Sorry to start new thread, im really worried.
We've been back to the vets today after the pyo spay and her stitches are coming loose, theres a gaping hole in the middle and you can see her muscle wall.
The vet has seen it and has given dressings and wants her back in on Wednesday (its monday today) but im worried. She's been kept quiet, no excessive exercise just quick pop out into garden to relieve herself and back in the house. She's bleeding a little, going through a dressing every 3 hours, Vet has said to layer the dressing to try to encourage clotting. She's still eating and drinking controlled amounts.
Has anyone experienced this?
I know she'll have to have the wound re-sewn and we're working hard to keep it clean and under control.

Many thanks in advance.

Can i ask why the vet wants to wait until Wednesday ?

I have no idea, i'm going to have her in in the morning and insist that they do something, he said something about a fluid build up and repairing the wound but why that couldn't have been done today i have no idea.

I feel ill i'm so worried, she's come so far!

I think you are absolutely right .

Let us know how you get on .

I will do!

She's just had a small meal, a drink and been to relieve herself but she looks really uncomfortable. Luckily she's a resilient old bird so we'll go in the morning and make sure she's made comfortable.

Thank you.

Hi, I would be inclined to take her in before Wednesday. One of my girls was spayed a few weeks ago and she had a bulid up of fluid too but her stitches stayed in tact.

Hope she is okay.

Well if my husband were working closer to home he would take her to the emergency vet 45 miles away but he is working a couple fo hundred miles from home and i dont drive (which has never been a problem until this week) and she'd be seen and sorted now.

What i'm failing to understand is how the vet could suggest a build up of fluid, stick a dressing on and send her home when the stitches are gaping. They're still there, they just appear to have slackened off leaving a 1cm gape between the two sides of the incision.
Could it be swelling going down? Is it an error on the vets part and he hasnt closed properly (i did mention the large piece of body tissue that appeared from the area on friday night in my previous topic)? Have the 2 minute trips into the garden every couple hours been too much, should i have spaced them more?
I'm losing faith in my Practice just months after having built up a trust with them, snotty receptionist/nurses and all.

My friend's dog had a caesarian and naughty doggy pulled stiches out 3 times ... in the end it was decided not to re-stitch 'cause we all knew what was going to happen!  She ended up with dressings on - pulled off and eventually a pair of 'giant' knickers over her wound ... they came off too!  She did end up with a massive, gaping hole, easily a couple of inches long, but didn't do any harm.
I'd give your vet a ring Tuesday, tell him your concerns and see what he says. It will give you peace of mind. If you decide to go in could a friend take you?
Good luck and I hope she's fine.

I would suggest you take her in tomorrow, just keep her comfortable until then.  If they are worried about fluid building back up they could put a small drain in, but to leave it open is silly.  Their is less chance of the wound starting to heel as the gap is not being held together while the dog moves.
Vets have been the biggest pain of my life since I moved to my new house 8 years ago.  I now only see a particular vet as he seems to be the only one who knows what he is talking about and is worth the money to see him.  Others have given unneccesary drugs that weren't suitable for small dogs and had many side effects that they didn't even warn about.  They have recommended silly tests as they had no clue what something was, took that dog to a different vet and they recognised it straight away (was a reaction to a batch of booster jabs).  I will only have another vet if it is a real emergency but didnt trust one vet so much (couldn't get another in time) that I insisted on staying with my bitch during a c section once, glad I did as well.

Stitches come loose for many reasons but it sounds as if they have given you a one or two long running stitch for it to be gapping and not done individual stitches even though they always stay put better.  The trips to the garden seem fine to me.  Maybe after this it is time to look for a different vet.

