# Absorbable/Self-Dissolving Stitches



## curlgirl (Apr 8, 2007)

Hi. I'm Buster's mom! (Elyse!)

My sweet little 3 year old had surgery and I wand to know, how long does it take for Absorbable or Self-Dissolving Stitches to dissolve?  My dog had surgery about 6 days ago. He had badly infected, compacted anal glands and needed to have them removed. The surgery went very well and he's not having any other problems. They used this kind of stitches, and I just want to know how long to expect it to take for the stitches to dissolve. I have to keep that awful collar on him until they are completely gone because he is trying to bite them. It's breaking my heart to see him so sad. 

While he was under anesthesia they also removed a large wart from his side So I am thinking that when that stitch is gone, it might be safe to assume that the other ones are dissolving too. 

When he was neutered we had to bring him back to the vet. He used the same absorbable stitches but one didn't dissolve and was growing into his skin. 

Thanks everybody!


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Stitches should stay in for 10-14 days. So dissolvable stitches will stay for at least that long. After that, it kind of depends. Some will dissolve faster than others. I hear hydrogen peroxide will make them dissolve faster (in case he has one that stays like last time). And if he'll stay still you can snip and pull the stitches yourself (I do it all the time with cat spays) with rounded-nose scissors. But don't do anything to remove them or make them dissolve until the 10-14 days are up.


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## curlgirl (Apr 8, 2007)

Thanks Willowy. I would never try to remove these stitches on my own even if they didn't dissolve. Some of them are all the way up his anus. I'd bring him back to the vet. I think I have to bring him in for his shots in about two weeks anyway. By that time if they're not dissolved I'll see if he'll take them out. I just want to know how much longer I'm going to have to put that awful collar on him! 

He won't stay still long enough to let me even look at his incisions. When he's walking I can see that he is healing well. He's much less red and swollen under there. He won't let me touch him back there and I don't try to. He doesn't even notice the stitch on his side where the wart was.


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