Figure 1. Full surgical wound dehiscence following a toe amputation in a Great Dane diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the amputated toe. Signs of cellulitis can be seen around the hock area distal to the surgical wound dehiscence.

An overview of postoperative wound care: surgical wound dehiscence

To identify early if a surgical wound is at risk of postoperative complications, RVNs need to be aware of risk factors that can increase complication rates for the patient before any surgery is...

Figure 2. Formation of a biofilm. Free-living bacteria attach to the wound almost immediately and within 2–4 hours microcolonies have formed that are securely attached to the wound. The colonies grow and mature over the next 2–4 days, and once mature, bacteria can disperse and attach to another area of the wound surface.

A guide to biofilm in veterinary wounds

Biofilms occur when a group of microorganisms (typically bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses) attach themselves to a surface to create a colony. This colony form themselves into a type of ‘shield’...