Rosie initially presented to us in mid-July after being bitten by a dog who invaded her backyard while she was doing her morning routine. Rosie had multiple wounds following this encounter on her legs and neck, the most severe being a large, deep laceration on her left front leg. This wound was so severe it required surgical repair.
Typically, dog bite wounds are flushed out with an antiseptic solution and left open for drainage and healing. The wound on Rosie’s leg was very deep and the internal blood vessels, nerves, and muscles of the leg were exposed so we had no choice but to try and close this wound surgically. The concern for closing dog bite wounds is that it traps bacteria and dead tissue, prolonging healing time and increasing the risk for infections. Rosie’s wound initially started to heal and then it got infected, requiring a second surgical procedure to debride the infected tissue.
Rosie’s wound took about a month of initially daily appointments for bandage changes (Rosie’s family was exceptional about her home care bandage change) and cold laser therapy. Over time, we were able to transition into three times a week and then eventually weekly appointments.
The cold laser therapy expedited the healing process and made Rosie less painful allowing for less pain medication and quicker healing time (less vet visits), as well as a more cosmetic wound healing (smaller scar/ more rapid hair growth). The results we saw with Rosie are consistent with what is reported in multiple studies of laser used with wound healing with both surgical and traumatic wounds.
