ResearchArticle Effect of Multiradiance Low-Level Laser Therapy and Topical Silver Sulfadiazine on Healing Characteristics of Dermal Wounds in Marine Toads (Rhinella marina) Kate E. Archibald , 1,2,3,4 Tara Harrison , 1,3 Brigid Troan , 2,3 Dustin Smith , 2 and Larry J. Minter 1,2,3 1 DepartmentofClinicalSciences,CollegeofVeterinaryMedicine,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,1060WilliamMooreDrive, Raleigh,NC27606,USA 2 HanesVeterinaryMedicalCenter,NorthCarolinaZoologicalPark,4401ZooParkway,Asheboro,NC27205,USA 3 EnvironmentalMedicineConsortium,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,CollegeofVeterinaryMedicine, 1060WilliamMooreDrive,Raleigh,NC27607,USA 4 eMarylandZooinBaltimore,1876MansionHouseDrive,Baltimore,MD21217,USA Correspondence should be addressed to Tara Harrison; taramharrison@gmail.com Received 2 June 2020; Revised 19 August 2020; Accepted 3 October 2020; Published 17 October 2020 Academic Editor: Douglas Morck Copyright © 2020 Kate E. Archibald et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Current recommendations for wound management in amphibians are based primarily on clinical experience and on extrapolation from other taxa, whereas controlled clinical studies are lacking. Low-level laser therapy, also termed photobiomodulation, has gained popularity in veterinary medicine and may represent a valuable adjunct therapy for wound care in amphibians, though dosing and safety evaluations have not been previously reported. Silver sulfadiazine (SSD), a topical antimicrobial, is commonly utilized in amphibian medicine but little is known about its effects on wound healing in this class of animals. is pilot study evaluated the effects of repeated treatments of low-level laser therapy or topical SSD on second-intention healing characteristics of surgically induced full-thickness dermal wounds in 33 adult wild-caught marine toads. Toads were anesthetized, and a 6mm cutaneous biopsy was performed over the right dorsum. ey were then randomly assigned to one of three groups: laser therapy (LT) at 5Hz (905nm wavelength on a super pulsed sequence), topical SSD (SD), or control sham treatment (CT). Treatments were administered at 24hrs after biopsy and then every 72hrs thereafter, concurrent with a visual assessment of the wound. Toads were euthanized at one of five timepoints (day 4, 7, 13, 19, or 28) to permit scoring of histologic criteria, including lymphocytic inflammation, granulomatous inflammation, heterophilic inflammation, granulation tissue, fibrosis, and reepithelialization. Visual assessments and histologic scoring did not identify a benefit of laser therapy or SSD as compared to controls. Laser therapy and SSD, at the doses and dosing schedule utilized in this pilot study, appear to be safe and well-tolerated treatments in marine toads, but may not be warranted for uncomplicated skin wounds in this species. 1. Introduction Dermal injuries occur commonly in captive amphibians due to their relatively thin skin and lack of protective dermal struc- tures such as thickened keratin, hair, or scales. Basic wound management principles are often applied to amphibians; however, wound care presents unique challenges due to their dermal physiology. Amphibian skin is a highly specialized organ that contributes to homeostatic functions including water balance, electrolyte exchange, and respiration [1, 2]. As a result, challenges encountered in amphibian wound man- agement include the systemic absorption of topical medica- tions, the disruption of osmoregulation, and direct contact of wound beds with aquatic environments [3, 4]. Furthermore, it is difficult to employ the current standards of wound care in veterinary medicine (provision of an aseptic, moist wound Hindawi Veterinary Medicine International Volume 2020, Article ID 8888328, 9 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8888328