Comparative effect of diclofenac sodium and dexamethasone on incisional wound healing in dogs

Abstract

The study was carried out to compare and evaluate the effect of diclofenac sodium, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and dexamethasone, a steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug on incisional wound healing in dogs. Fifteen (15) clinically healthy, mixed sex, intact Nigerian local dogs free of dermatological lesion with mean age of 14.97±3.7 months (Mean ± SD) and mean body weight of 10.73± 2.6kg (Mean ± SD) were used for the study. The dogs were randomly divided into three treatment groups: A, B and C comprising of five dogs per group. A caudal mid-ventral laparotomy skin incision was made to create surgical wounds. Immediately after anesthetic recovery, 7.5% diclofenac sodium injection intramuscularly at standard clinical therapeutic dose rate of 2.5mg kg -1 was administered to group A for three day, 2.5% dexamethasone injection intramuscularly at standard clinical therapeutic dose rate of 0.25mg kg -1 was administered to the group B for three days. Group C were not treated with any anti-inflammatory medication. Subjectively, diclofenac sodium group shows shorter healing interval compare to dexamethasone group ( P<0.05 ). Objective histological evaluation at day 7 and 14 revealed low inflammatory density in group B compared to A and C, fibroblast, collagen fibers, and surface keratinization was higher in group A at day 7 and 14 post surgery compared to B and C suggestive of faster healing in diclofenac sodium group compare to dexamethasone group. There was statistical significant different ( P<0.05 ) among the groups. It is concluded that diclofenac sodium when used as an anti inflammatory agent post operative does not interfere with surgical wound healing.