Mollie rushed to the vet today!

[Dee-O-Gee]

This morning, upon inspecting Mollie's incision, I noticed a blue vein streak below the incision along with a hard spot, to the left of the stitches.

I called the vet and they insisted we bring her in for an examination immediately. Turns out, she has an infection. Fortunately, it was caught at an early stage and our vet wants to treat it with 125 mg of Noroclav rather then lancing it.

Is this common to have an infection after an ovario-hysterectomy? What could have caused an infection? She's been wearing the e-collar since Thursday and has only done leashed outings. She is due back at our vet on Monday but, I'm concerned if I need to watch for additional signs of continued infection.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

Is this common to have an infection after an ovario-hysterectomy? What could have caused an infection? She's been wearing the e-collar since Thursday and has only done leashed outings. She is due back at our vet on Monday but, I'm concerned if I need to watch for additional signs of continued infection.

It is not common but it does happen. I wouldn't worry about it , she is on antibiotics

[kathryn]

I've assisted on about 2,000+ spay/neuter surgeries... so perhaps I can be of some use.

I looked up Noroclav and it looks like another version of Clavamox (US). That is a great anti-biotic that rarely has any major side effects.

Depending on the kind of sutures used, sometimes animals have allergic reactions to the stitches. The tell-tale sign of this is a lump on or near the stitches. It's, from my understanding, inflammation from the body rejecting the sutures. When this happens, a round of anti-biotics usually clears it up. The drug of choice where I work is usually Cephalexin 250mg or 500mg. Sometimes the animals do have to be sedated and the old stitches removed and have new ones put in.. of a different kind. Sometimes you can use staples as well/in place of, or surgical glue.

If you are able too, could you please post a picture? While I can't diagnose anything, I might be able to give you a bit more advice from what I would tell a client at my own clinic.

And no, infections are not common after spay/neuter surgeries... but occasionally happen. It depends on a variety of things. In healthy animals with a competent owner who is actually going to follow the post-op instructions, infections are rare. But, they still happen.


Can you check to make sure that the e-collar extends atleast 3 inches past the tip of her nose? Sometimes e-collars are just a bit too small and the dog manages to get to their incision while the owner is sleeping.

[luckypenny]

Penny had an infection beneath the incision after her spay. One of our fosters had one as well. Nothing that antibiotics didn't fix after a couple of days though.

No idea what could have caused Mollie's but it's a good thing you checked. for a speedy recovery, from both the spay and the infection.

[hazelrunpack]

Good thing you're an observant mommy, klm We've had cases of minor infections along incisions, too, but the antibiotics do wonders.

for Ms Mollie!

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by kathryn

I've assisted on about 2,000+ spay/neuter surgeries... so perhaps I can be of some use.

If you are able too, could you please post a picture? While I can't diagnose anything, I might be able to give you a bit more advice from what I would tell a client at my own clinic.

Here's a picture of the incision. If you start from her bottom up, the hard spot is on the left side and the blue veining is below the incision. Would there be anything else we need to keep an eye on? She seems to be more rambunctious now then she was before having surgery.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

She seems to be more rambunctious now then she was before having surgery.

she can't run or jump , I know I know , it's hard. Does she plays when she has the cone on her ? I sometimes put it on them (the fosters after their spay / neuter) not to keep them from licking but more to keep them from running around.

[hazelrunpack]

It's not looking too bad, klm! And yeah, keeping them quiet can be quite the chore. But the rambunctiousness is actually a good sign--if the infection were widespread, she wouldn't have near the energy that she does.

Things to watch for--increased redness or ooziness at the incision site, lethargy, loss of appetite... But I suspect she'll recover just fine. How many more days till the sutures come out?

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

she can't run or jump , I know I know , it's hard. Does she plays when she has the cone on her ? I sometimes put it on them (the fosters after their spay / neuter) not to keep them from licking but more to keep them from running around.

OMG Frenchy! The cone doesn't faze her in the least! She feels just as comfortable with the cone on as she does with it off! It's been EXTREMELY difficult trying to keep her from bouncing, running and hopping, even with the cone on!

She hasnt' attacked the stitches as far as licking or scratching them with or without cone. We've been crating her at night in our bedroom (with the cone on) but it's been more so to keep Gryphon away from licking her then her licking herself!

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

OMG Frenchy! The cone doesn't faze her in the least!

omg then I'm afraid you'll need valiums , for Molly and yourself

good luck KLM

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

How many more days till the sutures come out?

They're suppose to come out this Monday. The vet gave us 10 days of the Noroclav, twice daily. I suppose a happy/hoppy/bouncy puppy with an infection is a good sign?

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

omg then I'm afraid you'll need valiums , for Molly and yourself

good luck KLM

You got that right...1 for Mollie and two for Momma!

[rainbow]

Aww, sorry to hear about Mollie.

We've never had an infection happen after a spay/neuter either with all the dogs we've had and as already mentioned it def doesn't happen very often. It doesn't look that bad and the antibiotics will clear it up for sure ....speedy recovery, Mollie.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Aww, sorry to hear about Mollie.

