My pet has hard lumps near dissolvable stitches after surgery. Is this normal?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No, non-dissolving stitches aren’t used UNDER the skin and always dissolve. What is likely happening is that Rocky is reacting to the suture as it breaks down. It happens somewhat often. It takes several months for the suture to dissolve completely. I would warm compress the area and give it time. Watch for secondary infection and any protruding suture. You can always send us a picture as well in another post. Good luck!

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.

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!

It looks like a small pustule. He may need an antibiotic to treat so you should call your vet and have him rechecked. If the suture underneath is poking through then your vet might be able to trim the suture so it doesn't bother him. It should eventually be absorbed. The incision appears to have healed well.

Yes this is normal. The stitches underneath the skin can cause swelling like you are seeing while they are getting dissolved by the body, The incision itself is healing nicely. She may have this swelling for several weeks before it goes down completely. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Minnie.

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.

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!