After dog surgery, when is it safe to run with internal stitches?

Astra needs to stay inside until the incision is fully healed which is typically 10 to 14 days. During that time she cannot do any running or jumping. She should also only be allowed short leash walks just to use the bathroom. You don’t want her to tear her her stitches. Also, she should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times to prevent any licking which could also tear the stitches or cause an infection. If she seems overly active, you may call the veterinarian and ask about a sedative. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. Your veterinarian has taken an abundance of precautions for your pet. For most routine surgeries, even in an older girl like yours, restricting activity for 7-10 days is fine. This usually means curtailing running up & down stairs, jumping on furniture & leaving a pet unattended outdoors for hours on end. If Precious is primarily a house dog, then just try & slow her down a bit & either walk her on a leash outdoors or supervise her activity. I think at this point in time you can let Precious play with her toys. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

We normally recommend activity restriction until sutures are removed (if sutures were placed, these are normally removed around 10 days, sometimes up to 14 days later). I would call your vet and follow their guidelines since they performed the surgery and know what is safest considering his procedure, but in general we keep them with restricted activity for 10-14 days. Short walks at a slow pace on a leash are alright, but no running/wrestling/jumping. In some cases with dogs that have a high activity level, vets will presribe medication to help keep them calm/quiet so if this is an issue with Kapano you can ask your vet about a sedative.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Excessive activity like that should be avoided to prevent surgical dehiscence. She should be kept as quiet as possible for at least the first 10-14 days after surgery and until the stitches are removed. This is to ensure appropriate surgical healing. Good luck and have a great day!

Limit or restrict activity to avoid stress on the incision. Avoid excessive running, jumping or rough play. Use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking or chewing of the sutures. Examine the site daily for redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding or discharge. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, fever or abdominal pain. Look at her gums daily to ensure they are pink. Sutures are kept in for 10-14 days. Do not bathe her until the sutures are removed.

Great question! Because Chloe already opened up her incision two days ago from too much movement, I would still restrict her activities for another couple of days. You don't want additional movement to open it up even more, and a few more days of rest will not harm her. She has plenty of time in her life to run around. I would allow her to run around a bit outside when the Ecollar comes off in a few days. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Give pain medication as prescribed by your veterinarian. It is important to make sure that you restrict his activity to short leash walks only (for the purpose of going to the bathroom) for the first week after surgery. Excessive activity such as running jumping or playing will increase the likelihood of complications. Lastly, but most importantly, he must wear an E collar (cone of shame) to prevent him from looking at or biting at the incision. Licking or biting the incision could lead to the incision coming apart and a need for further surgery. It could also lead to the incision becoming infected which could even make him systemically ill. He will need to wear the color for about 7 to 10 days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !