# Suture reaction



## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

Lexi was spayed three weeks ago this coming Friday. She paid very little attention to her incision and the hardest part was keeping her quiet. She had one spot at the top of her incision that was red off and on. We put an antibiotic cream on it several times a day and it healed up. Last night when we were going to bed I noticed that top part of the incision was puffy, it looked kind of swollen. It was not hot to the touch, so I put some more antibiotic cream on it and we went to bed. Dh checked it this morning and there was the same spot from earlier that looked like it was turning into a small open sore and was really red. I called the vet this afternoon and they had me bring her in. There was one little spot that had broken open and my vet said that it was a suture reation that it's not that common but does happen sometimes. She was put on some oral antibiotics and my vet put her in a cone. When we are not with her, she has to wear the cone. She was not happy at all when they were fitting it on her but she sat still and was very good. She is in a kennel when we are gone, but I am worried about her kind of freeking out with the cone on in her kennel. The whole point is she can not lick the spot, it needs to heal. She can't be left out when we are gone. She is still young and likes to nibble/tear apart fluffy things.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Nickel experienced that too, as he was recovering from his neutering procedure. I bought him a soft cone which did make his life less miserable.

Lexi, get well soon!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Poor Lexi. I used the soft cone too after seeing him walk into too many objects with the hard one. Ouch! It is a good thing you kept such a watchful eye. I am sure now that Lexi is on antibiotics it will heal quickly.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

I put the cone on Lexi this morning and she did freak out, pawing and shaking her head and trying to get in off. I left it on her for a bit and petted her and talked to her trying to calm her down. It didnt' work. I could see terror in her eyes, not good at all. She is such an easy going, sweet heart, not fearfull of things at all. I took it off for about ten minutes and then while I was drying my hair in the bathroom(she hangs out with me there while I get ready in the morning)I put it back on her. She stood stone still and would not move for anything. She stood this way for about 15 minutes. I called her, offered her a treat and she was like a poodle statue. I carried her to her kennel when it was time to leave and she still would not move at all. I checked on her several minutes later and she had not moved, layed down or anything. I caved and took it off, put some more antibiotic cream on it(it did look better than yesterday)and gave her some lovings and a treat and left. I will be home in three hours to doctor it again and rescue her. I feel like a horrible poodle mom because I didn't leave it on, but the look of shear terror in her eyes, I just couldn't do it.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

We have this soft cone. We bought ours from the vet but they are sold in a variety of places. 

All Four Paws Black Comfy Cone at PETCO

This is a great cone. It is far easier on the dog.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Leaving the cone on and letting your dog deal with it is a lot better than letting her lick her surgery sight to allow infection to let in. Vienna went through the same thing when she was spayed, though I wasn't soft about the cone; she was going to wear it. Despite wearing the cone AND the inflatable collar, she was still somewhat able to reach the surgery site unless kenneled.

I highly doubt that your poodle had terror in her eyes, more like a pity party that dogs pull to get what they want, ie puppy dog eyes. The cone is not hurting her, it's helping her get healthy again.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

I can understand she is not comfortable with it and that she doesn't like it but I agree w/ FluffySpoos, the cone is not hurting her. She will do fine.

You are allowing her to hurt herself if you don't keep the cone on her.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

She wore the cone for a couple of hours last night. She only has to wear it when we are not with her. I am still putting antibiotic cream on it three times a day and coupled with the oral antibiotic's she is taking there is no redness at all anymore. She didn't and still doesn't pay the area any attention so it looks like it will heal pretty quick. It will be three weeks this Friday since her surgery.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

As I said, Vienna had a pretty extreme reaction to her internal stitches, and she also got an infection from licking. I'm pretty diligent about taking pictures of certain things with my dogs, especially if there's the potential to share my experience in the future. 

Vienna was spayed on a thursday, and started showing signs of infection on Saturday. By sunday there was swelling and she had a fever of 106. I had poured cold water on her and had ice packs on her to help bring down her temp while thinking about going to our godawful emergency vet. I took her in, but they didn't have any time to see us.

I waited until monday morning to take her into our normal vet, she was given antibiotics, double coned, and recovered nicely.

Her infected, swollen surgery site. Yuck.









The inflatable collar that was too small, so the normal plastic cone was placed over this as well.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

Oh my goodness, that was a bad reaction! I am glad to hear she has recovered nicely. The spot Lexi had was about the size of a dime and we were fortunate that it didnt' get any worse.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Good to know that the redness on Lexi is gone.

And Fluffy, wow, that's a really bad reaction there.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I just wouldn't want the same thing to happen to you  It was a pretty terrible experience.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Wow, Fluffy that must have been terrible. My Aussie was the type of dog who would lick and fuss with anything different even if it did not hurt. When he got his teeth cleaned by the vet he worried the spot where the IV had been because his hair was missing. We had to make him wear the collar till his hair grew back or he would have chewed a hole in his paw. I flinched everytime he would hit his collar on something but I knew he had to have it on. I got a soft collar for another injury when he was older but still had to use the stiff collar because he was so darn flexible. I am glad Lexi is healing well. It is so hard to see our babies sick and in pain.


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