Study finds ice packs reduce skin perfusion in dogs
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: A new American Journal of Veterinary Research study suggests a standard 15-minute ice-pack application can reduce skin perfusion in dogs, at least in the short term. In the study, researchers clipped a ventral midline skin region in 10 healthy dogs and used laser speckle contrast imaging to measure perfusion before icing, immediately after, and 15 minutes later. Skin temperature fell from about 92.2°F at baseline to 69.1°F immediately after icing, and skin perfusion decreased by a mean of 10.0% immediately after icing and 14.8% at 15 minutes after removal. The paper was published online April 23, 2025, and was later featured in AVMA Journals’ Veterinary Vertex podcast episode “Ice Packs and Skin Perfusion,” released July 2, 2025. In that discussion, coauthor Vanna Dickerson said the project grew out of a common surgical teaching—especially around skin flaps and grafts—that icing should be avoided because of perfusion concerns, despite limited direct evidence in dogs. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: Cryotherapy is routine in postoperative care, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, and veterinary education materials commonly describe cold therapy as reducing blood flow, pain, swelling, and inflammation. This study gives clinicians direct canine data supporting that vasoconstrictive effect at the skin level, rather than relying mostly on extrapolation from human medicine or older veterinary rehab guidance. It also helps explain why some surgeons may still be cautious with icing after procedures in which even a small drop in perfusion could threaten tissue survival, such as skin flaps or grafts. At the same time, the authors caution that the study measured perfusion in healthy skin, not wounds or surgical sites, so it doesn’t yet answer whether reduced perfusion helps or hinders healing in clinical patients. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: The next step is whether follow-up work links these short-term perfusion changes to real-world outcomes in incisions, wounds, edema control, pain, or recovery protocols. The podcast discussion also underscored a practical question for surgery and rehab teams: when does a roughly 10% to 15% drop in perfusion matter clinically, and for which tissues or procedures? (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)