Dissolving staples not dissolving? - Paw Talk

jennawing · #1 09-23-2006, 01:07 AM

Pagan was spayed July 18th. I can still feel staples under the skin. It is definitely metal and definitely has a corner. The bottom one you can see easily, the other one you can feel, but only see when you stretch the skin over it. One is at the very end of her incision and the other is about 1cm from the top end of her incision. My main concern is that she crawls on her belly in the grass and dirt, and afraid she might catch one on a rock or whatever and make a tear in her skin. Is it possible they are just not dissolving, used the wrong kind of staples, or just happen to be scar tissue that feels like a small bent piece of wire? I made a lot of complaints to the vet over the incision size and the way it was stitched, etc. so a little embarrassed to bring up something else unless necessary. Someone tells me it takes x amount of months for staples to dissolve, I will be content with that LOL

Not a great picture, but you can see the bottom one pretty good-

LuvMeTrue · #2 09-23-2006, 09:15 AM

i wish i could help ya hun when i was younger and we had our dog fixed they just stiched her up and she chewed the stiching out so she had to wear the cone they never stabled her. Why not call another vet and see what they say rather then bringing her to your vet. If the other Office feels that they may be staples then bring her back to your vet and inform them of your concerns that is all i can really suggest. I don't know much about the staples used or anything but i hope that this helps you out some.

Chinchilla_Girl · #3 09-23-2006, 11:10 AM

Umm...I've never heard of dissolving staples. Staples are metal, they go on the outside, not the inside and they need to be removed. Sounds to me like you are feeling Monofilimant (sp?) which is often used for internal stitches but don't dissolve. It's pretty much like fishing line and some vets use it in order for other's to tell the animal has indeed been spayed. Call your vet and ask what they used internally. If it's Monofilimant, don't worry about it, it's supposed to be there, but if they used staples, I'd be questioning that

**Scarlette** · #4 09-23-2006, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chinchilla_Girl


	Umm...I've never heard of dissolving staples. Staples are metal, they go on the outside, not the inside and they need to be removed.

Ditto to what Mandie said.

Puttin510 · #5 09-23-2006, 01:02 PM

Yep metal staples are only used outside the insizzion. Metal stitches are uses too. Both of those need to be taken off. For the internal stitches I believe those disolve, some vets will use a certain type of surgical glue to shut the outer insizzion. My female had that done. You can call the vets office and ask them what the routine is for the way your dog was done.

jennawing · #6 09-23-2006, 01:30 PM

Well, it's hard, it's pointy, and it is not part of the skin, not the same as the scarring under the skin like you can feel the incision, and it keeps that little spot at the bottom red and irritated. I will ask our other vet, though. I am begininning to question my decision to have this other guy spay her. Sounded good with the overnight and the antibiotics and blah blah but I am wondering now why I did not remember the time he molested my guinea pig and his going on and on and on about Terri Shiavo while we are making the hard decision to have our Lila pts.

Ignore me, the more I think about it, the more irritated I get. Pagan goes in for boosters next month- I will have the REAL vet take a look. Hopefully she won't rip her belly in the meantime.

Leo · #7 09-23-2006, 03:15 PM

Can you call the vet and ask them what they used? If they are indeed staples and have been in there since July 18, I would worry a about risk of infection especially if you can see them, waiting another month (if they are staples and get infected) and you could be looking at some serious medical bills.... it is better for your dog and your pocketbook to call and ask now instead of later. Hopefully it is nothing... I would think though if they were staples they would have given you that information on one of aftercare sheets and scheduled an appointment for her to have them removed? If the vet is as crazy as you make him sound he could have forgotten to give you the information and schedule an apt to have them taken out.... I would call and ask on Monday when they open, for your peace of mind.

tracyrosie · #8 09-23-2006, 03:48 PM

hi dissovable stitching should be a thread type cotton stitch and they should do as its said on the tin so to speak metal staples do not dissolve id have a good word with my vet have you got mixed up with what the vet said have a word with him and ask him if hes used a metal staple these do not disolve they have to be taken out let us all know how u get on and dont be fobbed off!

***Jade*** · #9 09-23-2006, 05:29 PM

http://health.howstuffworks.com/question611.htm

Dissolving sutures take a while to totally dissolve, up to a couple months per our head technican here. I wouldn't be too worried about it unless she develops any swelling, irritation, or other symptoms.

jennawing · #10 09-23-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jade


	http://health.howstuffworks.com/question611.htm Dissolving sutures take a while to totally dissolve, up to a couple months per our head technican here. I wouldn't be too worried about it unless she develops any swelling, irritation, or other symptoms.

Thank you Jade. I would like to think they were just sutures- would they be feeling like are bent piece of wire? I know no one can feel them so it is hard to explain what it feels like. What I am not understanding really- sutures or staples- why they are just in the ends and you can't feel any in other places.

And yes, I will call them, but don't expect to get a real answer.

***Jade*** · #11 09-23-2006, 07:35 PM

Suture isn't as flexible as thread (what most people with no medical background compare it to), which is probably why you can feel them - I'm sure they feel funny. They will decay at different rates based on the tissue, so the ones at the ends may be dissolving more slowly than the middle.

Yep, give the vet a call, but that's what it sounds like to me.

Vanilla_Rat · #12 09-23-2006, 09:20 PM

Have you talked to the vet yet? I hope it is normal and not serious.I have never heard of dissolving staples,only dissolving stitches,which are not staples.

Chinchilla_Girl · #13 09-23-2006, 10:39 PM

The ends do generally take longer to dissolve due to the way they are knotted at the ends. If it's the monofiliment it's literally course like a heavy duty fishing line, and yes, under the skin it can feel like wire (pokey)
Kali's was like that at the ends when she was spayed for several months. They had to do her's that way because of complications during the spay and because they had to make a larger incision than normal. Unless something is poking out (like to where you can grab it) or swelling, redness, or pus is present, what you are feeling is probably normal. If you are concerned, have the incision checked. But from what I can see on the pic, she looks like she's healing pretty well.

jennawing · #14 09-24-2006, 12:59 AM

Vanilla Rat- vets are not open on weekends here, so no, I haven't called yet. As I stated firstly, I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience with this first, as 1. it is difficult to get to talk to the vet and 2. he is a charasmatic type person who likes to talk rather than listen. If it really seemed like not much to worry about I would rather talk to my regular vet about it anyway.

Chinchillagirl- thanks for sharing your own experiece with this. It does sound very similar. I knew surely someone had felt that before on their own dog. I had had 2 females spayed before- and many cats, and had never felt this sort of thing before

Chinchilla_Girl · #15 09-24-2006, 11:03 AM

You are most welcome. I know, it's weird. I had the same concerns as you do now when I discovered that on my Kali-girl. Shane totally freaked about it and wanted to sue, that was before he found out what was really going on and that she was fine. She'll be turning 6 in November!