Effects of Zn-7® on open wound healing in dogs

Analysis of the accelerating effects of open wound healing by Zn-7 gel compared with normal saline was carried out in dogs. Five normal male, mixed breed dogs approximately 3 years old were selected. Histological and macroscopic aspects of second-intention wound healing were studied. Two rectangular, full-thickness skin wounds (20×30 mm) were created symmetrically on each dog at both sides of the dorsal midline at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. Left wounds were treated with Zn-7 gel (test group) and right wounds were treated with normal saline (control group) twice daily. Photographs were taken twice a week. Rulers were held vertically and horizontally close to the wound as a reference. The area of epithelialization and granulation tissue were measured for each wound, using the Scion Image software. Percentage wound contraction, epithelialization, and healing were calculated for each wound. No significant differences were observed in wound contraction, epithelialization and healing in the test and control groups (P>0.05). At day 35 after initial wounding, biopsies were taken from wounds for histological examination. There were no significant differences in the number of inflammatory cells, fibrocyte, or amount of the fibrin and collagen (P>0.05) between the test and control wounds.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]