My dog's stitches look loose 5 days post-op. Should I see a vet?

Thank you for posting pictures of Trick's stitches, that is very helpful! I do agree that it looks like the stitches are coming undone, and I also agree that the wound looks like it is healing well. Because I can't see him in person, I can't say for certain everything is ok, so I recommend giving your vet a call to let them know it looks like the stitches are coming undone. They can let you know if they want you to bring him in to have them checked to be safe. Best of luck!

I couldn't tell you if the sutured wound area looks normal or not, it's too bad you didn't attache a picture to this post, this way i could tell you right away if it requires a vet visit or not. i encourage you to post a new question with a picture so i can let you know what needs to be done.

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!

Hello. If you could post a picture & let us know when the surgery was done, it would be most helpful. Most likely it does not need to be restitched, but we do need to see the incision to make an evaluation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The wound margins still look normal and the wound seems still ok at this stage. I would recommend to have the collar back on and keep it on. At this stage a vet check up is not strictly needed. 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!

It appears that this part of the incision did pop open. I would recommend that you have it checked by an emergency vet. It may be able to heal without getting new stitches, but I cannot make that call just by looking at a picture - it should be done by someone that can evaluate the whole body. Make sure that he is not licking - not even once - since that will spread bacteria, decrease healing, and loosen up other stitches.

Hi there. Often, losing a single suture a few days after surgery isn't a huge deal, especially if the incision still appears to be closed and there is no bleeding or drainage. But it's hard to say if this is a problem or not without being able to see it. If you want to, you can post a photo of the incision for us to look at - we may be able to give you a better idea of whether it needs any treatment.