Abstract
Skin wounds are a common presentation in small animal practice. These wounds may be acute or chronic with a complicated healing process. An important aspect of the healing of wounds is debridement which may be carried out by surgical, autolytic, mechanical or enzymatic methods. The debridement method is chosen according to the individual skin defect and influenced by factors such as wound size and location, the age of the wound, and the presence of infection or exudate. Enzymatic debridement is a method that is not commonly used in veterinary practice, and involves the use of enzyme preparations to remove necrotic tissue from a wound. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the enzymatic ointment collagenase as a method of debridement, and its effect on the macroscopic appearance of chronic skin wounds in cats and dogs. We observed that the application of Iruxol Mono directly to the wound changes the progress of the healing process, with no obvious adverse effects. The time of healing of chronic wounds was decreased and healthy granulation tissue was developed within a couple of days after application of the ointment. Enzymatic debridement appears to be a promising method of debridement for use in chronic wounds, and should be considered in cases where more conventional methods of debridement are ineffective or unsuitable.