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Pepp
Dogsey Junior
Pepp is offline  
Location: Manchester UK
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 61
Female 
 
07-03-2011, 10:03 AM

How to protect stitches from licking?

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and thought I would try and get some advice.
My newly acquired 4 year old Rottweiler has just been nuetered. He has stitches in at the moment and was given a buster collar after the op, which he immediately ripped off and broke. It was ridiculously huge and I just dont see it being an option for him, as much as I wish he could just wear it
He went back for his post op check up on Friday and we were told that an infection could be starting due to licking.
Although we have been watching him as much as possible and giving a stern NO when he does lick, we cant watch him 24-7.
The vet has given us some amoxycillin capsules, two a day for five days. He is on his third day now (we didnt manage to get them down him on Friday when we got the tablets, so we have been hiding the tablet in a small piece if sausage and feeding as a treat, no problems since!)
I have also been bathing twice a day with warm salt water, is this right? Too often or not enough? I thoroughly dry the area afterwards because the vet told us its the moisture that causes the infection?

Anyhow, he goes back for another check up tomorrow so hopefully he will be better then, but in the meantime what else can I do to help?

Thanks for any info!
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SuperflyBadger
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Location: Liverpool, UK
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07-03-2011, 10:18 AM
How about one of these?

http://www.comfycollars.co.uk/?gclid...FYFB4QodrAzp-A

good luck!
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Milk maid
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Location: Calvados France
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07-03-2011, 10:24 AM
Over here we get a thing called Vetedine ( I think this is Iodine but you should check with the vet) to clean all wounds including stitches, I would clean with this 3 times a day just dab on then dab dry.
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Pepp
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Location: Manchester UK
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Posts: 61
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07-03-2011, 10:28 AM
Thank you for replies, that website looks very good, I am thinking of ordering a comfy collar for him, but I'm just a little worried that by the time it comes he will be sorted but I suppose it would be handy god forbid I need it in the future!

And the Iodine, sounds like a good idea because isnt that what they use whilst carrying out surgery on human o stop infection? I'm back at the vets in the morning so I will definitely enquire about that.
Thanks so much!
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HiHoSilver
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Location: Limerick Eire
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07-03-2011, 06:10 PM
Salt water is good for surface wounds but not where there's been an incision as the water can wash infection into the wound.It also encourages licking as dogs often like the taste of salt.
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MerlinsMum
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Location: In an English country cowpat
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07-03-2011, 06:16 PM
I've seen something called Lickstrips on sale, not sure if they are any good?
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majuka
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Location: Warwickshire
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07-03-2011, 06:43 PM
When Max was done he kept trying to lick his stiches. We did end up putting an old pair of shorts on him and cutting a hole for his tail (only around the house obviously - not outdoors). He looked a bit crazy but it bothered him less than a big collar and it kept him away from the stiches.
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shiba
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07-03-2011, 06:50 PM
Originally Posted by SuperflyBadger View Post
How about one of these?

http://www.comfycollars.co.uk/?gclid...FYFB4QodrAzp-A

good luck!
I had a dog who had cruciate surgery and unfortunately her wound just didn't heal up for nearly a year . I tried everything thats on the market including this. It was quite good but as her wound was on her leg with determination she could "just" reach. Better than elizabethan collars though. She was a big dog and elizabethans where a nightmare, she banged into door frames and tables etc so the collar above was better for that reason. I also bought a bitter apple stick that you could apply to the area and it didn't taste good, but she still licked it

If its still infected when you go back and you get the collar another thing to try is manuka honey, after a year of vets this was the only thing that healed my dogs wound up. I just applied it and then wrapped it so she couldn't lick it lol, it healed up within weeks and several vets had almost given up on her.
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Pepp
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Location: Manchester UK
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08-03-2011, 10:37 AM
Hi everyone,
Just to say we are back from the vets and the infection has all but cleared up, happy days!
Thank you all for the good advice< I love the old pair of shorts idea, I would defo of done that one had I thought of it earlier
So stitches out friday and all is very nearly back to normal whooppeee!
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spottydoggy
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08-03-2011, 12:37 PM
YEAH i sooo pleased it going well , so great to hear some good news
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