So, Kira's incision came totally apart!

    • Gold Top Dog

    So, Kira's incision came totally apart!

    She has had that E collar on and has not licked it, touched it, etc...I've watched her pretty intently except for when I had to take my daughter to the orthodontist and the other one to school, and then my hubby was here.  She stood up and it came open and proceeded to bleed.  The only place open was Banfield, and it was close to closing time.  The vet there said it needed to be stitched and glue would not work, but there was no time to do stitching.  The only alternative she gave me was to take her to the E vet and pay $500 or to put some staples in, so that's what we did.  They charged us for this ridiculously large e collar which she can't even walk while wearing, so I put her old one back on, and am returning the other one tomorrow. 

    Anyway, I called the lady from the rescue and she is sending me to her vet tomorrow.  I guess that's the best solution.  She said that when they've had this happen with rescue dogs, they give antibiotics and let the wound heal from the inside out.  They do try glue sometimes again, but it often doesn't hold it shut.  She said to keep her crated and quiet as much as possible, which we had already been doing, but sometimes she gets energetic.  I remembered that I had accidentally gotten an extra strip of Clavamox when Kira had Kennel cough, so I started her on that tonight.  One of the staples is almost totally out, so I don't know what to expect by tomorrow.

    Has anyone else here ever experienced something like this?  The rescue lady said that sometimes the glue they use just doesn't adhere to certain skin types, due to chemical composition.  It literally seemed like that glue just fell right off of her, because there was no way she could get to it.  I wish I had just taken her to a regular vet in the first place. I'm just sick about this, and have been crying on and off since about 7pm.  The rescue lady said not to worry, she'd be just fine...but it sure feels like it's going to be a long, torturous healing process for this.

    • Gold Top Dog

     A friend of mine had that happen, with an extreme true hairless dog, when he was neutered. Fortunately, neutering isn't nearly as big a deal as spaying, so with the vet's blessing, she just kept him covered in a onesie, and on antibiotics, til he healed.

     

    I hope that Kira's recovery is as simple.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Can you get some vet wrap (they sell it for humans and usually grocery stores and everything carry it).  If it opens up, put a piece of gauze over it and then vet wrap (even if you have to do the vet wrap in a figure 8 around her legs) -- not 'tight' but to hold it shut.  A onzie is an excellent thing if you can find something big enough (even kids jammies bottom snapped to the top -- I don't have a good handle on how 'big' she is).  I've trolled Wally-World many times for onzies.  Put them on front to back and then cut a hole where the crotch snaps big enough for her tail to go thru and it will usually allow her to pee as well.  But it will give some support there.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I could probably take one of my son's T shirts and make it skinny so that it hugged her body....when Misty had a festering infection from Frontline gone terribly wrong, we kept a T shirt on her for about a week while it healed, but she has a deeper chest and it only needed to cover her back.  Kira is 40lbs, but shorter legs and longer torso.

    This is a total nightmare.

    • Gold Top Dog

    that wrap stuff you're talking about, is it sort of stretchy and it adheres to itself when you put the pieces together?  I think they've used that on me when I've gotten blood work done and they put the cotton ball on the needle hole.  Would I just put gauze over her belly and then wrap that stuff around her whole body? What about an ace bandage to hold it in place? 

    I am taking her to either my vet or my rescue lady's vet tomorrow to at least have her looked at.  I'd rather not take any chances.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I'd personally be wary of covering anything completely...you'd be trapping moisture, even if only normal wound seepage, close to the skin...in a place where access to bacteria would be bad (the abdomen).

    If the vet were to wrap it that's one thing, if you are doing twice to thrice daily changes and air outs that's another..but infection IMO is MORE likely in a covered one, than one exposed to air, which promotes healing and discourages nasties...

    JMO tho!

    • Gold Top Dog

    I had a foster react to the glue once. The vet said she was reacting to it below the skin, and that the internal inflammation was pulling the incision apart at the surface. We had her on crate rest, antibiotics and calendula gel for a few weeks while it healed. She was fine after that and didn't have any trouble.

