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Okay, we just got Destiny spayed and next we will be getting Brooklyn neutered and then Jayda will get spayed. I really, really, really wanted them to all get done at the same time to prevent what we are going through right now, but even with taking them to two different vets we just couldn't make it work! Anyway, Destiny came home early yesterday morning and I have a few questions about all of this. First of all, if Desy is wearing the e collar she can't really lay down comfortably in her crate to sleep so, last night I was up pretty much all night to make sure Desy didn't mess with her stitches! She hasn't had the e collar on because she is with me all day everyday and if I do go somewhere I put the e collar on Desy and put each pup in their crate just to be safe. She hasn't even tried to pick at her stitches at all and she has tried a few times to lick them, but all I have to do is say her name and she stops. So, my first question is, is it okay to leave the e collar off at night when she's in her crate? Last night, like I said, I was up pretty much all night watching her, but as soon as I put her in her crate for the night she laid right down and went to sleep.
Now, of course when we got Desy there was a little bit of dried blood around her stitches which I was told was normal, then this morning when I checked everything out there was a little more blood there than when we first got her. My mom called a little while later to ask how everything was and I told her about the blood and she said that was normal and everything was fine so, my second question is, is that really normal? All of the stitches are still in place and nothing is opened up, but it just looks like there is a little more blood there.
This last one is like a few questions in one.. lol.. But here goes! Okay, so Desy, Brooklyn and Jayda are really all still puppies and they are all three very playful! They have been surprisingly calm since we brought Desy home, but every now and then Desy will jump at Jayda or Brooklyn or the other way around. I always get them to stop and calm down, but I wasn't sure if that would mess anything up for Desy. Also, all three of our pups will lay flat on their tummies with their legs stretched out like a frog and if they are on the sofa like that, a lot of the time they will kind of drag their self off of the sofa and stretch at the same time. There is no blood on anything so, like I said earlier, I don't think the little bit of extra blood is a big deal, but I didn't know if maybe that was causing it or not? I'm also concerned about Desy getting an infection because of how she lays all over the floor. The vet gave us pain pills to give to her, but no antibiotics or anything, so when I was talking to my mother she told me that if I could get Desy to hold still long enough I could wipe a little bit of peroxide around to keep things from getting infected. I know I probably sound stupid, but we love our dogs as if they were our children and I worry about every little thing! If anyone has any advice or anything that would be wonderful!!
**I wanted to add that my mother suggested to keep Desy in the crate for a while and then take her out and put Brooklyn and Jayda in their crates for a while and just alternate like that for a few days, but that doesn't work at all! They all sleep in their crates at night and they go in their crates if we go out somewhere for a little while, but if we put them in their crates while we are home they go nuts! If Desy is in her crate she tries to dig out of it and just goes crazy so, I can't put her in there because she will end up ripping her stitches out, even with the e collar on. If I put Brooklyn and Jayda in their crates for a while and leave Desy out, Desy will go crazy trying to get to them because they are going crazy! It's just such a pain and it's really a lot easier to just have the all out with me. Also, as I said before, at night Desy can't move around her crate to get comfortable with her e collar on. My mother told me to just put an extra pillow in there and ignore her, but no matter what I do she will just sit or stand and try to get the e collar off and/ or try to dig out of her crate! I listened to her cry and go crazy for almost three hours last night and then the second I took the e collar off she laid down and went right to sleep. Oh, and again, she hasn't tried to pick at her stitches even once and she has only tried to lick them a coupe times. She really doesn't even seem to care they are there so part of me feels like she will be fine at night, but then on the other hand, I worry about everything so, I'm scared that she might wake up after I fall asleep and mess with her stitches. Like I said before, she didn't even try to mess with them last night, she laid down and went right to sleep.**
Last edited by PitBullMommie1206; 08-10-2007 at 09:03 PM..
Do not clean the incision with peroxide, you could make things worse. Keep your eye out for Redness, Swelling, Discharge or Wound Gaping. Some redness and swelling is normal,contact the clinic if it looks excessive to you.
