My bitch was spayed on Friday and I've just had a look at the wound.  Where the 3 stiches come out of the skin on either side there are big raised red lumps.  Should it be like this or should I be concerned?
She seems fine in herself in fact behaving like a raving looney full of energy.  She is not touching the wound at all but to be on the safe side when I go out I do put on a buster collar.

Bev

Hi Bev
To be on the safe side I should take her to the vet's tomorrow.  Sounds like a bit of an infection or possibly an allergic reaction to the stitches.
Try to keep her as steady as possible - not always easy I know, but she has had major surgery and the internal stitches all need time to heal.

I know its a different species but...

It sounds like what happened to one of my rabbits when she was spayed last year.  Initially it was just where the stitches had been put in but unfortunately she had quite thin skin and some of the stitches kept coming out!!  It would leave a gaping hole and raised red bits (some dry) on the side they'd come out of   She had to have the wound cleaned, some dead skin cut off, was stitched back up and given antibiotics - 3 times in total!!!  Not saying that this will at all happen to your pooch - I just thought of my bun when I read it thats all :)

If you're at all concerned then take your dog to the vets and see what they say if only for reassurance that everything is normal :)  Has she had to wear a 'lamp shade' on her head?  My rabbits did (one for nearly a fortnight) and were not impressed bless 'em haha

Peewee,
I had my female Lionhead spayed last year and she managed to 'undo' my vets fancy invisible stitching technique on her first night home She had to be stapled and given anti biotics.....she wouldn't wear a head collar - managed to get it off every time so we had to have her bandaged around her middle and she had a very fetching jacket made so that she couldn't gnaw the bandage off......it was an awful time, she ended up with GI stasis and it was touch and go. She's fine now though!

Hayley x

Luhandles,

That sounds awful!  Poor girl :(

With my rabbit I discovered that she wasn't the great Hudini that I'd thought (magicing herself out of the 'lampshade' and back in when no-one was watching ) it was in fact her 'sister' undoing the vets handywork :rolleyes:  She had to have the bandage round her middle too - it looked like a jumper with no sleeves bless her hahaha

Alteast your girl and mine are 100% now (the little sods!) ;)

Hi
Do you mean at each side of the scar? Sounds normal to me, it tends to look like that after the stitching, the lumps go when the stitches have been removed. It's just the skin bunched up. Even my husband looked like that when he's had surgery. :D

Hi, I think that the fact that there are big red lumps is a bit concerning, don't you?

sounds like when my boy had stomach surgery he had a huge row of stiches with red lumps inbetween which were where the stiches gathered the skin up, it does look awful but nothing to worry about :)

That's exactly what I meant ClaireyS! :)

It's very hard to judge these things through a computer screen :)  It could be granulation tissue, a sort of overgrowth of new cells.  Why don't you just pop her into the vets tomorrow for reassurance if nothing else.  All follow up care following an operation is generally free :)

Have just got back from the vets with her, vet said its where the stitches are pulling tight and her manic behaviour is not helping matters.  He has put her on antibiotics as a precaution.
All I can say is roll on next Monday when the stitches come out because she is turning me grey rapidly behaving like an exploded bomb that try as I might can't calm down.

Bev

Best of luck in keeping her calm(ish) and wishing her a speedy recovery of the stitched area between now and Monday :)