American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Practice Exam

When a wound is clean, with edges brought together and closed promptly, healing occurs by first intention. The edges are closely approximated, so the body can re-epithelialize quickly across a small gap, inflammation is relatively minimal, and there’s less need for new tissue formation. This streamlined process results in faster closure and a smaller scar compared with wounds that are left to heal on their own.

In contrast, second-intention healing happens when edges aren’t brought together and tissue loss remains. Healing relies on granulation tissue filling the gap and wound contraction to close the wound, which takes longer and often produces more scarring. Because of these factors, first-intention healing occurs faster.