Alpo Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Actually two questions. Question one. You going to be sewed up, and there's quite a bit of hair in the area. So they shave the hair away. Two weeks later they're going to remove the stitches. Hair has grown back of course. Do they need to remove the hair first? Question 2. When they sew you up they tell you to keep the area dry until the stitches are removed. Why? This isn't about me, this is about my dog. But I assume that the same theory works with both people doctors and vets. Will they have to shave her leg before they take the stitches out, and why isn't she allowed to get it wet? You can see them there on her elbow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zook Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 (edited) Some of the suture thread material are made to be dissolvable but those are usually internal sutures. External sutures are normally vicryl/nylon and must be removed by snipping the thread or knot and removed. Keeping the area clean/dry to help prevent infection from occuring or spreading. If the pup allows, use sterile 4x4 and either roller gauze/ Kerlix or Coban (blue bandage on right ankle area) to help keep the site clean/covered. If it gets dirty change it for clean dressings. As far as reshaving, that's doubtful as the hair shouldn't grow back fast enough to get caught up in the sutures. Edited April 4 by Dr. Zook 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 Yeah the vet made a big thing about the blue bandage on her right ankle. When she came home she had a plastic cone, and based on recommendations here I bought her that inflatable donut. And I texted the vet prior to making the purchase to ask her opinion, but she took so long to get back to me that I just went ahead and bought it. And she said it would probably work if it was big enough to cover the area and I sent this picture. I said that I was pretty sure it would block the area from her tongue. And she got right back to me and said that I needed to take that blue bandage off her foot. That blue bandage was holding a piece of cotton, and I presume was covering the hole where the IV went. It loosened as she walked and slid down her foot, and it didn't seem to be causing no problem, but the vet sure wanted me to take it off. As you can see, when it was down by her ankle, he couldn't be causing any problem with the hole. She's quite annoyed with me, as the vet said I had to keep her in the house until the stitches were removed - so she goes out on a leash about three times a day and does her business (instead of just being thrown out the back door when I get up and getting to stay out there and lay in the sun all day) - and there's another week to go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooky Slim Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Alpo, your dog and my girl Sarah could almost be twin sisters. Hope your girl mends up quickly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I managed to slice my scalp open a few years ago and had to get 15 stitches. When removing the stitches, they did not shave again. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 No need to reshave to remove the stitches. The hair will not grow back that fast. They initially shaved the area for a few of reasons. First is visibility. Hair obscures makes it harder to see the area in detail. Second is that the hair makes it hard to get the area really clean. Third is they don't want any hair to get trapped in the wound when they close it back up. It could be a source of infection. Reason to keep it dry is that stitches are not water proof. So they can wick water along with contaminates into the wound and cause an infection. Even if they used water proof stitches, water born contaminates could travel via the interface between the skin and the sutures. again causing an infection. 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said: No need to reshave to remove the stitches. The hair will not grow back that fast. They initially shaved the area for a few of reasons. First is visibility. Hair obscures makes it harder to see the area in detail. Second is that the hair makes it hard to get the area really clean. Third is they don't want any hair to get trapped in the wound when they close it back up. It could be a source of infection. Reason to keep it dry is that stitches are not water proof. So they can wick water along with contaminates into the wound and cause an infection. Even if they used water proof stitches, water born contaminates could travel via the interface between the skin and the sutures. again causing an infection. ^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I ALWAYS find it useful to ask medical questions on the SASS forum. 1 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 10 hours ago, Alpo said: Yeah the vet made a big thing about the blue bandage on her right ankle. ... I said that I was pretty sure it would block the area from her tongue. And she got right back to me and said that I needed to take that blue bandage off her foot. If it comes completely off, the dog is likely to eat it. Possible bowel obstruction... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozark Huckleberry Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 10 hours ago, Alpo said: That blue bandage was holding a piece of cotton, and I presume was covering the hole where the IV went. It loosened as she walked and slid down her foot, and it didn't seem to be causing no problem, but the vet sure wanted me to take it off. The bandage started out just below her elbow, and had slid down to her paw. So it was pretty much pointless. Why wouldn't you have gone ahead and taken it off, anyway? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 5 hours ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said: I ALWAYS find it useful to ask medical questions on the SASS forum. As well you should! If fact, I'm an amateur surgeon! I have a good rubber mallet a couple of sharp skinning knives, a Black & Decker Circular saw, a Jig saw, some vise grips and a couple of gallons of moonshine for sterilization. Oh and some old sheets I can tear up for bandages. Trust me. I'm a Liberal. I'd NEVER lie to ya! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 7 hours ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said: I ALWAYS find it useful to ask medical questions on the SASS forum. Of course. There are several doctors on here. Specific medical advice would not be a good thing to question - "I woke up this morning with a temperature of 106 sitting in a puddle of my own poop. Does this sound like I have malaria?" - that's something you probably couldn't answer correctly over a forum. But the reasoning behind the doctor doing such and such - that's a fairly general question which we require just simply a fairly general answer. Although I don't really understand why a gynecologist (at least according to my ex) keep his instruments in the refrigerator. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Considering the number of medics, EMTs, LEOs, actual physicians and veterinarians, here, as well as the various maladies and misadventures among us that impart a certain horseback knowledge, this isn't the worst place to ask opinions. 4 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 1 hour ago, Alpo said: Although I don't really understand why a gynecologist (at least according to my ex) keep his instruments in the refrigerator. There are undoubtably many amateur gynecologist's here on this site...but I don't know why the professional ones would do that. If I did that, it would definitely be the end of my amateur career. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Being one that has lots of “horseback” knowledge to impart I will say that in my experience @Dr. Zook & @Sedalia Dave are correct. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 For the first 24 hours, you want to keep the wound dry, due to increased infection rates and slowed healing. After 24 hours, if the area gets wet, just blot dry, then have 1 or 6 tequilas and say.. "Good night, Gracie." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 1 hour ago, Alpo said: Although I don't really understand why a gynecologist (at least according to my ex) keep his instruments in the refrigerator. I had a warming drawer for my speculums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 52 minutes ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said: then have 1 or 6 tequilas Couldn't you just have 2 or 3? Do I have to go to 6? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 33 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Couldn't you just have 2 or 3? Do I have to go to 6? If you go to 6...you'll go way past that....eat the worm past that. I'm just glad I was wearing a white motorcycle helmet, a TAC flight suit and RayBans. Still had all of it on at 2:00 pm the next day. That's 1400 for you TAC guys. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgavin Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Before they cracked open my chest for a bypass, they shaved me from neck to waist. The floor looked like a torture chamber for Chewbacca. My sternum is wired together permanently with stainless wire, and is never removed. It gives the TSA guys a thrill when I Assume The Position at the airport xray machine Growing hair back is an itchy and actually long running proposition. It took a damn long time to return to normal after growing in like hog bristle. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 2 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Couldn't you just have 2 or 3? Do I have to go to 6? If the first one is big enough, you will kind of automatically skip over the intermediate numbers, directly to “six”! Another possibility is that you will “forget”, 2-3-4-5! Don’t ask how I know this! Regards M Gateway Kid 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zook Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 9 hours ago, John Kloehr said: If it comes completely off, the dog is likely to eat it. Possible bowel obstruction... Mr. Kloehr is absolutely correct with this statement - Coban is great for keeping the gauze in place but if they chew it off & eat it, it can mean a trip to the vet for another problem... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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