Do not clean the incision – you may introduce infection. The incision needs to remain dry. If it becomes dirty, flush the incision with Saline Solution (contact lens saline solution). Do not bathe your dog for at least 7 days.
For the most part if you're unable to watch her ie; leave the house or go to bed, then yes she should wear the e-collar. However, you'll know her better than the rest of us. The first night she might have been exhausted from the surgery and that's why she readily went to sleep.
Within the next 72 hours when the nerves wake up and the incision begins to heal it's going to itch and that's most likely when it will be bothersome to her.
I had Portia spayed...First, I wouldn't take off the e-collar. I was watching Portia as well, and the minute I "pretended" like I am gone, she started biting her stitches!!!So, I would leave it just to make sure.
Portia had a little bit of dried blood as well, so I am pretty sure that that is normal. When it comes to your puppies' sleeping habits, maybe that caused that extra blood. But some blood around the stitches is pretty normal. Well, obviously, if you see that she is bleeding a lot, something is wrong then...But I think that everything is fine in your case.
I wouldn't let them play around first couple of days, because they can "hurt her" accidentally...
What is with the collar? she needs to keep it clean...& crating is ok but not nessary. what kind of pain pills & how long? When Katie was spayed last month i gave her a baby asprin buffered kind every 6 hours for 48 hours then stop. the discomfort will keep them from being over active & help the healing.
Thanks for the advice! As I said, I was going to wipe a little peroxide around just to clean everything off, I wouldn't dare put anything right on her incision (or whatever you call that ), but Desy still has puppy fat and right where her stitches are she has two little fat rolls! lol! It pretty much covers up her stitches unless she is stretching or something like that. She tends to get dirt and stuff built up right there so, normally between baths I will wipe the dirt out of there. Because the dirt normally builds up right there and she has her stitches right there, I just thought it would be a good idea to keep all of that clean.. again, I wouldn't put anything right on her stitches. Also, the reason I was asking my mom is because her and her mother use to breed Dobermans and my mom worked for a vet for 6 years or so while she was going through medical school. I know she's definitely not an expert by any means, when it comes to people she is, but not animals.. lol.. but she does know more than a lot of people do so, I do take what she suggests seriously for the most part. Anyway, again, thanks so much for your help!
What is with the collar? she needs to keep it clean...& crating is ok but not nessary. what kind of pain pills & how long? When Katie was spayed last month i gave her a baby asprin buffered kind every 6 hours for 48 hours then stop. the discomfort will keep them from being over active & help the healing.
I'm not really sure what you mean about the collar? Are you asking what an e collar is? In case you are, an e collar is the satellite dish collar! lol! I didn't know they were called e collars until the vet asked if I wanted one or not. As for her pain pills, the bottle says Rimadyl tab 75mg, she got 7 pills and the bottle says "Give Destiny 1/2 tablet by mouth twice daily as needed for pain" so, that's what we have been doing. We give her 1/2 after she eats breakfast around 9:30-10am (she eats before that, but we wait a little while to give her her pain meds) and then we give her another 1/2 before bed so she will sleep good.
Also, all three of our pups will lay flat on their tummies with their legs stretched out like a frog and if they are on the sofa like that, a lot of the time they will kind of drag their self off of the sofa and stretch at the same time.
My dog does that, too! She "frogs out" in the car on her bed, too, and when she gets down from the sofa, she drags her legs down and sometimes kind of gets stuck in a stretch where she's partly off the sofa and partly on. LOL She's part APBT.
I agree that using hydrogen peroxide on the incision site isn't a good idea. As I understand it, it can damage healthy tissue and also inhibit healing. I used to use it on my own scrapes and scratches, but now only use an antibacterial cream after washing the site with soap and water. I don't know if it's safe to put something like Neosporin on a dog due to possible licking of the ointment, so I use Bag Balm (The Original Bag Balm), which is a petroleum and lanolin-based salve that was first used as a treatment by farmers on their dairy cows' udders, on my dog's occasional hot spots. When I had stitches, the MD told me to put petroleum jelly on it to speed the healing, so it makes sense that applying Bag Balm on a dog's wound would work, too.
