Is this normal...

How ingenious (sp?)!!  Don't forget to let us know how you make out at the vet tomorrow.

Davey, you don't look happy with both the cone and the special neck brace (lol) on but if it what it takes for you not to lick your incision, so be it.

Never had a neutered boy but I am glad you will have him seen by the vet tomorrow. I do not like the greyish tint to the middle of the incision. Is he under antibiotics ?

Now that you are sure he cannot reach the area anymore you might want to disinfect it with something like Bactine (human product). It does not sting and does not color the skin like diluted Betadine would so the vet will see what he needs to see tomorrow.

Good thoughts for a fast healing.

micksmom

How ingenious

  That's what I was thinking; way to go Davey's mom!

It's likely he's having a reaction to the internal stitches -- that happens sometimes.  The answer to your title question 'No, it's not normal". 

You honestly might give him some Benedryl tonight -- if it IS an allergic reaction to the stitches it will calm things down and it might give him some sleep.  The typical dose is 1-2 mg/lb body weight -- so a 25 pound dog *needs* at least one benedryl caplet, and 2 is fine (particularly use that if he ever gets stung by a bee or something).  A vet can and will exceed that dose if need be.

It will make him sleepy but that isn't a bad thing in this case.

Just make sure it's plain benedryl (diphenhydramine) -- you don't want anything with decongestant or acetaminaphen in it (i.e., no "severe cold formula" or anything).

THEN **YES** VET TOMORROW.  If you have any Neosporine (or I like Neodsporine Pain) you could also use that as a temporary "first aid" thing.

Do you have an aloe plant?  You could actually harvest the goo out of the inside of one of the leaves and apply that (it would help reduce the inflammation)

Have the vet make a note in his permanent record IF it is an allergic reaction to the stitch -- should he ever need any sort of surgery later on you'll need to remember this.  It may not be an allergic reaction but they aren't that uncommon at all.

Good luck!

Calmwaters

they did not reclose the incision which I thought was kind of weird but she said it was fine for it to finish healing the way it is.

Rex's incision wasn't reclosed after the third time of removing his stitches.  It healed fine but probably took a little longer than if he'd left the site alone.  Glad the vet didn't see anything to be concerned about. 

  I'm glad he's going to be okay.

I am happy about the overall good news and that he was prescribed some antibiotics.

They probably left the incision open so that anything that would need to drain out of it can drain out. When Spip opened up her ACL incision they closed it back but had to put a drain in so that the fluids could leak out and not build up inside.