In 18 piglets, weighing 10-15 kg, 3rd degree burns or full-thickness skin excisions of 4 .times. 4 cm were inflicted. The effect of 5 dressing materials on adhesiveness to the wounds, appearance, conformability, wound contraction, bacterial count and morphology of the wounds, appearance, conformability, wound contraction, bacterial count and morphology of the wound was studied at the end of the 7th and 14th days without dressing changes. In 11 piglets with a burn wound, the most adherent dressing was collagen sponge (CS), followed by polyurethane sponge (PU), pigskin xenograph (PS) and xeroform. CS more effectively debrided the wound from coagulated necrotic tissue than other dressings. Wound contraction was maximal with CS dressing (52%), followed by PU (44%), xeroform (32%) and PS (27%). In another piglets with full-thickness excised wounds, a velour dressing made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or PU adhered significantly more than CS or PS. Wound contraction was greater with CS (37%) or PTFE (35%) than with PS (23%) or PU (18%). Bacterial counts were similar in wounds dressed with CS, PU or PTFE. PS dressing showed significantly higher bacterial counts.