Further, I agree about keeping the e-collar on...they can be very sneaky about licking/biting an area, and it only takes a few seconds to rip out stitches. Better safe than sorry, right?
My dog does that, too! She "frogs out" in the car on her bed, too, and when she gets down from the sofa, she drags her legs down and sometimes kind of gets stuck in a stretch where she's partly off the sofa and partly on. LOL She's part APBT.
I agree that using hydrogen peroxide on the incision site isn't a good idea. As I understand it, it can damage healthy tissue and also inhibit healing. I used to use it on my own scrapes and scratches, but now only use an antibacterial cream after washing the site with soap and water. I don't know if it's safe to put something like Neosporin on a dog due to possible licking of the ointment, so I use Bag Balm (The Original Bag Balm), which is a petroleum and lanolin-based salve that was first used as a treatment by farmers on their dairy cows' udders, on my dog's occasional hot spots. When I had stitches, the MD told me to put petroleum jelly on it to speed the healing, so it makes sense that applying Bag Balm on a dog's wound would work, too.
Further, I agree about keeping the e-collar on...they can be very sneaky about licking/biting an area, and it only takes a few seconds to rip out stitches. Better safe than sorry, right?
Best wishes for Desy's speedy recovery!
Aww! Your pup sounds so cute! lol! Yeah, ours drag their selves off the sofa as well! They will have their front paws on the ground and their back legs stretched out on the sofa! lol! It's so funny! Like I said, I wasn't talking about putting the peroxide, or anything for that matter, actually on the stitches, I meant around the stitches to keep the area clean. As I said, Desy still has all of her puppy fat and she has these little chunky rolls on her tummy right where the stitches are. If she's sitting or laying down you can't even see the stitches because they are covered up by the little rolls! lol! I'll have to take a picture and post it tomorrow so everyone can see what I'm talking about. Again, she always gets dirt in between her little rolls and between baths I will clean her little tummy off so it doesn't stay dirty. I was just assuming since she has stitches right in between those rolls that always get dirt built up in there, I should clean that area so she doesn't get an infection. I also wanted to clarify about the whole e collar thing. When I say I'm watching her all day, I'm really watching her all day! lol! I haven't gotten anything done since she's been home because if I sit of the sofa she will curl up in my lap or right up against me and just sleep so, I have just been sitting with her on the sofa pretty much the whole time. If she gets up to drink some water I watch her the whole time, if she gets up to do anything I don't take my eyes off of her. When she is laying on me or up against me I will sit there and watch TV so I'm not looking right at her then, but I will have my hand on her so she can't get to her stitches even if she wanted to. I don't take my eyes off of her unless she is asleep right on top of me. When it's time for her to eat I stand right next to her the whole entire time. If for some reason I can't be right there to watch her every move, I put the e collar on her and I put all three of them in their crates, even if it's just for a second to go out and check the mail or make a cup of coffee! My husband thinks I'm taking this way over board by keeping my eyes on her at all times, but I worry soooooo much about my babies and I don't want her to have to wear the e collar unless she absolutely has to! I was really just asking to see if it was absolutely necessary for her to sleep at night with the e collar on. As I said before, she cannot move at all in her crate with the e collar on, I'll take a picture of her with the e collar on in her crate and post that tomorrow as well. She gets her 1/2 of a pain pill about 20 minutes before bed that way when she goes in her crate she just lays down and goes right to sleep, but I'm worried that she might wake up in the middle of the night and pick at her stitches, especially once it starts to scab up and itch. I might just let her sleep in the bed with us for the next little while. I can't really sleep unless she has the e collar on because I worry so much about her, but when she is in her crate with the e collar on she really can't sleep. I really didn't want her to sleep in the bed with us though. I mean, I would love for her to sleep in the bed with us , but Brooklyn and Jayda will have to still sleep in their crates because we just don't have room for all three of them to be in the bed with us, plus I would be worried about one of the other pups messing with Desy's stitches. Destiny and Jayda's crates are on the left side of our bed up against the wall, they are like 3 feet from me when I'm sleeping and then Brooklyn's crate is the same way, but on the other side of the bed by my husband. If we let Desy sleep in the bed there would be no way to hide it from Brooklyn and Jayda and that would make me feel horrible. It really seems like that's what we are going to have to do though. I don't know, I guess we are just going to have to do that, I don't want to upset Brooklyn and Jayda because I love them just as much as I love Desy, but we need to make sure Desy is okay and gets healed up properly. If she sleeps in the bed with us, she will be able to sleep because she will be able to move around and get comfortable even with that huge satellite dish on and Serg and I will be able to sleep knowing that Desy has the e collar on and won't be able to mess with her stitches. I'm going to try that tonight and see if it works, it wouldn't hurt, you know. I think that's going to be the best way to go. Again, thanks for all of the great posts everyone! I really appreciate all of the advice and suggestions!
