The effect of medical honey on second intention wound healing in dogs

Lukanc, Barbara (author), Šteh, Tončka (author), Erjavec, Vladimira (author)

The aim of our retrospective study was to observe the healing effect of medical honey on wounds in dogs. Honey debrides wounds, kills bacteria, lowers the pH value of wounds, reduces chronic inflammation, promotes the infiltration of fibroblasts and provides a moist environment, which is essential for wound healing. Twenty dogs with a total of 21 contaminated nonsurgical wounds were included. Wounds were treated with medical honey and left to heal by second intention. For the prevention of wound desiccation and bandage adherence, a low-adherent absorbent pad was used. The wounds smaller than 15 cm2 healed in 28 to 49 days (mean 36.4±7.9 days), and wounds larger than 15 cm2 healed in 35 to 77 days (mean 50.3±15.9 days). A low-adherent absorbent pad completely prevented adherence of the dressing to the wound bed, so that no pain or tissue damage occurred during dressing changing. The treatment of wounds with medical honey had a positive influence on wound healing, and all wounds in our study healed completely with minimal scarring and with regrowth of hair. Ten dogs received no antibiotic therapy and none of them developed wound infection. Medical honey therefore serves as a promising alternative antimicrobial chemotherapeutic. The use of honey is effective in tissue regeneration and wound healing in large wounds in dogs where surgery alone cannot guarantee satisfactory results.

• Language: English
• Keywords: dogs, medical honey, nonsurgical contaminated wounds, second intention wound healing
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 569-580
• Numbering: Vol. 93, no. 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154201
• UDC: 636.09:638
• ISSN on article: 0372-5480
• DOI: 10.24099/vet.arhiv.1865
• COBISS.SI-ID: 173030147
• Publication date in RUL: 31.01.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Veterinarski arhiv : časopis Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
• Shortened title: Vet. arh
• Publisher: Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
• ISSN: 0372-5480
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3063554

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 31.01.2024

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Učinak medicinskog meda na sekundarno cijeljenje rana u psa

Abstract

Cilj je ovog retrospektivnog istraživanja bio praćenje ljekovitog učinka medicinskog meda na rane u pasa. Med uklanja devitalizirano tkivo rane, uništava bakterije, snizuje pH-vrijednost rane, smanjuje kroničnu upalu i potiče infiltraciju fibroblasta te omogućuje vlažnost koja je nužna za cijeljenje rane. U istraživanje je uključeno dvadeset pasa s ukupno 21 nekirurškom kontaminiranom ranom. Rane su tretirane medicinskim medom te su ostavljene da sekundarno zacijele. Da bi se spriječilo isušivanje rane i ljepljenje zavoja, upotrijebljen je zavoj s neprianjajućim slojem. Pritom deset pasa nije primilo antibiotsku terapiju. Rane površine manje od 15 cm2 zacijelile su za 28 – 49 dana (prosječno 36,4±7,9 dana), a rane površine veće od 15 cm2 zacijelile su za 35 – 77 dana (prosječno 50,3±15,9 dana). Zavoj s neprianjajućim slojem potpuno je spriječio ljepljenje na ranu tako da pri promjeni zavoja nije došlo do boli ili oštećenja tkiva. Tretiranje rana medicinskim medom pozitivno je utjecalo na njihovo cijeljenje, naime sve su rane u ovom istraživanju potpuno zacijelile, s minimalnim ožiljcima i ponovno uspostavljenim rastom dlačnog pokrova. Među deset pasa koji nisu primili antibiotsku terapiju ni jedan nije razvio infekciju rane. Može se stoga zaključiti da je medicinski med obećavajuća alternativa antimikrobnim kemoterapeuticima. Primjena meda učinkovita je u regeneraciji tkiva i cijeljenju rana velike površine u pasa kod kojih kirurški zahvat ne može jamčiti zadovoljavajuće rezultate.

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0053
• Name: Endokrini, imunski in encimski odzivi pri zdravih in bolnih živalih