Let me know how you get on

Emma

Hi
Yes its 2am and im still here lol.
Long running stitch...would that involve all of the line of the stitch being visible along the line of the wound? If so i think that is how he's done it and i'll ask for her to have individual stitches. She is still losing a lot of blood/fluid from the wound, we have dressing number 4 stacked on there now and i'm all out, looks like padding with a clean towel after this until morning. I think i'd be happier with a drain in, easier for her to get herself better if we can control it.
The vet seems to be very practical, he was to the point with me when we went in with the pyo, i told him what i thought it was and he went through the diagnosis step by step. Her surgery was hrd work and he was honest with me about how ill she could become and i was ready for it all given her blood loss etc during surgery. He suggested a senior diet as we left and didnt try to flog me a bag of Science Plan, i dont mind him. I'm just getting worried now following our visit this afternoon. Had it been me i dont believe i would send a dog home with a hole in its abdomen. I'm really not happy with it being open, however well covered i'm keeping it. IMO if something can get out, germs can get in.

She had me worried earlier with dodgy breathing but it seems she was playing up to get her big collar off. She was very uncomfortable and i dont have anything for breakthrough pain, just the Rimadyl 2 in the morning and no more till next day. She's sleeping now, with the lampshade off her head, on duvets and pillows. Wish there was room for me, i'm working tomorrow afternoon!

Yes I am still here too.  Doing the night shift with my bitch

Long running stitch...would that involve all of the line of the stitch being visible along the line of the wound?
Yes you got it in one, quicker to do thats why they do it.  I always demand single stitches on large wounds.

Had it been me i dont believe i would send a dog home with a hole in its abdomen.
I agree, I think if they couldn't or wouldn't do the op to close it back up that day they could have kept her in to monitor it with the amounts coming out you are describing.  Back to the vets tomorrow and dont leave until YOU are happy with what they plan to do and why.

Emma

Hi, how is she this morning?

She isn't too bad, still oozing throught dressings but i haven't taken them off i want the vet to see how much she's bled through. I'm making sure she doesnt come home without being suitably held together and if it takes all day thats fine, I've phoned work and told them that i havent been to bed (i have managed an hour on the sofa) and won't be in this afternoon, sorry. I don't think they're best pleased but when i started this job i explained to them that i dont have children i have my dogs and they fill the role that children would. I'm fraid that includes me being off with them when they're ill lol.

We're going in to the Vets at 9.30, i should be back by 10-10.30 and will let you know whats going on.

We're back.
The Vet has decided to leave it open and allow the fluid to drain on its own, no dressings. In the time it takes for the sides to heal the fluid should have drained and this open middle bit can be stapled. I asked for the opinions of the other 2 vets in the practice and they all said the same. They think it'll heal very well like this and theres no need for more stitches/ surgery.
He let slip that the sutures at the top, that are very strong and the end is healing very well, were what he was doing until he ran out of that material.
I've been told to stop flapping, so long as the fluid is watery and bloody she's fine. We've to go back Thursday afternoon.

Thank-you all for being more understanding than this, i can't help being worried for my girl.

Firstly get some sleep!!
At least this time at the vets they have explained why and not just sent you on your way.  Just keep an eye on things, if anything changes go back.
Keep us all updated.

Emma

> i can't help being worried for my girl.

i can see why. but you;ve asked several vets now so hopefully they are right. try and relax and rest. kepp letting us know how shes doing

I can understand why you were worried but now that you have been reassured try to get a bit of sleep.

Let us know how she goes

We've had a better day. I've slept for a start lol.
Although she's got an open wound she seems happier for it to be draining. We're keeping very clean still, its Dettol central here. She's having her fur wiped down with baby wipes every hour or so and her wound cleaned as it needs it but only round about.
Now we just wait for another check up on Thursday, stitches out on the 26th and staples in to seal this bit. Fingers crossed she heals well and her appetite, sense of humour and will to get through this hold out!

Again many thanks to everyone here, without your advice and kind words i think i'd have cracked up over the last 5 days.

Hello!
More news!
I'm just back from the vets and he isn't happy. She is still losing a lot of fluid fromt he wound that isnt healing half as well as it should be at this stage. The only option is to have her back on the table, opened up and looked at, try to see what is wrong and see if things can be put right. Its been a very long week and it looks like we're in for another one.

I can't help feeling that the vet has missed something/ not done something here. He admitted to changing the type of stitches he was going to use half way through closing when he ran out of materials but it feels wrong.

I just hope she's up to another spell on the operating table so soon.

Just a thought and I may be way of but ask the vet about allergy to the stitch material.

