Introduction

• Any break in the skin or mucous membranes is considered a wound. Wounds may be planned, eg surgical wounds, or accidental. Regardless of differences in the etiology of wounds, the three phases of wound healing are the same. It is important to remember that wound healing does not always occur in a linear fashion and so there can be overlap between the different phases of wound healing in any given wound.

Three phases of healing

Inflammatory phase

Proliferative phase

Maturation phase

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.

Other sources of information

• Reconstructive Surgery and Wound Management of the Dog and Cat (2013) Kirpensteijn J & ter Haar G. Manson Publishing, London.
• Atlas of Small Animal Wound Management and Reconstructive Surgery (2010) 3rd edn. Pavletic M M, Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, Iowa.
• BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Wound Management and Reconstruction (2009) 2nd edn. Williams J & Moores A. BSAVA Cheltenham.
• Small Animal Wound Management (1997) 2nd edn. Swaim S F & Henderson R A, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.