Home from the vet

[ashleighelizabeth]

Just picked up Sonny from the vet from getting neutered. They informed me that they put staples in him!!!! I was under the impression they used glue or the dissolving stitches I am so sad, staples seem very severe. I am really, really worried about infection. I have a onesie on him and a surgery cone. I think I am just being a worry wart, but I can't help it. He is my baby and I hate to think of him in pain or sick... ugh

I'm crying so hard right now and I don't even know why!!!!

Also he seems like he is shivering. I have him wrapped up in a very cozy blanket on my lap. I have read on other threads that other dogs reacted like this. How long does the shivering go on for? Is this a sign of pain or a side effect of anesthesia?

[BrooklynMom]

Hey there!
I know that feeling...it is the most routine surgery for dogs, but I had the hardest time coping too! Brooklyn even did better than me and I didnt have a knife to my belly, ha. So that is normal.
Shivering is also normal, my vet said that is really common after surgery and if it lasts more than 24 hours to bring her in for additional pain control (another higher dose tablet) and to be looked at. Brooky was pretty bad the first two days as she has some minor complications, but she was fine...just hurt a bit more. So my vet said to put a fleece sweater or jacket on her all day and night (it was winter here anyway) for about 24 hours and then on and off as needed if she got the shakes. Also, I put a warming pack (dog safe, or a hot water bottle would work too), in her crate with her.

So shivering is normal, just keep him warm and he will be fine. 24 post surgery you will notice a massive difference, trust me...but the first 24 hours are hard. Hang in there!!

[JessieAndMe]

Hi AE.
We have only recently been through the same with our Jessie, who is due back this afternoon to have his desexing and hernia stitches
removed. I'm not sure why they may have used staples, it seems awfully invasive. Maybe give them a call and ask why they have used
the staples, rather than the typical stitches.

I was a mess when we brought our little guy home too, especially with the two lots of stitches. The first night, he slept for hours and was
fairly dazed. Apparently it was the post surgery pain relief, rather than the anesthetic. Within a few days, he was back to his cheeky self,
and up to mischief again.

The first two days were trying, to say the least. He went bonkers when he realised he was wearing a cone, and kept using his hind feet
to scratch his belly where they had shaved. We tried the baby socks, taping his feet, it was really distressing, as he could reach his hernia
stitches. So for the first two days, he looked like a flash dance extra



Once the first day or two are out the way, things will get back to normal.

[lindylou]

hi
hope everything will be ok for him and give him a kiss and cuddle from me and louie

[Karlin]

Glad he's back home! Staples are actually often more comfortable than stitches -- easy to put in as well. Stitches can really pull as the wound heals. Different vets use what they like best.

Here a vet describes using them -- as he notes, they are often a lot less unconfortabkle and stressful than stitches:

Skin stapling The use of skin staples saves significant amounts of surgical closure time when compared to standard suture closure. This equates to a more economical way to close traumatic and intentional surgical wounds, less wound infection and less overall complications. In a simple, unpublished study, I compared the time required to close 4 cm skin incisions with simple interrupted sutures, a simple continuous suture, or staples applied with the use of a commercial staple gun that holds 35 skin staples (Kendall Animal Health).
The interrupted suture closure took on average 90 seconds, the continuous closure 50 seconds and the staple closure 12 seconds. Clinical healing was similar in all cases except a few of the staples had fallen out or had become turned, yet at the time of suture or staple closure (at 10 days to 14 days), the end result and cosmetic effect was similar in all closures. Removal of staples was judged to be easier and less stressful for the patient with the staples versus skin sutures. From this study and clinical experience, I recommend staples over suture closure with traumatic or surgically induced skin incisions whenever possible. With small traumatic lacerations that are clean and not requiring debridement, the use of skin staples to close them has been found to be quite practical, often only requiring a local anesthetic and mild sedation. In some cases, the wound is simply pinched together and the staple gun fired as needed to effect a closure without the need for even a local block with less discomfort to the patient. The only contraindication for the use of skin staples is in very fine skin closure when the tissues involved are delicate, e.g., the eyelid.

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm...e/detail/73937

I actually really hate cones -- they seem more stressful for most dogs than any kind of surgical recovery! Many of us just use a modified baby onesie (hole cut for tail) and if works fine or you can also get soft inflateable e-collars. Wish vets sold these as an option there than always using those darn hard clones. I keep one around for emergency use.

[Nicki]

Just an addition you might be able to get the Dr Bach Flower Remedies from a local pharmacy, the one I use for my own dogs post op is ASPEN [think of the tree, it looks like it is shivering!]. I give one dose of 2-3 drops in the mouth [carefully as it is a glass dropper] and this usually stops the shivering within just a few minutes, if necessary you can repeat it.

If you can't get that I would use rescue remedy, helpful for people too!! For dogs I give 2-3 drops in the mouth, 3-4 in the water bowl.

I'm sure in a couple of days he will be bouncing again and you will have the opposite problem, how to keep him quiet whilst he heals.

[ashleighelizabeth]

Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions. Sonny is doing great! The problem now is like you all said keeping him quiet so that he can heal. He is a little bundle of energy. My best friend, who is a vet in another state assured me that staples were just fine and the preferred method by some vets, just like you said Karlin. I got some Rescue Remedy for the little guy and he seems to be on the road to recovery. Yay!!!!