Oh, I almost forgot, I wanted to ask you, what kind of dog is your girl? You said she has some APBT in her, do you know what else she has in her?
I'm not really sure what you mean about the collar? Are you asking what an e collar is? In case you are, an e collar is the satellite dish collar! lol! I didn't know they were called e collars until the vet asked if I wanted one or not. As for her pain pills, the bottle says Rimadyl tab 75mg, she got 7 pills and the bottle says "Give Destiny 1/2 tablet by mouth twice daily as needed for pain" so, that's what we have been doing. We give her 1/2 after she eats breakfast around 9:30-10am (she eats before that, but we wait a little while to give her her pain meds) and then we give her another 1/2 before bed so she will sleep good.
PBM -
Check the newest information out on Rimadyl - I will not allow my dogs to have it anymore, and my vet won't prescribe it; it's just kind of got some weird stuff going on. A baby aspirin or even 1 whole adult buffered aspirin may be all she needs. It's not as much a "pain reliever" as a systemic analgesic and it is tough on their kidneys or liver (can't remember which one).
cleosmom is right - no peroxide, which actually causes the skin to necrose (die).
I never had to use the e-collar with mine that were spayed, none of them really did anything to warrant it, but in probably 72 hours it WILL itch, as mentioned - flip side is that the wound will have mostly bonded the edges by that time. Unless she is digging at it with her toenails or pulling the stitches with her teeth she probably can't hurt the wound....and the pain of pulling the stitches may be a self-deterrent.
Ah, the things we go through for our pets!
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Anyway, Destiny came home early yesterday morning and I have a few questions about all of this. First of all, if Desy is wearing the e collar she can't really lay down comfortably in her crate to sleep so, last night I was up pretty much all night to make sure Desy didn't mess with her stitches! She hasn't had the e collar on because she is with me all day everyday and if I do go somewhere I put the e collar on Desy and put each pup in their crate just to be safe. She hasn't even tried to pick at her stitches at all and she has tried a few times to lick them, but all I have to do is say her name and she stops. So, my first question is, is it okay to leave the e collar off at night when she's in her crate? Last night, like I said, I was up pretty much all night watching her, but as soon as I put her in her crate for the night she laid right down and went to sleep. 
If anyone has any advice or anything that would be wonderful!!
As I said, I was going to wipe a little peroxide around just to clean everything off, I wouldn't dare put anything right on her incision (or whatever you call that 
It pretty much covers up her stitches unless she is stretching or something like that. She tends to get dirt and stuff built up right there so, normally between baths I will wipe the dirt out of there. Because the dirt normally builds up right there and she has her stitches right there, I just thought it would be a good idea to keep all of that clean.. again, I wouldn't put anything right on her stitches. Also, the reason I was asking my mom is because her and her mother use to breed Dobermans and my mom worked for a vet for 6 years or so while she was going through medical school. I know she's definitely not an expert by any means, when it comes to people she is, but not animals.. lol.. but she does know more than a lot of people do so, I do take what she suggests seriously for the most part. Anyway, again, thanks so much for your help! 
