{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:30:32Z","timestamp":1760059832706,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,18]],"date-time":"2025-07-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752796800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology","award":["UIDB\/00276\/2020","LA\/P\/0059\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00276\/2020","LA\/P\/0059\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Class IV laser therapy has emerged as a promising non-invasive tool to promote tissue repair, but its effects on post-surgical wound healing in small animals remain underexplored. This preliminary study investigated the impact of class IV laser therapy on surgical wound healing in 49 dogs and cats. Each surgical incision was divided into a Laser Zone (LZ) and a Control Zone (CZ). Wound healing was assessed at three timepoints (T0, T1, T2) using standardized clinical parameters: skin thickness, skin color, presence of hematoma, regional temperature, skin elasticity, and presence of fluids. The LZ consistently showed reduced skin thickness, more vivid pinkish skin color, faster hematoma resolution, increased regional temperature, improved skin elasticity, and decreased fluid accumulation compared to the CZ. These effects were observed across different species, ages, sexes, and body condition scores, indicating robust biological consistency. The results suggest that class IV laser therapy accelerates post-surgical wound healing by modulating inflammation, enhancing vascularization, and supporting extracellular matrix remodeling. This technique may serve as a valuable adjunct to conventional wound management in veterinary practice. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore long-term outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15142133","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,18]],"date-time":"2025-07-18T13:33:27Z","timestamp":1752845607000},"page":"2133","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Effect of a Class IV Therapeutic LASER on Post-Surgical Wound Healing Processes in Canis familiaris and Felis catus: A Preliminary Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ana","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Anjos of Assis Veterinary Medicine Centre (CMVAA), 2830-077 Barreiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Azevedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anjos of Assis Veterinary Medicine Centre (CMVAA), 2830-077 Barreiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of American LASER Study Club, ALSC, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6784-2806","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"L. Miguel","family":"Carreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anjos of Assis Veterinary Medicine Centre (CMVAA), 2830-077 Barreiro, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of American LASER Study Club, ALSC, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, USA"},{"name":"Department of Clinics, Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon (FMV\/ ULisboa), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon (FMV\/ ULisboa), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Vila Real, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Junqueira, L.C., and Carneiro, J. (2013). Histologia B\u00e1sica, Guanabara Koogan. [12th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Hyttel, P., Sinowatz, F., and Vejlsted, M. (2012). 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