laceration healing in otherwise healthy dogs and cats is limited.

More is not necessarily better. Excessive supplementation can create nutritional imbalance, interact with medications, affect bleeding, or complicate anesthesia and surgery.

If you want to incorporate integrative nutritional support into your pet’s recovery, our veterinary supplement and nutraceutical consultations allow us to review the exact product, dose, diet, diagnosis, medications, and goals before deciding whether it belongs in the treatment plan.

Our general approach is simple: use natural or integrative therapies when they add value, but never allow them to delay necessary wound care.

Home Care After Your Dog or Cat’s Laceration Is Repaired

The work done at the hospital is only the first half of successful wound treatment. What happens at home matters enormously.

Keep the Cone On

Prevent licking and chewing for the entire period recommended by your veterinarian.

Restrict Activity

Running, jumping, wrestling, beach play, stairs, and vigorous activity can put tension on stitches and create swelling or fluid accumulation.

Leash walks for bathroom breaks may be recommended until healing is further along.

Keep the Wound Dry Unless Told Otherwise

Do not allow bathing, swimming, ocean water exposure, or unsupervised wetting of a repaired incision.

Give Medication Correctly

Follow the label exactly for pain medications and antibiotics.

If your pet vomits medication, refuses doses, develops diarrhea, seems overly sedated, or has another suspected medication reaction, call us rather than simply discontinuing or changing the dose on your own.

Check the Wound Every Day

Look at the incision at least once or twice daily so you learn what is normal for your pet.

Taking one clear photograph each day in similar lighting can be helpful for noticing trends in swelling, bruising, drainage, or redness.

Keep Recheck Appointments

A wound may look better externally before deeper tissues have regained meaningful strength.

Rechecks allow us to assess tissue viability, infection, drainage, swelling, pain, and whether sutures, staples, or a drain can safely be removed.

What Does an Infected or Failing Wound Look Like?

Some mild bruising, localized swelling, or redness can occur during normal early healing.

Call us promptly if you see:

• Increasing redness rather than gradual improvement
• Rapidly increasing swelling
• New or worsening pain
• Heat around the wound
• Thick yellow or green discharge
• Foul odor
• Continued substantial bleeding
• Skin turning dark purple, gray, black, or leathery
• Stitches pulling through the skin
• Edges of the incision separating
• A fluid-filled swelling under the skin
• The drain becoming dislodged
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Fever or obvious illness

A wound that is worsening should be examined rather than repeatedly treated at home with different topical products.

Same-Day Laceration & Wound Care in Laguna Beach

Cuts happen in many ways in coastal Orange County.

A dog may slice a paw during a walk, catch skin on landscaping, be injured during play, sustain a bite wound at a park, or encounter sharp material around the beach or neighborhood. Cats may develop lacerations, punctures, bite injuries, abscesses, or wounds that are not discovered until swelling or drainage appears.

Aliso Beach Animal Clinic provides same-day evaluation for many stable wound patients from Laguna Beach, South Laguna, Emerald Bay, Three Arch Bay, Monarch Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, and nearby communities.

Our Laguna Beach animal hospital can provide, when appropriate:

• Urgent veterinary examination and triage
• Pain control and sedation
• Wound exploration
• Clipping, cleaning, and lavage
• Surgical debridement
• Sutures or staples
• Penrose or other drainage when medically indicated
• Bandaging
• Antibiotics when appropriate
• Oral pain medication
• In-house diagnostic testing
• Soft-tissue surgery and wound repair
• K-Laser therapy for selected patients
• Integrative and nutritional support when medically appropriate
• Referral when the wound requires specialty or 24-hour care

If your pet has a laceration, call before coming. Knowing the location, approximate size, cause of injury, amount of bleeding, and your pet’s overall condition helps us determine the safest next step.

CALL (949) 499-4190 | SAME-DAY URGENT CARE

Dog & Cat Laceration FAQ

How do I know if my dog’s cut needs stitches?

A cut is more likely to need closure if it gapes open, extends through the full thickness of the skin, exposes deeper tissue, continues bleeding, is located in a high-motion area, or creates a defect that will not remain apposed on its own. The decision also depends on contamination, tissue viability, depth, location, and how much time has passed.

