Some wounds are closed by a vet, and others are left open to heal. Once a wound has been checked and cleaned, the vet decides between closing it with surgery and letting it heal on its own from the bottom up, which vets call second intention healing [1][2]. This guide explains what goes into that choice. The choice for your pet is your vet’s call.
Never try to close a wound yourself. Have your vet check any deep, dirty or puncture wound.
Your pet comes first
A wound is easy to see, but a badly hurt pet may have other problems that matter more. Your vet will look at the whole animal and may treat your pet’s general condition before turning to the wound.
What your vet weighs
In a 2026 clinical trial on open wounds in dogs and cats, the surgeon chose between closing a wound and letting it heal open based on the wound itself, the patient and the owner [1]. In practice that means things like how much loose skin is nearby, where the wound sits, how dirty or infected it is, your pet’s health and the cost of each route [1][2][3].
Reasons to close a wound
- Enough healthy skin: a wound can be closed when the edges come together without pulling tight. When a defect is too big or the skin too tight, closure under tension can cut off blood flow to the edges and the closure may break down [2].
- A wound near a joint: wounds left to heal open can shrink as they heal and pull the skin tight. On the lower legs, where skin is scarce over joints that move a lot, this can limit how well the leg works later [3].
- How the healed skin will look: skin that heals open usually leaves a hairless scar, so closure may give a better looking result [3].
Before any closure, dead or damaged tissue is cut away until healthy edges are left [2][3].
Reasons to leave a wound open
Open care is used when a wound cannot be closed or should not be closed yet. Common reasons are large skin loss, edges that would be under too much tension, and tissue that is dead, dirty or infected [1][2].
For some pets, surgery may not be a good option because of their health. Your vet can talk you through the choices.
Leg injuries where the skin is torn away often leave too little skin to close at first [3]. See degloving injuries in dogs and cats.
Closing later
Some wounds are left open first and closed later. In the 2026 trial, wounds were cleaned and dressed until the wound bed looked healthy, and only then did the surgeon decide whether to close it or let it keep healing open [1]. A paper on large leg wounds in dogs also lists delayed closure as one of the usual options [3].
How an open wound heals
An open wound slowly fills in with new pink tissue, called granulation tissue, and the edges pull inward while new skin grows across the top [2]. This takes repeated checks, dressing changes and, when needed, removal of dead tissue (debridement) [1][2]. For the stages of healing, see how wounds heal in dogs and cats.
If closing the wound needs special skills, your vet may refer you to another clinic.
At home, as directed by a vet
- never try to close a wound yourself;
- keep your pet from licking, chewing or scratching the wound;
- go back for every recheck and bandage visit your vet books.
Outlook
Open wounds take longer and need more visits, and the trial authors note they come with a higher risk of slow healing and infection [1]. In a study of lower leg wounds in dogs that healed open, most healed well, but about a quarter had lasting problems such as fragile skin, stiffness from the scar pulling tight, or limping [3]. The healed skin is usually hairless [3].
These are statements about groups of animals. They cannot predict how one pet will do. Your vet can explain what this means for your pet.
When to see your vet
See your vet if your dog or cat has:
- a dirty, infected or puncture wound;
- a deep wound;
- a wound where skin is missing;
- a wound on or near a joint.
The bottom line
Vets close some wounds and leave others open to heal. The choice depends on how much skin there is, where the wound is, how dirty or infected it is and your pet’s health. Only a vet can decide which is right for your pet’s wound.
This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from your veterinarian. If your pet has a wound, see your vet.
Sources
- Jiménez Lázaro M, Sopena Juncosa J, Martins EJC, et al. Effect of fluorescence biomodulation as an adjunct to standard wound management in open wounds in dogs and cats: a prospective, randomised, within-wound controlled clinical trial. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2026 (CC BY). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13437437/
- Rodríguez-Aguilar SE, Ocampo-López J, et al. Multimodal Management of a Large Postsurgical Wound Secondary to Nodulectomy in a Dog: Application of the TIME Framework. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine, 2026 (CC BY 4.0). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13548134/
- Makar JG, Baltzer WI. Autologous, free omentum grafts for large, open, distal limb wounds in dogs: Technique and outcome in 10 dogs. Veterinary Surgery, 2026 (CC BY 4.0). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12907535/