DISTANT ABDOMINAL AND THORACIC PEDICLE SKIN FLAPS FOR TREATMENT OF DISTAL LIMB SKIN DEFECTS

The treatment of large skin defects of the distal limbs of dogs and ca ts can be difficult due to the lack of skin available for primary woun d closure or the creation of local skin flaps. Distant pedicle skin fl aps provide an acceptable alternative for wound closure with full thic kness skin and provide a cosmetic result. Fourteen animals (10 dogs an d four cats) that had distant pedicle skin flaps are reviewed. The tec hnique allowed 100 per cent wound coverage in 10 of 14 animals and gre ater than 95 per cent skin flap survival occurred in 12 of 14 animals. Complications associated with the procedure were most commonly wound infection and partial suture line dehiscence, however these did not de tract from the final outcome. Flap release was in one or two stages, h owever the outcomes did not appear to be affected by the release proto col.