Abstract

Background:
Stray cat population control programs commonly rely on ovariohysterectomy; however, prolonged postoperative confinement is often impractical under field conditions. Therefore, rapid healing is essential to shorten hospitalization periods, allowing for an earlier reintroduction of stray cats. High-power class IV laser therapy has been increasingly used to enhance wound healing, but its effect on the progression of inflammatory phases in feline surgical wounds remains insufficiently characterized, and thus this pilot study was conducted.

Aim:
This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether high-power class IV laser therapy could shorten the time required to reach the late inflammatory phase in ovariohysterectomy wounds in female stray cats, assessed using a clinical scar scale and the wound size measurements.

Methods:
Thirteen clinically healthy female stray cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy were included and allocated to a control group (n = 4) and a laser-treated group (n = 9). Laser therapy was applied at 3, 24, 33, and 48 hours postoperatively. Wound healing progression was assessed using standardized photographic evaluation every 3 hours for 85 hours based on a clinical scar scale (CSS), along with wound length measurements at 7 and 14 days postoperatively. Cytological examination of wound exudate was performed during the early postoperative period to confirm inflammatory cell presence.

Results:
The laser-treated group demonstrated greater wound contraction compared to the control group at 7 days (38.24% vs 17.24%) and 14 days (39.58% vs 20.31%). Macroscopic observation indicated earlier progression to the late inflammatory phase in the laser-treated group (approximately 35 hours) compared to the control group (approximately 50 hours). Statistical analysis confirmed a significantly shorter time to reach CSS score 3 in the laser-treated group (53.36 ± 26.79 hours) than in the control group (67.05 ± 28.43 hours; p = 0.039). Cytological findings revealed neutrophil predominance during the early inflammatory phase.

Conclusion:
The class IV laser therapy may accelerate wound healing by shortening the inflammatory phase and promoting earlier transition to subsequent healing stages. This may allow a clinically significant reduction of postoperative confinement time for field-based sterilization programs, improving both animal welfare and operational efficiency. Further controlled studies are recommended.

Key words: Class IV laser; Clinical Scar Scale; Late inflammation; Photo-biomodulation; Surgical wound healing.