Taking stitches out myself?

Maggie has external stitches from her spay that were supposed to be taken out last week (I lost track of time ). I think I could take them out myself - I did that once with my cat - the vet told me to. I dont' mind taking her to the vet except that it is like 25 mins away so I'd just like to save the drive. Is there anything wrong with me taking the stitches out myself or is there more to it that I don't know?

Don't you just cut them and pull them out?

 

I think that's all you do. I know foster homes do it all the time. I was told by my vet that she'd rather I did not because she was afraid with a wiggly dog I would "miss," but if you feel confident and she holds still (or you have help) it would probably be fine.

 

I think you should just take him/her to the vet. I wouldnt take the chance. But if you feel like it is easy and you can do it go ahead. I have never done it before or ever try to do it. I would not want to risk my dog. I hope you take it to the vet. 8)

 

Sutures are easy to remove. If you don't have suture scissors, embroidery scissors will work just fine.

Grasp the knot with your fingers or a tweezer. Gently pull it up, away from the skin. Slip the scissor under the suture material and snip. The suture should pull right out. Sometimes you have to tug at it a little to get it lose, but that won't cause any real problem.

You may notice a little oozing from the holes where the suture material came out. Just wipe it clean with a damp, clean cloth. You can dab it with antibiotic ointment if you want to, but it's not necessary.

 

Removing stitches or not

In the years gone by, when stitches did not dissolve or only did so partially, I have removed them. They may get stuck a bit but with a gentle tug they pull free. There may be slight bleeding, but it is not serious and when you have the stitches removed you can use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean it up. Also triple antibiotic ointment helps. If you do not feel comfortable doing it though, go to the vet. Our fur kin can sense if we are uneasy or nervous and you may relay that to your fur girl and get her wriggling, making removing the stitches difficult.

 

I have taken stitches out before and all i used was a pair of clippers used to clip human finger nails.

I snipped the knot on the suture and gently pulled the it through this did not hurt them well atleast i do not think so as she just lay there plus she was my mums cat.

Aslong as the wound is completely sealed and all looks well with it then i do not see any reason why you can not do this yourself if your think you can do it and your dog will lay still long enough to have it done.

Mike

 

Thanks for the replies. I didn't end up doing it myself b/c Maggie hurt her leg Saturday so I had to go to the vet anyways. She is there now getting x-rays on her foot, knee and hips. :roll:

But I watched the vet, all she did was clip them and pull them out. But she did have scissors perfect for the job.

 

Poor Maggie! Let us know how her leg is.