# Dog's spay site sutures have opened...AGAIN!!



## sharksteacher (Jun 11, 2012)

So I got my new friend from the shelter about a week ago. She was spayed at the shelter and was stitched up using three levels of stitches. The outer set of dissolvable stitches opened up, so I took her to the vet. Her site was infected, and they stapled her closed instead of stitching her closed. They also gave us an E-collar. They put her on antibiotics (whatever they can do to make a buck, right?), which do seem to be helping despite my skepticism (I've had to put a puppy down recently due to an esophageal problem and persistent cases of pneumonia, now all these issues--it's just one thing after another).

When we got her home, she was in her e-collar. My boyfriend and I went to pick up his daughters, and when we got home, Daphne (our dog) was in the same place we left her when we left. She hadn't moved an inch. She was literally having a panic attack from the E-collar. I took it off and put her in a T-shirt, then wrapped the shirt with an Ace bandage so she couldn't get to her wound. Everything has been fine until this morning, when I went to change her bandage. Her staples have opened up!!!:mad2: I cannot afford to keep taking her back to the vet over and over, especially after the costs incurred from our puppy's health issues. If I keep her wound covered, with neosporin and gauze over the site, wrapped in a bandage, is there a chance that she will heal on her own? Can I superglue the site closed if I disinfect it first? I love my pets more than anything and am a GREAT dog mom, but my bank account is hurting at this point. Any advice on treating this at home would be greatly appreciated! 

Sarah


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## jackieblue (Jun 11, 2012)

Personally I'd take her bk to the vets, it may be an infection hindering the healing process, may even need the wound tidied up a bit depending on how well the edges of the wound are.
A lot of vets will let you pay via installments if money is tight, failing thst I'd shop around for other vets, try the PDSA or even RSPCA if you happen to get certain benefits etc x


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Forget the e collar and get a buster collar instead, the one that looks like a bucket. Over here we can buy steri strips which are paper strips used to hold wounds together. You hold the wound together and stick them across leaving gaps of about a quarter of an inch between each strip. We do have a wound closing form of super glue and it does sting even though it's especially for wound closure. Not sure if ordinary super glue would sting too much. 

Personally I think your vet should re suture for no charge if it's their fault they've come undone but if it's your dogs fault.......

If it's just the top layer of skin you could try to make your own steri strips with surgical tape, google the name to get an idea. I would only feel comfortable doing this because where I work in a hospital they are used a lot for small deep cuts instead of sutures and work well but you have to leave gaps in between them like sutures have. Of course the vet is the best option and the shelter too may pay as it was done prior to your ownership. I would contact them. The kind of super glue used in surgery is used very sparingly and has a very fine nozzle to apply it.


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## bluegirl (May 7, 2012)

Personally I'd take her back its just not worth the risk.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

sharksteacher said:


> So I got my new friend from the shelter about a week ago. She was spayed at the shelter and was stitched up using three levels of stitches. The outer set of dissolvable stitches opened up, so I took her to the vet. Her site was infected, and they stapled her closed instead of stitching her closed. They also gave us an E-collar. They put her on antibiotics (whatever they can do to make a buck, right?), which do seem to be helping despite my skepticism (I've had to put a puppy down recently due to an esophageal problem and persistent cases of pneumonia, now all these issues--it's just one thing after another).
> 
> When we got her home, she was in her e-collar. My boyfriend and I went to pick up his daughters, and when we got home, Daphne (our dog) was in the same place we left her when we left. She hadn't moved an inch. She was literally having a panic attack from the E-collar. I took it off and put her in a T-shirt, then wrapped the shirt with an Ace bandage so she couldn't get to her wound. Everything has been fine until this morning, when I went to change her bandage. Her staples have opened up!!!:mad2: I cannot afford to keep taking her back to the vet over and over, especially after the costs incurred from our puppy's health issues. If I keep her wound covered, with neosporin and gauze over the site, wrapped in a bandage, is there a chance that she will heal on her own? Can I superglue the site closed if I disinfect it first? I love my pets more than anything and am a GREAT dog mom, but my bank account is hurting at this point. Any advice on treating this at home would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Sarah


If she still has infection there then that might be why its opening up and not healing, infected tissue cannot granulate and heal, it may even need excision to take it back to healthy viable tissue and then be restitched. Its possible that although she was given Antibiotics they are either the wrong ones for that type of infection if its still present or, she just hasnt had a long enough course.

If there is infection there, likely they may need to swab it and send it off to the lab to find the specific bacteria and then issue new antibiotics. Its not something that can be left, waiting and hoping could well make it worse she really needs to go to the vets. To be honest I think I may be going to another one and getting another opinion.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

I think you mean E-collar as Elizabethan collar, not E as in electric?

You should go back to the vet. Without proper assessment and appropriate treatment, it will take longer to heal. Antibiotics are normal with an infection, it's not just the vet trying to make money.


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

When we pay for something like a spay all additional charges are normally included apart from material things like additional antibiotics. Did you go to the same vet if local? If so and they seem to be charging excessively I would talk to the shelter to get advice.

Definitely not something worth risking as others have mentioned.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

If it is clean, dry and healthy looking but just a little open I would try the steri strips as she has antibiotic cover but if it's at all oozy or smelly she needs to see the vet in case she needs additional AB's. Being A&E workers here we see many wounds that just need a little help with steri stripping and sometimes suturing is not an option if the skin has been torn by them previously. It' hard to say without seeing the wound and I can understand your concern with money if you don't have it but the vet may staple the wound instead which is done very quickly and with just a local spray to numb it a little. My boy had a pain relieving patch stapled to his side and didn't even flinch so they may just use a stapler on it. 

You can ask if they can just use plaster strips instead of sutures, no harm in enquiring.


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## sazzle (Sep 10, 2011)

Melisa69 said:


> so excited!


??????? ut:


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