# Well now what? Dog chewed out stitches



## 6e

We had two of our dogs get into a fight with each other a week ago Tuesday. The one dog is older and most of his canines are broken off from chewing on rocks and for only being in a fight for a few seconds before I got them apart, the older guy came out on the losing end of it. At any rate, he got a large triangular piece of skin torn off his leg that was wide open down to the muscle. We rushed him to the vet and she pulled the skin back over it and stitched it all shut. I was very meticulous about changing the wrapping on it every day and spraying it with Vetericyn and I kept a sock on his leg to keep him from chewing the bandage and watched him constantly. The stitches were looking really good and it was only a few days till the stitches could come out. 

Well, I have finals and I was studying for tests last night and the kids were playing and not paying attention either and he snuck off and chewed off the bandage and pulled out all the stitches, shredding the skin they were attached to. <Sigh> I was SO aggravated with him and with myself for not watching him closer. We were so close to the time when I could have taken the stitches out. The skin sort of pulled back and bunched up a bit exposing about half of the original wound. I cleaned it and everything. I highly doubt the vet could re-stitch it since it's all shredded around it and I doubt the dog would tolerate it anyway. He's an ornery old soul. I noticed this morning that the bandage is a bit bloody where I suppose it was oozing. 

So what do I do now? Keep it clean and let it scar tissue in? Keep it wrapped? Oh, and in case you're wondering why we didn't put one of the lamp shade collars on, he absolutely would not tolerate anyone trying to put one on him. I love this dog to death and I've had him 9 years, but he is cranky. I'm so disappointed with myself for not keeping an eye on him. We had done so well for a week keeping it clean and wrapped and keeping him off of it. I'm just not sure what to do with it now. I can't afford another $100 vet bill to have him knocked out and it stitched up again.


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## bluemoonluck

I would just keep it clean and try to keep him from doing any more damage to it. It should be mostly healed up by now, 7-10 days is what they usually leave stitches in for.


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## GoldenMom

You're right, it probably can't be restitched. I'd call the vet and get him on antibiotics and let it heal naturally (keeping it clean and dry). It will scar, but I guess he probably won't mind.


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## WstTxLady

Vetericyn and bandaged until it heals up a bit more. if he doesnt chew ON IT but just licks it to keep it clean, let him lick. if he starts chewing & making it works, bandage it back up.


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## 6e

Thank you. He is still on anti-biotic and pain killers (probably why he didn't mind ripping the stitches out) so, he should be ok as far as infection. I just worry about him. As neurotic as he is, he's still my baby.


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## WstTxLady

When my dog was rattle snake bit, the bite struck a nerve. The vet had to clean off a lot of dead tissue from the venom. He ended up trying to chew his leg off due to the damaged nerve trying to heal & was making that spot feel weird. I finally had enough of him chewing through hundreds of $$$'s worth of bandage material & at least 14 shame collars. I just let him have it off & open. But luckily all he did was lick to keep it clean. I wish Vetericyn was out back then, it probably would have sped up the healing. Now I won't go with out having some on hand for the dog, cats or chickens.

Hopefully he will get out of that & just lick it to heal it up. I was worried mine would get infected but he kept it clean on his own even though I checked on him. I HATED when he was on all those meds, it just wasn't him anymore. PLUS he got keen on the fact I was slipping him pills. AHH the things we do for our dog kids.


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