My dog's leg surgery wound is open. Did he pull out stitches?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photo, it looks like Milo has sutures under the skin, which you cannot see. There does seem to be a mild amount of swelling and redness of the incision, and a very slightly opened area. Swelling and redness, especially if accompanied by discharge, are signs of infection. Milo should definitely be wearing his E-collar at all times. Licking and chewing can cause the sutures to loosen and the incision to open. You can apply a warm compress the the area several times a day to reduce swelling and promote healing. If you notice that incision opens more, there is any bleeding or discharge, or the area feels hot to the touch, Milo should be seen by his vet as soon as possible. I hope this helps and that all is well!

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!

Hello, and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ouch, poor Riley! It's difficult to tell for sure from the picture, but it looks like that's still pretty healthy tissue at his declaw site. I'm glad to see a good blood supply, and that looks like his body is trying to close the site with granulation tissue. I'd absolutely recommend continuing to try to reach your vet and have that rechecked ASAP, as it will likely be best to re-sedate Riley and place new sutures to close that wound. The most important things in the meantime are to keep that area clean, and keep Riley from causing further trauma. If Riley will let you, you can GENTLY wipe or rinse the area clean with lukewarm soapy water - use a mild dish soap such as Dawn. You should have a cone or recovery collar from your vet. Put that securely on Riley - many styles include a loop to weave his collar through so it stays on. If you don't have one (or if Riley destroyed his previous one) you can purchase them over the counter at many pet stores, such as PetCo. Another option if you don't have a cone is to put a clean sock on Riley's front feet and tape the top so they stay in place. I hope you're able to reach your vet soon to have Riley rechecked in person! In the meantime, hopefully this helps!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you can keep the E-collar or onesie on him to prevent him from licking it should heal up just fine. Leave the E-collar/onesie on for at least 7-10 days. You do not need to apply anything to the incision; just leave it be. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Given that she has evidence of wound dehiscence, she should be re-evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. This wound is likely going to need to be addressed locally with wound cleaning, debridement and most likely by replacing those stitches that came out. At the same time, she is likely to need antibiotics as well. In the meantime, I recommend that you limit her activity as much as possible and use an e-collar to prevent further self-trauma. At the same time, they may be able to check her for the bloody stool which could be secondary to medications if she is on something like a pain killer or antibiotic after her surgery. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

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!

Hi and thanks for posting! You can try washing the area with soap and water a couple times a day and keeping it as clean and dry as possible. It looks like Bear has been licking the area frequently which may be a reason why it is not healing as easily, so I would try and keep an E-Collar on her to prevent her from licking and bothering the lesion. Certainly, if despite your best efforts it is not healing properly or is worsening, Bear should see his veterinarian to have the lesion evaluated. The lesion may be infected and may require the use of systemic antibiotics to help treat. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!