My dog's surgery incision opened. Will it heal naturally with meds?

it is hard to say if this can heal without putting another stitch in. If you cannot keep your dog still, then this will indeed need another stitch or staple to hold the wound edges together and especially not enlarge. It is also very important to keep an e-collar on her so she cannot lick the incision. Keeping her calm would be essential and you may have to crate her in order to achieve that.

Good evening! Wounds can heal via “secondary intention,” which is slowly closing from the inner to outer layers. If there is an active infection or underlying damage to the tissues, this may be the ideal way to allow a wound to heal. Sutures typically heal in approximately two weeks, and thus tends to be the easier and faster option if possible. I would recommend reaching back out to your veterinarian to see if another full multi-layer closure would work, and if not, why to determine the plan moving forward. If you are unsure, it would be something where you could pursue a second opinion if you’d like as well. Good luck!

Hello. In general, yes. This is especially true if the incision is in an area where Traviesa can reach & lick the incision. But eventually, it will heal. In addition, incisions that are closed surgically & stay closed until the sutures are removed, will have less scarring, but this may not be a big deal on the underside or heavily haired areas of her body. As long as the incision does not get infected, it should eventually heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

No as long as it’s not fully opened. The abdomen is closed in layers so even if the skin incision opens a little it will not effect the healing of the inner layers. Do not clean it or put anything on it. If she’s licking please use a cone, and keep her quiet. Being overly active can cause problems with the suture line and result in increased pain and swelling. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lena.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Wound dehiscence is probably one of the most frustrating things to treat for that same reason of sometimes taking longer to heal than typical. However, it is indicated to continue treating this through a veterinarian as there are really no at home treatments for something like this. Having said that, it is important to continue to use an e-collar to avoid self-trauma and one thing you can do is limit her activity as much as possible as often times it is the continued motion what affects healing the most. Good luck and have a great day!

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!

Hello, thank you for your question about Roofus. Depending on the location of the hole in regards to the rest of his stitches I would be concerned that his incision may not heal properly. Since his surgery was so recent and there has been very limited time for any healing so far it is possible that Roofus could develop a build of of fluid (seroma) or blood (hematoma) which could prevent healing of his full incision. It is also possible that he could develop a surgical site infection due to this opening, although this is less likely since he is on antibiotics. I would recommend having Roofus evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can examine the surgical incision and determine the need for additional closure. If this opening is at the bottom of the incision they may elect to allow this to act as a drainage site and perform no further closure. However, if the hole is at the top or middle portion of the incision they may elect to place an additional stitch or staple to close the incision. Hope this helps, good luck!