As veterinarians, we’ve all had these cases. The traumatic laceration that looked straightforward until you started exploring it. The surgical incisions that were healing beautifully until the patient discovered it. The chronic lick granuloma that seems determined to outlast every treatment you have ever tried.
Perform a Thorough Assessment
Before reaching for a topical or deciding on a closure strategy, take the time to understand exactly what you’re dealing with. Wounds have a way of hiding their true extent, and what appears superficial on initial inspection may tell a very different story once you do some detective work. Exploring wounds with a sterile catheter or hemostat after saline irrigation can help identify pockets, dead space, draining tracts, or foreign material that may not be visible on gross examination. For deeper or more traumatic injuries, diagnostic imaging can be invaluable for identifying retained foreign bodies, fractures, or damage to underlying structures that could impede healing.
Clean and Prepare
Once the wound has been fully evaluated, turn your attention to cleansing and preparation. Effective lavage removes debris, bacteria, and contaminants while minimizing additional tissue trauma. Clipping surrounding hair, flushing the wound with LRS or Norm-R, and avoiding unnecessarily harsh antiseptics can help preserve viable tissue. Ideal debridement occurs between 7-12 psi, which is routinely achieved by using an 18-gauge needle with a 30cc syringe.
Control the Infection
One mistake many of us have made at some point is waiting too long to culture a wound. By the time healing has stalled, you’ve already lost valuable time. If infection is on your differential list, obtaining a culture immediately after debridement can help guide antimicrobial selection, improve outcomes, and support responsible antibiotic stewardship. Identifying bacterial involvement before complications arise allows you to intervene more effectively and avoid unnecessary antimicrobial use.
Wound Closure
The next critical decision is determining how the wound will close. Some wounds are ideal candidates for primary closure, while others benefit from delayed closure or healing by second intention. Regardless of the chosen approach, maintaining a moist healing environment remains one of the most important factors influencing wound repair. Moisture supports cellular migration, encourages re-epithelialization, and helps create optimal conditions for tissue regeneration.
Just as important as moisture is protecting the wound from disruption. As you know all too well, the body has tremendous capacity to heal when left undisturbed. Unfortunately, our patients often have other plans. Self-trauma from licking and chewing remains one of the most common obstacles to successful wound healing.
KeraVet Gel
Even when we’ve done everything right, thorough lavage, appropriate debridement, careful closure, the healing process can still be derailed by one persistent challenge: the patient. Dogs and cats don’t always appreciate the importance of leaving a wound or incision alone. Licking and chewing are among the most common reasons wounds fail to progress as expected.
KeraVet Gel was developed to help support healing. The keratin-based hydrogel is clinically proven to reduce edema and chronic inflammation and maintain a moist environment. The built-in clinically proven bitterant helps discourage licking (studies show up to 87% reduction in licking in dogs and cats). For surgical incisions, hard-to-close or difficult-to-bandage areas, and wounds where patient interference is high (which is most), KeraVet Gel can help you protect the healing environment without relying exclusively on other options, such as an E-collar.
Client Education
Of course, wound management does not end when the patient leaves the hospital. Client education remains one of the most important and often overlooked components of successful outcomes. Pet parents should understand how to monitor healing, recognize early signs of complications, administer medications as directed, and restrict activity when appropriate. Clear discharge instructions and realistic expectations can often make the difference between an uncomplicated recovery and a “what happened?!” recheck appointment.
Bottom Line
The body has an incredible ability to heal when we give it the opportunity. Thorough assessment, proper wound bed preparation, infection control, moisture balance, pain management, activity restriction, and client compliance all play a role. Our job as veterinarians isn’t to heal the wound per se—we’re creating the conditions that allow healing to happen. When those fundamentals are in place, tools like KeraVet Gel can help keep healing going no matter what, and give both veterinarians and pet parents greater confidence in the outcome.
Dr. Kim
The KeraVet Team
Dr. Kim Farina is a companion animal veterinarian and marketing consultant for KeraVet.