We've never had an infection happen after a spay/neuter either with all the dogs we've had and as already mentioned it def doesn't happen very often. It doesn't look that bad and the antibiotics will clear it up for sure ....speedy recovery, Mollie.

This is the first for us as well. It's just a matter of keeping a close eye, more leash pees and less rambunctiousness--right hazel?

[hazelrunpack]

Yep, definitely less rambunctiousness...or is that rambunctiosity?

[rainbow]

Good luck with that.

[Marcha]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Yep, definitely less rambunctiousness...or is that rambunctiosity?

Definitely rambunctiosity, simply because it sounds better and produces some awesome mental imagery.

[Gail P]

When Rain was spayed everything looked good for several days and then she developed some redness and swelling around one of her stitches. Took her to the vet who snipped out that stitch and said to put some polysporin on it. It was just a bit of infection of the skin around that one stitch. It cleared up the skin went back to normal, the incision line healed well etc. but then about 2 1/2 months or so after the surgery she started getting what looked like blisters along the incision line. Just one at a time, it would be a watery blister, then start to dry up and turn a bit dry and red, a little scabby and then another one would appear. As it turned out, instead of the inner sutures properly dissolving her body was rejecting them and they were working their way out. When I was checking on one scabby looking spot I bumped off the scab and with it came a big knot of the suture material. After that it all cleared up.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Hum..that's interesting Gail P.

Her stomach is still hard next to the stitches and the blue vein line is still there. The hardness/swelling hasn't gotten any bigger but it hasn't gone away either.

Just wondering if it could be something to do with the inner stitches?

[hazelrunpack]

Good thing you have the appt on Monday--the vet should be able to figure out what's going on. If you're like hazel, your heart will rest easier after a vet looks at the lumpiness. hazel is a real wooss when it comes to incisions....

[ancientgirl]

I'm glad you caught the infection early. You really have to watch these little guys. I'm sure she'll be just fine with the anti-biotic.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Well if it wasn't for her rambunctiosity/rambunctiousness, I would be concerned.

I haven't taken them for walks since her surgery (last Thursday) in fear of damaging or it hurting her. Not sure if it's a good idea yet until the vet check on Monday? They just seem to be getting claustrophobic and bored?

[aslan]

poor mollie, you should be able to take her on a slow walk klm..if i'm not mistaken one of LP's fosters tummy's got a little infected too.

[kathryn]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

Here's a picture of the incision. If you start from her bottom up, the hard spot is on the left side and the blue veining is below the incision. Would there be anything else we need to keep an eye on? She seems to be more rambunctious now then she was before having surgery.

Sorry for the delayed response. The actual entry points where the sutures go in and out of looks seriously irritated. They normally don't look like that even when they are healing. I'd call that an allergic reaction...

And did they leave the ends of the sutures just hanging there like that? I think that just looks weird. Every vet has their own way of closing though

Anyways, overall her belly does not look that bad... just looks like she had a suture reaction that caused some irritation. I've seen some funky things happen after s/n surgeries.... RARE things I might add... but this is, from how she looks in the picture, nothing to freak out over

[Dee-O-Gee]

So would it be a reaction to the type of thread (if you may) they used to suture? If the hardness isn't going down could it be some kind of reaction with the inner stitches?

[growler~GateKeeper]

Just sending some speedy healing for Mollie

[kathryn]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

So would it be a reaction to the type of thread (if you may) they used to suture? If the hardness isn't going down could it be some kind of reaction with the inner stitches?

Yes, it could be the type of material the thread is made of. There are lots and lots of different brands and styles of stitches. Sometimes animas (and I'm sure people too) can have allergic reactions to the particular material.

As for the lump, I'm not really sure. For the inner stitches they have to be dissolvable of course, and that would likely make them a different material then the ones on the surface. The lumps I've seen from suture reactions are always right on the incision and very clear to see.

So for the bump, I'm not sure. Perhaps it could be some kind of hematoma or something. But yeah, from your picture and description I just would say that her skin looks irritated but overall since she's not oozing or bleeding or turning funky colors I'd say in a few days everything should start going back to normal.

Ask your vet if either a warm compress or a cool compress can be put on the lump to reduce swelling. It could just be some sort of swelling and nothing else.

[Gail P]

Rain also had some lumpiness on the inside, before there was any sign of her rejecting the inner sutures. I think it was just from where the muscle layers are pulled back together. After being opened up of course everything's not nice and smooth like it was pre-op, it takes time for it to heal up again and for the sutures to dissolve. I would be more concerned if it was a soft fluid-filled swelling (infection?) than a firm lumpiness. Think of taking a piece of fabric, cutting it and then sewing it back together. There's going to be a seam there that is not as smooth as the original material. Difference between cutting fabric and spaying a dog/cat though is that with time the body can heal and return to it's original state or very close to it.

[rainbow]

How is Mollie doing?

[Dee-O-Gee]

Sorry about being MIA for a couple days. :sad:

The blue veining on her stomach has disappeared but the hard spot next to the stitches is still there.

On another note, Mollie felt it necessary to retire the E-Collar and had enough of it already!