Surgical wounds usually heal within 10-14 days. However, sometimes an infection of the stitches occurs, which prevents the correct healing of the wound. The causes of infection can be diverse, although in most cases they are related to poor surgical technique or poor management of the wound in the postoperative period.
If you want to know more about infected stitches in dogs, join us in the next article on our site, where we will explain how to recognize an infected suture and what is its treatment.
How do I know if my dog's suture is infected?
A normal surgical wound, which is healing properly, is one in which:
- A clean incision can be seen.
- Wound edges are perfectly in contact.
- Wound edges may be slightly thickened.
- You may have a light, fluid, clear discharge.
- The color of the skin around the wound is pinkish or slightly reddish.
However, When the suture becomes infected for any of the reasons explained below, it is common to observe the following symptoms:
- Redness and swelling around the wound.
- Fever or heat around the wound.
- Pain to the touch.
- Swollen lymph nodes Regional.
- Abnormal discharge: After surgery, it is normal for there to be a light, fluid and transparent discharge. However, when this discharge becomes purulent or bloody, it is synonymous with infection.
- Bad smell.
- Delayed healing: the infection prevents the correct healing of the tissues, which is why infected surgical wounds take longer than usual in healing. In case your dog usually has problems to heal correctly, apart from the wound that concerns us here, in this other post we talk more in depth about it: "Wounds in dogs that do not heal".
- Wound dehiscence: With infection, suture failure occurs and the wound breaks open.
Why can stitches in dogs get infected?
The causes of suture infection range from poor surgical practice to poor wound care after surgery:
- Poor aseptic conditions: to avoid post-surgical infections, surgery must be performed under strict aseptic conditions. For this, the surgical field must be rigorously disinfected, use sterile material and instruments and, in some surgeries (such as those of the digestive system), use different instruments for opening and closing the surgical wound. If these sterile conditions are not respected, it is very likely that the dog's suture will become infected.
- Dead spaces: Surgical wounds must be closed in planes, from the inside out, to avoid dead spaces between the wounds. different tissue planes. Otherwise, these dead spaces will favor the appearance of seromas or infections.
- Use of unsuitable suture materials: Multifilament or braided sutures are better handled and cheaper, but on the contrary, pose a higher risk of infection. Therefore, they should not be used on infected wounds, or when there is suspicion of infection.
- Lack of antibiotic prophylaxis: although it is not always necessary, there are certain situations in which antibiotic treatment should be started during and/or or after surgery to prevent infection. Antibiotic therapy should be established in those procedures that are associated with a high probability of postoperative infection of the wound, for example, in the case of contaminated or dirty interventions (open fractures, accidents, infections, entry into the digestive or urinary tract, etc.), in immunosuppressed animals or with metabolic diseases.
- Inadequate dressings: After surgery, daily dressings of the wound are essential to reduce the bacterial load in the area and reduce the risk of infection. In the next sections we will explain how dressings should be performed to prevent infection of the stitches.
What to do if my dog's stitches are infected?
If you suspect that your dog's stitches have become infected, since the wound presents one or more of the symptoms described above, it is important that you go as soon as possible to the veterinary center where the surgical intervention was carried out.
The team that treats you will assess the state of the wound, the degree of healing and the functionality of the suture. Based on this, it will propose a more or less aggressive treatment:
- Antibiotic treatment: in the case of mild clinical signs and wounds in which the suture has not been opened, it may be sufficient to establish an systemic antibiotic therapy.
- Surgical treatment: in more severe cases or when the suture has failed, it is necessary to complement the antibiotic treatment with a new surgical intervention to thoroughly clean the wound and remove dead and infected tissue.
How to cure infected stitches in dogs?
In addition to complying with the treatment established by the veterinarian, it is necessary to treat the infected wound to reduce the microbial load and promote healing. To carry out the cures, povidone-iodine (betadine) or chlorhexidine must be used, always diluted Betadine must be diluted to 10% and chlorhexidine to 40%, since if it is applied very concentrated can be irritating. In no case should products such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide be used, as they are very irritating and cause cell death, delaying wound healing. In the following articles we talk about the use of these products:
- How to use betadine in dogs?
- Chlorhexidine for dogs - Uses, dosage and side effects
With a gauze soaked in the antiseptic (betadine or chlorhexidine) the wound should be cleaned gently, but dragging the exudates, scabs or remnants of dead tissue. It is preferable not to use cotton, since it can leave residues in the wound. Cleaning should be repeated 2 or 3 times a day
After that, you should place light dressings and/or bandages to prevent the animal from licking or scratching the wound. For the same reason, it is recommended that they remain with an Elizabethan bell or collar that prevents the dog from touching the wound.
How to take care of a dog with stitches?
In the post-operative period, it is important to perform proper wound care until the tissues heal. Generally, the stitches are removed 10-14 days after surgery, although the time may vary depending on several factors.
For proper management of the surgical wound, the following points must be considered:
- Wound cleansing: Dressings help reduce the microbial load in and around the wound, which can predispose to the onset of infection. Cleaning should be done twice a day, with a gauze soaked in betadine or diluted chlorhexidine If small crusts form, it is advisable to gently remove them, scraping lightly with a gauze soaked in antiseptic. In no case should products such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide be used, since they are very irritating and cause cell death, delaying wound healing. To clean the stitches in dogs we will follow the steps mentioned in the previous section.
- Apply dressings and/or bandages: dressings help maintain optimum moisture in the wound, which promotes healing. In addition, we must bear in mind that the animals will try to touch and lick the wound, so it is also advisable to place light dressings or bandages to prevent the animal from touching the wound.
- Place a bell or Elizabethan collar: to prevent the animal from licking or scratching the wound.
- Compliance with the antibiotic treatment: provided that the veterinarian has prescribed an antibiotic treatment in the post-surgical period.
