My dog has bumps after surgery. Are dissolvable stitches not dissolving?

Hi ! The areas where the arrows are drawn are where some subcutaneous, ( under the skin ), sutures are. It is normal for them to cause a little reaction and a lumpy “feeling”. These sutures are dissolvable as well as the intradermal ones that are present on the wound edges. The scab will gradually become drier and eventually fall off. It will take around 10 days ! Hope all goes well and that results bring some good news !

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.

It is not uncommon for dogs to have a mild reaction to under the skin sutures. As long as there is no pain, discharge, odor, or opening of the areas with suture sticking out, it will likely resolve with time. It takes a long time for sutures to dissolve. See your vet if she is bothering the area or you notice any of the signs above. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Using dissolvable or non-dissolvable sutures would not cause an incision to open. Other factors like movement and infection would. It sounds like Kane had a surgical complication that can happen with any surgery. I’m sorry he’s going through this but continue the treatment the doctor recommended and it should heal with time. Kisses to Kane!

Dissolvable stitches means that it is very likely you will not see anything and there is no need to remove them. To be able to evaluate the the wound breakdown and possible exposure of underlying layers (and so the potential risk of infection) I would need to at least see a picture of the wound. Please repost your question and attach a pic of it. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The picture is a bit grainy and discolored so it is difficult to say for sure what the problem is. However, with your description, what you are feeling are likely the knots of the suture at the top and bottom portion of the incision line. These knots can sometimes cause inflammation due to a slight suture reaction. If the incision is not open, then I would just monitor for now. If the incision is red, inflamed or there is pus present, then I would have Huggle rechecked by the veterinarian that did the procedure. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! If the bumps are indeed due to the suture and they do not worsen, you should see those disappear over the next few months hopefully. Complete absorption of the suture I use in my spay procedures takes about 3-4 months to occur. However, absorption time depends on the type of suture used.

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.