Clinical Presentation, Causes, Treatment, and Outcome of Lip Avulsion Injuries in Dogs and Cats: 24 Cases (2001–2017)

Abstract

Lip avulsions are a common result of orofacial trauma in dogs and cats. Vehicular trauma and bite wounds are common causes. Surgical therapy is highly successful with early decontamination and tension-free closure. This retrospective case series assessed the signalment, causes, lesion location, treatment and outcome of lip avulsion injuries in dogs and cats. A total of 23 patients with 24 lip avulsion injuries were included in the study. They were comprised of 11 dogs and 12 cats. The patients were generally young, with 68.2% under 3 years of age and 36.4% under 1 year of age. The most common known causes were animal bites (26.1%) and vehicular trauma (21.7%). In cats, the most common cause was vehicular trauma (25%). In dogs, the most common cause was an animal bite (45.4%). Bilateral rostral upper lip avulsion was most common in dogs (36.3%), whereas bilateral rostral lower lip avulsion was most common in cats (53.8%). Concurrent injuries were frequent in both species with tooth fractures reported in 34.7%. All lip avulsion injuries were treated via wound debridement and lavage followed by appositional repair with absorbable suture material. The most common short-term complication was wound dehiscence (21.4%). Surgical therapy was highly successful with no significant long-term complications reported. The results suggest that lip avulsion injuries are primarily seen in younger dogs and cats, usually result from vehicular trauma or animal bites, and are successfully managed with surgical repair.

Successful Surgical Treatment of Severe Lower Lip Avulsion in Two Cats

“…Lip avulsion often results from orofacial trauma that occurs primarily in younger dogs and cats (9). This occurs due to caudally directed forces (e.g., traffic accident, bite, falling, and stepping) against the gingiva and labial mucosa (5,9,14). Bilateral rostral lower lip avulsion is particularly common in cats (9).…”

“…This occurs due to caudally directed forces (e.g., traffic accident, bite, falling, and stepping) against the gingiva and labial mucosa (5,9,14). Bilateral rostral lower lip avulsion is particularly common in cats (9). Concurrent injuries are frequent and include tooth fracture, facial injury, traumatic brain damage, and mandibular fracture.…”

Prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of bacterial isolates from canine wound infection in Tandojam, Sindh

“…Culture based treatments also help to facilitate surveillance efforts [14]. Surgical procedures are successful with early decontamination and tension free closure in companion animals [15]. Therefore, present study is planned to evaluate the microbial profile of wounds in dogs and select appropriate drug for their better management practices.…”

Reconstruction of mandibular lip avulsion in a cat using tissue adhesive and standard wound closure – a case report

“…Lip avulsion injuries have been reported in humans, dogs, cats and horses (Hague and Honnas, 1998;Rhee et al, 2004;Pope, 2006;White, 2010;Daraei et al, 2014;Vicari and Stepaniuk, 2014;Saverino and Reiter, 2018). The lower lip appears to be the structure that gets more involved in cats following vehicular trauma, animal bite or pressure trauma (Pope, 2006).…”

“…The lower lip appears to be the structure that gets more involved in cats following vehicular trauma, animal bite or pressure trauma (Pope, 2006). Lower lip avulsion is a result of caudally or laterally directed force applied on the lower lip and the chin (Saverino and Reiter, 2018). In avulsions the lip tends to separate at the level of muco-gingival junction or at gingiva.…”