Moxaterapy for wound healing in dogs

• Grant number: 19/18031-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Watanabe Minto
• Grantee: Natalia Helena Meneguin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The healing process is an essential biological phenomenon for animals survival, which is responsible for tissues regeneration and repair, especially for the skin. The skin is exposed directly to environment, acting as a barrier against pathogen invasion. Furthermore, studying this process and mechanisms to improve wound repair is highly important. The moxatherapy consists in the combustion of an herb, Artemisia vulgaris L., which is arranged on stick called moxibustion. This is a millenary technique from chinese traditional medicine and have been used empirically in wound healing process, however evidences of it effects are lacking in medical literature. The present study aims to evaluate the moxatherapy action and effects in clean surgical wounds, made in ten dogs submitted to castration. The results will be evaluated according to morphological and morphometric analyses including the presence of edema, erythema, pain, pruritus, secretion, vocalization and healing evolution. Besides, histopathology analyses according to collagenization, neovascularization, acute and chronic inflammatory cells, necrosis, hyperplasia and reepithelization grade will be done. The results will be compared to a ten dogs control group.