Comparative Secondary-Intention Wound Healing in Dogs and Cats: Species-Specific and Treatment-Related Differences in a Standardized Experimental Model

Skin wounds in dogs and cats are frequently managed by second-intention healing, yet comparative evidence on topical treatments in these species remains limited. This study investigated wound-healing dynamics in dogs and cats using a standardized experimental model that enabled direct interspecies and within-animal comparison of treatment responses during secondary-intention healing. Standardized full-thickness cutaneous wounds were created on the dorsolateral trunk, with multiple wounds per animal randomly assigned to different treatments, including Manuka honey, Dermapliq, and untreated controls. Healing was evaluated using a multimodal approach, including clinical endpoints, planimetric analysis of epithelialization, contraction and total healing, ultrasonographic assessment, and blinded histopathology. Planimetry-derived total wound healing, the primary endpoint, did not differ significantly among treatments, while treatment-associated differences were identified in selected secondary endpoints. Dermapliq-treated wounds reached complete epithelial coverage earlier and showed smaller ultrasonographic wound areas than untreated controls, whereas Manuka honey was associated with faster complete granulation coverage but greater exudate quantity. Interspecies differences were also identified, with cats generally exhibiting slower progression to key healing endpoints than dogs under identical experimental conditions. These findings suggest species-specific healing responses and phase-dependent treatment-associated differences during secondary-intention wound healing in a controlled experimental model. However, they should not be interpreted as evidence of broad treatment superiority. Further studies in naturally occurring, larger, contaminated, infected, or chronic wounds are required before direct clinical extrapolation.