    Poor girl! 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Pit_Pointer_Aussie

    I had a foster react to the glue once. The vet said she was reacting to it below the skin, and that the internal inflammation was pulling the incision apart at the surface. We had her on crate rest, antibiotics and calendula gel for a few weeks while it healed. She was fine after that and didn't have any trouble.

    Poor girl! 

    Did you cover it at all? I'm concerned about these stupid staples that they put in tonight...I think they may fall out though, they don't look too well situated.  I hope she can sleep tonight...I feel so bad for her.  I just put some antibiotic ointment on the spot with a Q tip, and she jumped when I did it, but didn't scream or whimper.

    I wonder if I put a t shirt on her and tied it at her back to pull it more snug, if that would work?

    • Gold Top Dog

    rwbeagles

    I'd personally be wary of covering anything completely...you'd be trapping moisture, even if only normal wound seepage, close to the skin...in a place where access to bacteria would be bad (the abdomen).If the vet were to wrap it that's one thing, if you are doing twice to thrice daily changes and air outs that's another..but infection IMO is MORE likely in a covered one, than one exposed to air, which promotes healing and discourages nasties...JMO tho!

    I'm not going to do anything till a vet sees her tomorrow. My oldest daughter, who plans to be a vet someday, and I are sleeping near her tonight so we're there if there's an issue.  Both dogs sleep in crates on the first floor of our house, so we're just camping out in the family room and watching movies. 

    I'm concerned now, because it's raining buckets, and our grass is long...I don't want her to get her belly wet.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Man, I'm really sorry you're going thru this. I don't have any advice to offer but wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you.

    • Gold Top Dog

    rwbeagles
    I'd personally be wary of covering anything completely...you'd be trapping moisture, even if only normal wound seepage, close to the skin...in a place where access to bacteria would be bad (the abdomen).

     

    I'm literally only talking about IF it opens again tonight (she said one staple was already out or nearly out) that wrapping it would keep her ok til morning when she can go to her vet.   This isn't anything like "til it heals" -- the vet needs to see that incision and see to it and a staple that's loose may catch on something else (she's fluffy) and it could open it up wide.

     A friend of mine had a nightmare situation once where she heard whimpering in the night and the dog had literally bitten ALL her stitches open and there was intestine hanging out.  They were way out in the boonies (no e-vet to be had) and she mprovised with Ace bandange and gauze -- you have to keep it CLEAN -- very very clean but holding the edges of the wound together may be necessary.

    But as Gina says -- I don't mean this for anything longer than "til you can get to the vet TOMORROW" because even if that staple job holds -- even if one comes out I'd probably be having my vet check it.  JUST because the risk of infection is too darned high to risk.

    • Gold Top Dog
    Poor Girl!! I hope things get straightened out for her tomorrow. For tonight i would keep her as immobile as possible. I had sortof a similar issue recently when I had one of my guinea pig boys neutered. Only he abscessed on his incisions, which opened up, and drained foul goo and I had to flush them for 2 weeks. Happy to say he's better now, finally. Kira! Get Better :)
    • Gold Top Dog

    understood...just didn't want anyone reading this later on, and getting the wrong idea. I've never covered a spay incision with anything...and they always heal nicely within 6-7 days. That's with sutures tho...not glue...not sure I want my dog's belly held shut by glue of any kind lol. Must be cheaper than suture? I've used glue for dewclaws...tht's about it tho.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Luna's was glue and so was Tink's.  And Billy's neuter was with glue and Foxy had several lipomas removed with glue used.  The incision is '"stiff" for a while and you have to massage it to loosen it up but usually glue works incredibly well on dogs (and tends to be less likely to get 'ingrown' like a stitch that is in too long). 

    For folks like you, Gina, who know what to do and will take good care of it that's one thing. But for the general public who likely don't even bother to turn the dog over post-op, glue can be really beneficial because it heals fast and easy with no fuss usually.  This WAS unusual. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    interesting...whole lotta glueing goin on...lol. My vet is old school so that'd be why he does not glue most likely. I just take out the sutures myself at home most times. Even have a nifty pair of scissors made for such purpose,

    lisa4kids....hope Kira heals up nice n neat from here out!

    eta:oooh Aragorn is singing...*sigh* I love LOTR