APPLICATION OF POLYMERIC N-ACETYL-D-GLUCOSAMINE (CHITIN) TO VETERINARY PRACTICE

The sponge-, cotton-, and flake-type remedies made of chitin (chitin-s ponge, chitin-cotton, and chitin-flake, respectively), and non-woven f abric of polyester (NWF) composited with chitin (chitin-NWF) were appl ied to various types of trauma, abscess, surgical tissue defect and he rniorrhaphy in 147 clinical cases including 72 dogs, 38 cows, 33 cats, 2 rabbits, one monkey and one horse. Chitin-sponge was applied in 30 cases as filling agent of surgical tissue defect, and in 25 cases of t rauma, 31 cases of abscess as wound dressing or tissue defect filling agent. In 77 out of 86 cases (89.5%), good healing developed. When chi tin-sponge was buried in surgical tissue defects due to oncotomy in 20 cases, recurrence of the tumor developed in one case on one month pos t-operatively, but wag not recognized for 3-24 months in 19 cases. Chi tin-NWF was applied in 2 cases of trauma and 12 cases of abscess as wo und dressing or tissue defect filling agent, 6 cases as filling agent of surgical tissue defect, and 12 cases of umbilical hernia as prosthe sis of suture site of hernia ring. In 28 out of 32 cases (87.5%), good healing developed. Chitin-cotton was applied in 8 cases of trauma and 12 cases of abscess as wound dressing or tissue defect filling agent. In 18 out of 20 cases (90.0%), good healing developed. Chitin-flake w as applied in 9 cases of trauma as wound dressing or tissue defect fil ling agent. In 8 out of 9 cases (88.9%), good healing developed. In al l cases, no side effects were observed.