I'm open to all suggestions, it is more than a possibility thank you very much!

But would an allery just cause excessive fluid to come from the area and stop healing or would it cause irritation etc and what could they do? glue it shut?

It would depend, allergys can have vastly different reactions  depending weather a dog has been expossed to the trigger before or not and how allergic they are to it. I assume there are differnt materials that can be used for stitching aswell so that another may not cause the same reaction or possibly the wound could be stapled. I'm not sure about gluing. As i say it was just a thought that maybe worth discussing.

I had a Beardie who had an allergic reaction to any artifical "foreign"bodies under her skin, she had to have an operation to repair a leg that she had managed to put through a window & then pulled it back though the window-her muscles when cut almost to the bone. her leg swelled up to twice the size it should have been & although the stitches were replaced by dissolving ones the damage was done & she had to have fluid drained from the site of the injury for the rest of her life

When she was spayed the vet used dissolving stitches inside but normal ones on the outside & she had yet another reaction to the outer stitches & the outer wound wouldn't heal at all. She had to have the outer stiches removed & replaced by dissolving stitches & eventually she did heal up

Thats great! I'll suggest it to the vet in the morning. They hate me being right but if this turns out to be the solution then i'll sing your praises to him!

Yes, I have had my girl have a reaction to the internal stitches when spayed and the fluid built up, however, it did go down after a few days. Could be she has been having a severe reaction.
Wishing you both well and that she is soon on the mend.

Just caught up with this and I am sorry to hear that your girl is still having problems.

I hope that the vet gets to the root of the problem and she is soon back to he old self.

When is she going back in to be looked at on the table?

Give her a gentle hug

We'll be in at 8am. She's getting uncomfortable now so i'll suggest the stitches thing and see what they say. Poor old lass has been so good i just want her to get better.

Best thing is.. after the dog fight 2 weeks ago that i paid the bill for, then this, the young lass has cystitis so ive had another bill for that today too lol. I must remember to put the lottery on this week, i'm due some good luck!

Thanks all, i'll be in touch x

She's home! again.

The stitches had all come undone inside, no idea why. He has redone them inside and out as individual stitches. He sounded a bit upset when i was talking to him i have no idea why, could be that he realised that he had done the wrong type of stitches. He told me he had done the long running stitch for speed given the stress she was under during the spay, which i understand. Shame really because for trying to cause less stress there has caused her more discomfort in the long run.

The wound has a dressing on now so i havent seen the stitches. She's got a little bit of blood loss that im expecting to calm down as the stitches settle. She's back in on sunday for another post op check.

Thanks again all!

I'm glad your girl is home  and fingers crossed for a good recovery from now on.

At least everything is held back together again and thankfully if one stitch comes undone it is just one this time not the whole thing.

Hope she recovers well but keep us all posted.

Emma

Thank goodness she is home and I hope all goes as it should this time.

Phew, just seen this post, sounds like a nightmare but at least your vet is doing his best to sort it out now. I will have to make a decision after the (hopeful) 2nd litter next year as to whether to spay my girl and this is putting me right off! Hope all heals up well now.

Thankyou all for your support, fingers crossed this is the end of it!

Lucy, these problems have stemmed from the Pyo. He had to close her up quickly as she had been under too much stress physically throught fighting the infection in her uterus and wanted to minimise her time under the anaesthetic. Had it been a normal, every day spay i think he would have taken more time closing and we could have avoided all of this. I do believe he was acting in her best interests at the time, it just didn't go to plan. I would go ahead with the spay! After seeing her with  pyo and knowing how ill she could have become and died i would do everything i could to stop that happening. My younger girl will be going in for a spay in 8 weeks time after this, i'll just ask for individual stitches from the off lol.

Again many many thanks for your support, its been a very long week and you have all helped immensely!

Exactly, a planned spay is a completely different kettle of fish.  Your vet was up against it as not only are you operating on a bitch in less that optimum health but the presence of infection is always going to inhibit healing to one degree or another not to mention having a wee scratch at the wound ;-)  All in all she does not sound to be doing too badly and hopefully will just take a little more patience than a normal spay recovery.