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My cat had PU surgery. Sutures visible, causing irritation. Can I snip?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered | 4 years and 1 month old | 17 lbs

My male cat had a PU on 3/27 and he has stopped grooming after using the box. I am worried it will cause a UTI but I have also seen sutures in the opening and they were supposed to dissolve on their own. Could this be causing the inflammation and his sensitivity to touch? He has no fever. His temp is 100.9. Can a I snip these and gently remove them and this help bring the irritation down? I have been using water wipes to clean the area of fecal residue.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 19th, 2019

No, I don't recommend you remove any sutures without talking to your vet first. It is possible they are irritating him but you should have your vet check it prior to removal.

Sutures dissolve at different rates depending on the type of suture used - ex: Monosorb only lasts weeks at most whereas PDS lasts months, up to a year in some cases. In cases where we are making a new opening and we want to make sure it stays open (like a PU surgery), we would want to use PDS. My guess is that is what your vet used and that is why there are still some present. Regardless, it should be up to your vet if he/she wants to remove them.

I suggest you use more than water wipes to clean the area. Medicated wipes would probably be best. Something like this:

( https://www.allivet.com/p-8167-vetraseb-ck-antiseptic-wipes-ps-for-dogs-and-cats-60-wipes.aspx )

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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