# Wound opening after 10 days w/ stitches?



## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

Should a surgical wound open up if stitches are removed at day 10? 7 and 5 stitches on outside front legs (ankle area)?


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## Jason Moore (May 3, 2009)

It probably shouldn't but it's not uncommon. Especially in that area with the ankle flexing the stitches. The best thing for now, for the heeling is try to keep your dog as inactive as possible until every thing heels up better and the swelling goes down. JMO Weve done alot of self doctoring on our hunting stock.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Hi Jennifer:
I just had a biopsy done of a bump on Riot's "ankle" a couple of weeks ago. We left the stitches in for 14 days due to the location - right on the joint. The wound was totally healed/closed at that point. Just info for comparison. Hope your dog is OK!


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## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

LOL Konnie--he's fine, just stuck with staples this time for 14 days. We biopsied 2 lumps (one turned out to be a sebaceous cyst, the one that worried us was a 'cutaneous mass'--no cancer!).

Everything looked great at 10 days and feeling really stupid now.......really wished vet had said 14 days instead of 10-14 days

Jason--I've done a lot of self doctoring with horses.....thought I knew what I was doing this time.....


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I'm glad he's OK!


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Sometimes they don't heal within 10 days, but what you can do to seal the gap is use superglue. I know, it sounds outrageous but it works really well if you push the skin together and run a fine line on the outside of the skin (not down in the wound) it will seal out dirt and crap and keep it together to heal. It's the same idea as that "new skin" crap that's so expensive.

Glad there's no cancer though!


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Wasn't there someone here that used superglue and it burned (and scarred) the dog badly due to a severe reaction? It was on the top of the head I think?????

I use it on myself....but am leary to use it on a dog. 

I keep a stitch kit and a staple gun in my "vet" kit in the car......and my pack. 

Any joint wound stitching stays in for at least 14 days....and like Jason, we have doctored our hunting dogs ourselves quite a few times......


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Jennifer Michelson said:


> Should a surgical wound open up if stitches are removed at day 10? 7 and 5 stitches on outside front legs (ankle area)?


Just head back to the vet. I haven't met one that will charge for fixing up something like that post-op.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Super glue was originally for surgical repairs.


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## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

Vet charged 310.00 to redo both wounds (redid one that she initially said looked ok).......I actually was on vacation and out of control of all the events. And my phone got dropped into the ocean at about the time the bleep hit the fan--so I didnt know anything until the next day when I called to check in.... I am fairly upset, but it is my fault. The caretaker would have never taken out the stitches if I hadnt mentioned it, I mentioned it half jokingly, but then never definitively said 'No, dont do it'.

So my dog has a total of 4 weeks off of work (and a stupid cone on his head..)and I have a test (in-house) in September and the real test in Nov......


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