Wound Management, Including the Use of an Extracellular Matrix Powder, in a Blue-Tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)

Abstract

A 10-year-old intact male, blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) presented with large dorsal wounds penetrating deep into the coelomic cavity. After initial debridement, decontamination, and bandaging, a powdered form of porcine extracellular matrix (ECM) was applied to the wound and covered with a non-adhesive bandage. Three days following application, a thin crust formed over the wound bed. Within seven days of application, reduced wound depth and granulation tissue were present, at which point the crust was removed, and a second application of ECM powder was made. Eleven days after initial application, approximately 50% of the wound was covered by thin epithelial tissue extending from the wound margins. Fifteen days after the first application, 100% of the wound appeared to be covered with thin epithelial tissue with marginal crusting. The patient was discharged 24 days post presentation (15 days post initial ECM application) with no further treatment. The owner was instructed to remove the bandage seven days post discharge. Twenty-four days after the initial application, the owner reported a full shed with complete epithelization and no further crusting. The patient was followed up 31 days after the initial presentation and was assessed as recovered from the initial wounds. To the author's knowledge, this is the first reported use of an ECM powder, or a xenogeneic material used to treat a traumatic wound in a Tiliqua.