Vet forgot to stitch up neutered dog

[doglove]

Zane got neutered today and beyond feeling like crap right now, he's taking it well. Unfortunately I didn't think to lift his leg and look at his surgery site, but when I got home (after the office closed) I noticed his wound was gaping open! I can easily pull it apart with very slight pressure and see 'stuff' inside. Thankfully it's not bleeding or oozing (or maybe not, since that'd flush out bacteria) and he doesn't seem to be upset about any more than most dogs would be, but damn!

There's hardly any inflammation as if he chewed sutures out, I haven't seen him lick it much and he stops when I tell him to, and there's really no evidence of glue anywhere. He went back to the shelter for the surgery, so I'm assuming in the high-volume of todays surgeries he slipped through the cracks. Poor guy has to go back tomorrow and hopefully get stitched up!

Let this be a lesson - always check and make sure things look okay, and ask lots of questions if you're not sure! I feel like an idiot and a jerk because now he's open to infection and has to deal with going back tomorrow.

[PITtsburgher]

They may have used glue instead of stitches on the dog, and then the dog messed with the incision and pulled it open. Either way put an e-collar on him or he will make it much worse.

[doglove]

You *may* be right, but I'd see more inflammation, and there really is none. The site looks nice, clean, and calm. If he had licked at it so much that he disolved the glue in a mer hour or two then he'd be constantly licking now and he's not.

I was also told to bring him back next wednesday to get stitches taken out, so that tells me right there somethings very wrong.

[Keira&Phoenix]

That is terrible!!! Poor puppy. I hope he is ok.

Yes if they told you to come back for removal of the stitches then stitches should have been done (not glue) and clearly they were not!

That is a very amateur mistake. Doesn't matter how busy they are, dog on the operating table needs to be stitched up before you move onto the next animal.

[doglove]

Finally got to talk to someone at the shelter and they're claiming they may have used 'dissolvable stitches'. Ok so let's say they did use those, but it's still their fault. I've been watching him like a hawk (I haven't let him lick himself at all and have physically stopped him from doing it) and he's been wearing an e-collar since 4:30 yesterday afternoon. If he managed to lick himself open within the time that they did the surgery and the time I picked him up, then they need to start paying better attention to their surgery patients!

[chako]

Have you taken him back? He needs to have that looked at and the wound closed.

[jamielvsaustin]

Wow! That's crazy. Instead of saying, OMG we're so sorry, please bring him in right away so we can take a look and make sure everything is good to go they say oh...we must have used dissolvable stitches?

Even if that were the case-how long do those take to dissolve? I'd be beyond pissed. Is he on antibiotics?

[doglove]

We just got back from my regular vet, not the shelter. The shelter vet called me back and asked if I had a muzzle for him, and I said no, and he said 'Well you'll have to get one so I can put the stitches in.' I asked him why and he said 'because it hurts.' So apparently they were going to stitch him up with no numbing agent at all.

My vet gave him a topical, scrubbed out the wound, stitched him up, and gave me some antibiotics for him to take just in case it got infected. He said I did a great job keeping him from licking it and that it looked healthy so he should be fine. He also gave me some mild pain relievers that will reduce swelling from the extra trauma the open wound suffered. I think Zane feels MUCH better after taking one of those pills. He's much more alert instead of laying there being miserable.

I am pissed that they were just going to hold him down while they stab him with a needle, but I've filed a complaint and that's about all I can do. The neuter was included in the adoption fee, so I didn't pay anything extra to them.

[jamielvsaustin]

Holy chocolate! What shelter is this so I know to stay as far away from it as possible?

[afrikaPB]

[doglove]

This is the Westbank shelter for Jefferson Parish in Louisiana, right outside of New Orleans. I should have gone with the Eastbank shelter where I actually got him, inside of New Orleans, because they're the ones that use the glue, and the woman who suggested that was very confused (apparently)

[mypuppyJack]

OMG glad he is OK!!!
And the vet asked YOU if you had a muzzle for him? I'm just shaking my head.
But anyway sounds like Zane is very lucky to have you.

[doglove]

Today I decided to look at his wound and make sure things were going alright.... and the poor thing is BRUISED everywhere. I have never seen a dog bruise like this from a neuter, and I've had dozens of them done. WTF did they do to him?! He's even got a big purple bruise on his sheath no where near the incision. I'm calling the USDA tomorrow to find out if I can complain about this.

[Mooresmajestic]

Contact the AVMA.

WTF! I work at a high volume spay/neuter clinic and if something like this happened (especially the way it was handled) everyone involved would have been fired. Holding down an animal and suturing is just plain inhumane.
We use glue and 2 layers of internal sutures, and if a dog opens it up we use a topical numbing agent and a sterile stapler. If that wont fix it (opened up the internal ones too) its back to surgery. Its the doctors job to close properly, its the techs job to check the site before the dog comes off the table, and its the person discharging the dog to check the incision before its released. Its not the owners job to check if surgery was done properly.

[doglove]

Thanks for the steer in the right direction. I'm making my calls in a little while!