# Self dissolving stitches......



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

How long does it take for them to dissolve?


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

The info I read was about humans but I guess it's practically the same, apparently it depends what material was used, some take a week, some a couple of months.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Ive actually not had any dissolve able ones used on the dogs, but experience with Human ones which I assume isn't that much different make up wise they can take weeks. When my daughter had them they didn't dissolve at all particularly, but the skin was healed and they really started to pull and get sore so she had to have them taken out. if they are external and the skin looks healed and they are pulling and causing redness, then might be an idea to have it looked at. Ive also had ones where some have dissolved and some didn't, and started to drive me mad and become very uncomfortable.


----------



## ellenlouisepascoe (Jul 12, 2013)

Mine have differed from dog to dog, Blade's took about a fortnight where as Shelby's I could feel for well over a month and they again were pulling. 
Skyla has them in her face at the moment and the set above her eye feel dissolved however the ones on the side of her face I can still feel


----------



## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

I would say a few weeks with Io after her spay


----------



## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

I think it depends on how thick the suture thread is. When I had stitches in my hip they were fully dissolved within a month, which is the time it took for the one's Georgina had when she had her eyes tacked.


----------



## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Magyarmum said:


> I think it depends on how thick the suture thread is. When I had stitches in my hip they were fully dissolved within a month, which is the time it took for the one's Georgina had when she had her eyes tacked.


I was actually surprised how long they took to dissolve - several weeks with two of my bitches.


----------



## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

Twiggy said:


> I was actually surprised how long they took to dissolve - several weeks with two of my bitches.


The suture thread used to tack Georgina's forehead was so fine you could hardly see the stitches. She had a total of 6 ops on her eyes and although I had a cone from when my previous Pei had her eyes tacked, I've never had to use it on Georgina because even when she was spayed she never tried to scratch or bite the stitches.


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

It's internal ones. Fly had 2 tiny wounds when she was keyhole spayed in September, an internal stitch and external glue. One healed over fine, the other one had the end of the stitch poking through the skin after about 3 weeks. I left a couple more weeks, then pulled the end with tweezers and nearly an inch came out and didn't seem to have dissolved or deteriorated at all - must have been in there 5 weeks. It would have been a 80 mile round trip back to the vet, and I was only expecting a few millimetres! That one's fine now, the other wound which still has the stitch in feels more lumpy. Not infected at all, just a noticeable hard bit under the skin. Just curious about the process, what they're made of and how they are supposed to break down.


----------



## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Depends on the suture material. They all have different lifespans and times to loss of tensile strength.


----------



## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

When Dillon had a lump removed from just above his tail, it took nearly two months before they all dissolved.


----------

