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Wound debridement & antimicrobial moist wound healing bandage in a dog | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Videos

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education video, we demonstrate how to treat a dog with an infected wound using debridement and a tie-over bandage. In this video, a 13-year-old Labrador retriever had a dehisced surgical incision (where a large lipoma had been removed off his chest area). The wound cultured Pasteurella. In this particular situation, we used Kerlix AMD Antimicrobial gauze bandage rolls (by Kendall) to promote moist wound healing. This antimicrobial gauze banadage roll can be used as a base layer for contaminated, wet wounds, but needs to be changed daily. It can be packed into infected pocketed wounds. Kerlix contains polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and has broad-spectrum effectiveness providing protection against gram negative, gram positive, and fungi/yeast microorganisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). This specific type of antimicrobial gauze acts as a primary bacterial barrier in the wound without negative impact to wound healing. Alternatively, honey can be used in wounds, as it decreases inflammatory edema, accelerates the sloughing of dead tissue, forms a protective layer over the wound bed, has antimicrobial properties, and stimulates macrophage migration. It is also thought to help stimulate development of a granulation bed and also stimulates angiogenesis. When honey is used on wounds, it should not be heated above 37ºC and should be unpasteurized. Currently, surgical gauze soaked in honey is also available, and can be placed directly on clean, debrided wounds.

Whatever type of bandage materials you choose (which should be based on the character of the wound), note that moist wound healing is beneficial as moisture increases the rate of healing of wounds; however, note that the adjacent skin edges of the wound should be kept dry. Wet-to-dry bandages can traumatize healthy tissue with debridement, and may be detrimental to cellular healing, can be painful to change, often leave fibers in the wound bed, and may disperse bacteria during bandage changes. With bandages,  make sure to change them frequently (e.g., 1-3X/daily), depending on the amount of exudate or strike-through. Finally, in this video, we use a tie over bandage to help secure the dressing to the wound and reduce tension on wound edges. When in doubt, consult with a surgeon so you have an appropriate plan for challenging wounds.

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