On Wednesday (two and a half days ago at the time of writing), I had my little Layha spayed; she’s two and a half years old.
Everything went fine after the operation. The vet told me she used dissolvable stitches and said that if the dressing is still there in 15 days, I should remove it myself. She also mentioned that Layha must avoid licking the area... (but I’ve completely blanked on some of the other info...)
Wednesday night was fine, as was yesterday (Thursday), but tonight, Friday, I noticed she’s been trying to pull her dressing off. Since I can’t remember how many days it takes before the stitches are no longer a risk, I’ve put her cone on (which I’d bought just in case). She’s quite disorientated, struggling to eat and drink, and because she can't get into her open litter tray properly, she’s ended up having an accident on the sofa...
So, my question is quite simple: do you know how many days it takes for dissolvable stitches to disappear and for the wound to heal up properly? The vet didn't suggest a post-op check-up, just told me to keep an eye on things...
Thanks in advance for your help and advice...
Have a lovely evening!
Translated from French
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Hi there. It’s a real nuisance that she’s ripped her bandage off, especially as the wound is still so fresh.
To protect the dressing, which you can redo using some Elastoplast, you could try putting her in a baby grow with short sleeves and legs. This would allow her to eat and even go to the toilet on her own, provided you don't fasten all the poppers. The only thing is whether she’ll actually tolerate wearing it!
My Princesse wore hers for 10 days, and I changed it regularly (I managed to get a pack of three for about £5).
Best of luck.
Hi there,
Healing usually takes about 10 days; by then, the two sides of the wound should have knitted back together. The risk of infection is much lower at that point (provided the wound hasn't become infected during those first 10 days of healing)... It’s really important during this time to stop your cat from licking the area. A cone is very useful for this, but as she’s not coping well with it, you don't have to leave it on all the time. When you’re in the room with her, you can take it off, just make sure you keep a close eye on her to stop any licking.
Dissolvable stitches can start to fall out after 10 days, but the last few can stay in for up to a month.
Hope this helps,
France
Hi there,
Healing usually takes about 10 days; by then, the two sides of the wound should have knitted back together. The risk of infection is much lower at that point (provided the wound hasn't become infected during those first 10 days of healing)... It’s really important during this time to stop your cat from licking the area. A cone is very useful for this, but as she’s not coping well with it, you don't have to leave it on all the time. When you’re in the room with her, you can take it off, just make sure you keep a close eye on her to stop any licking.
Dissolvable stitches can start to fall out after 10 days, but the last few can stay in for up to a month.
Hope this helps,
France
Hi, even if it means risking her pulling the dressing off, I’d take the cone off her—at least while there’s someone at home to keep an eye on her. I’m not saying it’s a brilliant idea, but the poor thing, if she can’t even get into her litter tray, it would be a real shame if she started having accidents just because of the collar.
If the worst comes to the worst, do you have anything you can use to try and put the dressing back on? And give your vet a quick ring tomorrow. :)
