RVC Small Animal Referrals has a wound clinic, which offers access to the range of specialist transdisciplinary and surgical expertise within the team, as well as tailored advice and expertise for the management of all wounds, simple or complex.

Wound Consultations

A Wound Consultation at the RVC with our Soft Tissue Surgery Team will include:

• Full history and physical examination
• Examination and 3-D digital (area and volume) photography of the wound with the Silhouette Camera for accurate measurements and tracking of wound progression
• Sedation may be required for full wound assessment
• Wound report making recommendations regarding the possible need for:
  • Wound dressings and bandaging
  • Medications
  • Wound swab and/or advanced imaging
  • Surgical debridement and wound lavage
  • Surgical reconstructive procedure (primary closure, local flap, axial pattern flap or skin graft)

Wound Management

Outpatient or Inpatient wound management at the RVC is available which in addition to above may include:

• Dressing and bandage changes, laboratory work and advanced diagnostic imaging (e.g. CT) as required
• Use of negative pressure wound therapy where appropriate
• Use of class IV K-Laser therapeutic laser for selected cases. Laser therapy may speed healing by up to 30% and helps infected wounds as the laser stimulates the immune system, increases tissue oxygenation and local blood supply.
• Access to our full range of transdisciplinary specialists for expert input in concurrent or underlying issues identified.
• Surgical reconstructive procedures utilising a range of simple and advanced specialist techniques.
• All wound patients are routinely barrier nursed and patients with multi-resistant infections are removed from the general ward population to be specially nursed in our dedicated isolation ward.

Information Leaflet

Wound Clinic

To discuss the suitability of particular cases veterinary colleagues can contact the Soft Tissue Surgery team by phone on 01707 666366 or by email at qmhstteam@rvc.ac.uk