Why won't my dog's surgical incision heal after stitches and staples?

Mast cell tumor incision sites often dehisce (come open) because of the nature of this type of tumor. Staples are not likely to hold either. Without seeing it myself it is hard to say what treatment would be best. You may have to let it heal by second intention (let it fill in and heal naturally). I suggest you speak to your vet about starting Skippy on some antihistamines which may help with the dehiscence of the incision.

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.

Have her rechecked by your veterinarian. The site should have been fully healed by now unless she has been licking it or overly active. Place an e-collar (cone) on her and restrict activity to just leash walks for elimination until she sees the doctor. A staple, suture or glue may be applied once any infection or trauma has been ruled out by the vet.

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!

The wound appears very superficial in the picture and I would leave it open to the air without dressing. Manuka honey and saline washes once daily may help if it becomes crusted. It is possibly due to a reaction to suture material which although rare can occur (surgical repair is a last resort as healing can be slow!)

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!

A non-healing wound is often cancer. There are other possibilities: it could be a resistant bacterial infection. a foreign object in the skin (like a small piece of wood, grass or a bone fragment) that is causing it not to heal, it could be an auto-immune disease, etc. He needs to see a vet for an exam and some testing. There is no way we can give you a definitive diagnosis over the internet. The wound needs to be cultured an biopsied.