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Spay incision?

Published on: November 02, 2022 • By: StrydersMom · In Forum: Dogs
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StrydersMom
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November 02, 2022 at 03:04am
Hello, My Boxer mix got spayed 2 weeks ago today. I had the mobile unit do it. The first picture was from earlier today. About 20 mins ago some scabs fell off. Is she looking ok?5E34D2E1-E60C-4C17-9043-01C35CE913EBC8B5A80D-39EB-44BB-A6A5-318301C4CB46
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
November 02, 2022 at 09:33am
Hello!  And as you probably appreciate, there is a fine line between discussing subjects that are worrying owners in general - and even diferent ways of handling them - and assuming the authority to tell a client what to do with a case that another veterinary surgeon has clinical responsibility for.  The latter is hardly fair to anyone concerned and is hardly the best treatment for any patient.  If you are worried about a surgical wound, you need to call your vet for the case to be triaged over the phone.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
November 02, 2022 at 09:36am
It is inevitable that where scabs have formed over wounds, they will eventually fall off.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
November 02, 2022 at 03:53pm
Having spent some time trying to consider how to give a more helpful answer, here we are.  First, you are always right to be concerned about a dog's spey wound.  After all, these go right through the muscle into the abdominal cavity and a breakdown of that muscle wall can, in extremis, lead to the exposure of sterile abdominal contents to the outside world.  This can result in peritonitis, a severe infection, and physical damage to the internal organs.  In order to avoid this potential problem, vets tend to suture the wall carefully in several layers - it is arguably one of the most important parts of the operation.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
November 02, 2022 at 04:02pm
It is not unusual for the muscle layer to swell slightly or the superficial layer of skin to pucker when sutures are placed or afterwards;  this often contributes to the scar line and will usually become less obvious with time.  However, what I am unable to assess from a photograph, is whether the muscular layer remains safely intact;  this is the layer that essentially holds the dogs' insides in! - and for this reason it would be very unprofessional of me to try to assess this wound online.  The best thing to do if there is any doubt as to the integrity of the muscle layer would be to contact your vet and ask them to check it again.  This way, you can put your mind at rest for sure.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
November 02, 2022 at 04:06pm
Puckering of the skin is much less important, providing that the wound is closed and the skin is pink, healing and not oozing or being licked excessively.  Your vet will normally check the skin enough times that they are satisfied, but we would always advise an extra check if you have any concerns - always better check a wound one time too many than too few.  
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