Have You Ever Removed Your Dogs Stitches Yourself?

[Nekhbet]

If you are not sure its better to be shown how to do it. Plus the vet can make sure everything is OK around the wound. Your dog has been damaging the stitches, in this instance I would give a big NO. It needs looking at and may need to stay in longer if there is extra damage.

If in doubt - its better to pay a small vet fee now then a bigger one later.

[elmo_em ♀]

I took elmos de-sexing stitches out coz he wouldn't let the vet anywhere near him. The vet gave me a blade to use and a tablet to calm him down a bit. Was pretty easy but I wouldn't want to go poking around an intricate wound on an ear with that many stitches. The ones for his desexing were very easy to remove coz they were all in a straight line (and only a couple!)

[SarasMum]

The vet removed them all on Sunday. She is extremely happy to have that elizabethan collar off lol. She pranced out of the surgery like a new woman lol.

She had a mighty big scratch after we got home and the spots where the stitches actually went through the skin spotted with blood but all is fine now. She just needs to regrow some hair on that bald spot

Edited because I missed a word. Duh.

Edited November 6, 2006 by SarasMum

[Ceilidh]

I take any stitches out myself. The vet gave me a stitch cutter ages ago and I keep it in an airtight tupperware container and before using it I soak it in Dettol. The only time I did take the dog back to the vet was when they had to remove part of the old mans ear and used a running stitch all the way around. I just wasn't game to do this one. Glad I didn't because Sue had a bit of a battle getting it to come out in one length. It broke up considerably.

I see you are near Wagga Sarasmum, which vet do you use? I use Moorong.

[NaShAd]

When our male pups were desexed, my OH took out the stitches for both of them.

[SarasMum]

I take any stitches out myself. The vet gave me a stitch cutter ages ago and I keep it in an airtight tupperware container and before using it I soak it in Dettol. The only time I did take the dog back to the vet was when they had to remove part of the old mans ear and used a running stitch all the way around. I just wasn't game to do this one. Glad I didn't because Sue had a bit of a battle getting it to come out in one length. It broke up considerably.

I see you are near Wagga Sarasmum, which vet do you use? I use Moorong.

Sorry Ceilidh, I have been offline for a few days. I use Lake Rd Vet Clinic. Jim Dorling. He has always been fantastic with my dogs. I love the way he just plops himself down in the waiting room so as not to stress the animal. Thats actually where the stitches were taken out the other day. He is also very affordable. I tried Moorong St once but for some reason it just reminded me of a Medical Centre type place. I like the personal feel of Lake Rd. When Sari ripped her ear I got immediately on the phone and just said I was on the way. He was waiting for me and took her straight in and started repairing the damage.

There is a breeder nearby me that also takes his dogs there too. He thinks he is fantastic.

[Aphra]

I take stitches out myself for routine things like speys and neuters, or gashes and bites or whatever, but I'll take them back to the vet for something major so that the vet can check the healing process.

Most vividly I recall removing the stitches from a foster dog (well, he was, now he's a foster failure). Imagine this, it's dark, I'm in the run with a 60kg Neapolitan Mastiff I've had for a week. I have to take his neuter stitches out myself because the vet he was desexed at is two hours drive away. He's as wriggly as a worm, I've got a scalpel in one hand and a torch in the other, I've rolled him over and I'm feeding him treats at one end to keep him quiet and upside down, and I'm wielding the scalpel at the other end.

It was about then it dawned on me that he was actually a very nice-tempered dog, but that I was completely, barking mad.

[sas]

I removed desexing stitches this week for the first time, no worries.