Advanced Therapeutic Strategies in Small Animal Wound Management

Abstract

Background/Objective- Wound management in small animals is a dynamic and challenging area in veterinary medicine. Traditional methods, although the basis of treatment, often face limitations such as long healing times, high infection rates, and poor scar tissue formation. With rapid advances in biotechnology and materials science, new approaches are emerging that will revolutionize the future of wound management. This systematic review aims to collect, analyze, and provide a comprehensive view of the most promising new approaches for the future of wound management in small animals and to evaluate their clinical potential.

Method- This study was conducted as a narrative systematic review. A search of reputable databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, was conducted using keywords related to “wound management,” “small animals,” “regenerative medicine,” “biomaterials,” and “new technologies” for articles published between 2015 and 2024. Inclusion criteria were original articles, reviews, and clinical trials related to the canine and feline species. After initial screening and quality assessment of the articles, relevant data were extracted and qualitatively synthesized.

Results- Analysis of the articles revealed that the future of wound management focuses on several key axes. Advanced biomaterials, smart dressings (e.g., hydrogels, nanofibrous scaffolds) that can control drug release (e.g., antibiotics, growth factors), respond to wound environmental factors (e.g., pH), and promote tissue regeneration rather than repair. Also, the use of stem cells (mesenchymal) and their products (such as secretions or extracellular vesicles) to modulate the inflammatory response and stimulate angiogenesis and extracellular matrix formation. Additionally, the use of treatments such as ozone therapy, atmospheric jet plasma, and 3D printing to fabricate customized scaffolds has demonstrated efficacy in controlling biofilms and accelerating epithelialization.

Conclusion- The findings clearly indicate that the paradigm of wound management in small animals is shifting from passive methods to active, intelligent, and regenerative therapies. The healing process will be shortened, the quality of the restored tissue will be improved, and complications will be reduced thanks to these innovative procedures. On the other hand, there are still obstacles to overcome, such as the high cost and the need for more clinical trials to be conducted on larger populations of tiny animals. Despite these obstacles, the incorporation of these technologies offers the potential to improve the quality of care provided to small animals.