Q&A for How to Care for a Dog With Stitches

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Question

Does my dog really need to wear the cone?

Elisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog Trainer
Elisabeth Weiss is a Professional Dog Trainer and owner of Dog Relations NYC, a dog training service in New York, New York. Elisabeth relies on science-based, force-free, and reward-based techniques. Elisabeth offers behavior training, puppy manners, body awareness and injury prevention, diet, exercise and dog nutrition services. Her work has been featured in New York Magazine and on the Dog Save the People podcast. She also trained all the dogs in the movie "Heart of a Dog" by Laurie Anderson that features Elisabeth's journey with Laurie Anderson's and Lou Reed's dog Lolabelle and how her passion for playing the keyboards played a significant role in improving her quality of life after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Elisabeth Weiss

Professional Dog Trainer

Expert Answer

Not necessarily! You can put a onesie on your dog instead of forcing them to wear an E-collar. Ultimately, it depends on where the stitches are.

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Question

How do I keep my dog calm after surgery?

Elisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog Trainer
Elisabeth Weiss is a Professional Dog Trainer and owner of Dog Relations NYC, a dog training service in New York, New York. Elisabeth relies on science-based, force-free, and reward-based techniques. Elisabeth offers behavior training, puppy manners, body awareness and injury prevention, diet, exercise and dog nutrition services. Her work has been featured in New York Magazine and on the Dog Save the People podcast. She also trained all the dogs in the movie "Heart of a Dog" by Laurie Anderson that features Elisabeth's journey with Laurie Anderson's and Lou Reed's dog Lolabelle and how her passion for playing the keyboards played a significant role in improving her quality of life after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Elisabeth Weiss

Professional Dog Trainer

Expert Answer

Make sure that your dog has plenty of chew toys that they can play with. That way, they'll have something else to focus on besides their stitches.

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Question

How long does it take for a dog to recover after being spayed?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

A dog will typically take between 10 and 14 days to recover after being spayed.

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Question

Can you bathe a dog with stitches?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

It's best not to, but you can still clean your dog using a washcloth to wipe the dog down.

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Question

How long does it take for your stitches to dissolve?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

It depends on the type of sutures used. You'd have to ask your veterinarian, but usually less than 30 days.

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Question

Would an allergy to cat gut suture material cause a wound to burst?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Some dogs overactivate their immune systems in response to the presence of catgut. This causes swelling and inflammation as the body works overtime to try and get rid of the suture. This weakens the suture material prematurely, and could make it easier for the stitches to break open and the wound edges to part.

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Question

Why is my Labrador whining, 10 hours after having stitches in a paw?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Ten hours after surgery, the anesthetic will have worn off. Any lingering pain relief from the anesthesia has gone, so the dog may start to feel sore again.

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Question

How long does it take for a dog to heal from being neutered?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

A dog will typically take between 7 and 14 days to recover from being neutered.

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