Does every deep cut need to be stitched immediately?

No. A heavily contaminated, infected, crushed, or questionable wound may be safer to manage open initially. Once contamination is controlled and healthy tissue is established, delayed closure may be performed.

Why would my dog need a Penrose drain?

A Penrose drain may be used when trauma creates a pocket or dead space under the skin where fluid could collect. It may also be used in selected contaminated or infected wounds that need ongoing drainage.

Why would the veterinarian not simply close the entire wound?

Sealing a contaminated pocket can trap bacteria, blood, serum, pus, or damaged tissue underneath the skin. In some cases, drainage or temporary open wound management is safer than immediate complete closure.

How long does a Penrose drain stay in?

It depends on the wound and how much fluid is still being produced. Many drains are removed within several days, but your veterinarian determines timing based on drainage, infection, swelling, and tissue healing.

Does a laceration always require antibiotics?

No. Antibiotics are more likely to be recommended for infected, heavily contaminated, puncture, and bite wounds. A fresh clean wound that has been thoroughly treated may not always require systemic antibiotics. The veterinarian makes this decision based on the individual wound and patient.

What pain medication will my pet receive?

Pain control is individualized. The veterinarian considers the wound, procedure, species, age, kidney and liver health, other medications, and overall medical status before selecting medication.

Can I clean my dog’s cut with hydrogen peroxide?

We generally do not recommend repeated use of hydrogen peroxide in open wounds because it can damage healthy healing cells. Call your veterinarian for guidance on an appropriate wound-cleansing solution.

Can I use Manuka honey on my dog’s wound?

Medical-grade Manuka honey may be helpful for selected open or contaminated wounds, but household honey and unverified products should not be applied without veterinary direction. Honey also cannot replace cleaning, debridement, drainage, suturing, antibiotics, or surgery when those treatments are required.

Can K-Laser help a wound heal?

Photobiomodulation may be considered as an adjunct for selected wounds or postoperative patients. Evidence is promising in some veterinary settings but mixed overall, so K-Laser should supplement appropriate wound management rather than replace it.

Do cat wounds heal differently than dog wounds?

Yes. Research has shown that feline skin wounds generally heal more slowly than canine wounds, produce granulation tissue differently, and may have lower early wound strength. Treatment planning should therefore take the species and the individual wound into account.

My cat has a tiny puncture but a large swelling. Is that concerning?

Yes. A small surface puncture can seal over while infection develops in a larger pocket underneath. This is common with bite wounds and can lead to an abscess. Your cat should be examined.

Should my pet wear the cone all the time?

If your veterinarian has prescribed an Elizabethan collar for a repaired wound, it generally needs to remain on continuously until you are told otherwise. A few minutes of chewing can damage sutures, remove a drain, or reopen an incision.

Can my dog swim at the beach after getting stitches?

No, not until your veterinarian says the wound has healed sufficiently. Ocean water, sand, moisture, vigorous movement, and contamination can all interfere with healing.

Does Aliso Beach Animal Clinic treat lacerations and bite wounds?

Yes. We provide same-day urgent evaluation for many stable dogs and cats with lacerations, punctures, bite wounds, paw injuries, and other wounds during regular business hours when availability allows. More extensive injuries may require referral to a 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital.

Veterinary Sources & Further Reading

• MSD Veterinary Manual — Initial Wound Management in Small Animals
• Merck Veterinary Manual — Drains in Wound Management of Small Animals
• University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine — Use of Drains in Small Animal Patients
• Veterinary Surgery — Cutaneous Wound Healing in the Cat: Comparison With the Dog
• Veterinary Surgery — Role of Subcutaneous Tissues in Canine and Feline Wound Healing
• Veterinary Sciences — Manuka Honey and First-Intention Wound Healing in Dogs and Cats
• Veterinary World — Photobiomodulation and Chronic Wound Healing in Dogs

This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for an individualized veterinary examination, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Deep wounds, bite wounds, uncontrolled bleeding, significant pain, punctures, suspected body-cavity penetration, or wounds involving major trauma should be evaluated promptly by a veterinarian.