My cat's stitches haven't dissolved. Why are they still there?

I would leave the remaining suture alone unless it seems to be bothering Kloe. Depending on what type of suture your veterinarian uses, it may disintegrate and come out on its own over the next few weeks, or it may be a type of non-absorbable suture that is designed to stay in place permanently. If the area around the suture looks red or irritated, or if it seems to be bothering her, I would suggest taking her back to your vet to have this checked - he/she can safely remove it if needed.

That stitch will not dissolve for a long time. It needs to be removed. It looks a bit irritated around the suture but I think overall it looks OK (from what I can tell from the photo). I suggest you take Harley to your vet so they can remove the stitch and check the incision. Usually a post-op examine and suture removal are free. Best wishes.

If the incision looks fine MooMoo should do well. The stitches usually take up to 3 to 4 weeks to completely dissolve depending on the brand used. If her incision is still healing, it's not red, has no discharge and it's not painful to the touch continue to monitor her as you have been doing. I also recommend contacting the shelter that spayed her tomorrow and finding out if they want to see her or not.

Hello, sorry to hear about Precious. If dissolvable the sutures should go away on their own. Depending on the suture material used, this could take anywhere from 1 month to 3 months. Monitor the area for any bleeding, discharge, pain, swelling, or redness and if you note any then have her veterinarian evaluate the area. Ideally, Precious should not be licking at the area and you should not be cleaning it or touching the area as this can delay healing. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is difficult for me to comment without knowing what type of suture material was used but, generally, if non-absorbable suture material was used, typically the body will reject the stitches and eventually they will surface and can be removed at that time. If absorbable suture was used the stitches will typically dissolve on their own over time (some suture material takes longer to absorb than others). At this stage the incision seems to be healed well and I would not mess with it if this was my patient. My opinion is that you should just keep monitoring the incision and if the stitches start to come to the surface then take Monty back to your vet so they can be removed. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Unfortunately, at least 10 days with stitches on are required for complete healing. I recommend to bring your cat to the vet to replace the missing suture asap. In the meantime and after replacing the sutures, avoid licking or scratching by using a buster or a postoperative body (https://www.amazon.com/Kruuse-Buster-Body-Black-3X-Small/dp/B00Z0U6EH8). Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

No, it will slowly dissolve and disappear with time. Some sutures can last for months at a time, so don't worry! If it seems to be irritating his skin, you can have your vet cut it out if you like. Hope that helps!