Lab Health Advice Post Spay

S

SWALKER

My dog is a labrador she was spayed 3rd December a few weeks afterwards she had a lump on her suture line which looked like it healed OK. The lump became bigger and it ruptured in at the beginning of March. We took her the vet and she was given antibiotics and they stapled her wound. We took her back a week alter as another small lump had formed and opened at the top of the wound site. This was treated with antibiotics. Last week we took her the vet again and they gave more antibiotics and and took her stapled out since then another lump has formed and ruptured on her stomach. She is eating and no behaviour change. She is very scared of anyone going near her stomach because the vet gave her the staples with no local so was very tender. On Friday they prescribed a topical antibiotic and anti inflammatory cream which seems to have aggravated the area. They said originally was maybe a skin infection swabs taken all normal then now saying it could be an allergic reaction to the dissolvable sutures used. These sutures where put in 6 months ago so I would have assumed they where dissolved by now? I am just at a loss as to what I can do to help my baby recover and get her stomach healed with no further complications.

She had a previous allergic reaction to her first vaccine as a pup and was given in hydrocortisone her eyes and face swelled up severely after around 30 minutes of having them so we now give her Puriton prior to any vaccines

Anyone had this before or aware of this and any advice would be much appreciated x
 
MellowYellow

MellowYellow

Hi there, I am sorry I haven't any advice in this case as my girl's spay was pretty uneventful, but I wanted to say welcome and I hope someone on here has some advice for you.
 
Atemas

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Location
North Cambridgeshire
I sorry your girl is going through this and can understand your worry. I don’t know what to advise other than to share concerns with your vet or a different vet. I have had two bitches that have been sprayed. My current girl had a lump on her suture line after her spay which quite alarmed me at the time but it did eventually go taking much longer that I thought it should
 
Loraseal

Loraseal

Location
The Hague, The Netherlands
Hi I can understand your concerns and how much you want to help. It does sound like an allergic reaction but I am no
expert. I would get a 2nd opinion from another vet. You can also check with another vet if they have seen other dogs with strong reactions to vaccinations?
 
Jacqui-S

Jacqui-S

Moderator
Location
Fife, Scotland
Hi there! Poor girl, sounds like a bit of a saga for you.
Is the wound not closing, or is it lumps/redness at the site?
Also wondering how old your girl is and whether she has any other allergies, with any skin irritation, or ear infections, or diarrhoea issues?
I'm guessing she isn't that happy visiting your vet now 🙁
 
SwampDonkey

SwampDonkey

I had a dog who had a serome after a surgery. It swelled up and had a lot of fluid in it it looked like a big boob. It was drained twice but kept coming back. We on advice from s senior vet we left it and it eventually went down on its own. The dog was fine he just had a big boob on the wound site. It took a while but it resolved without surgery. I think I would get a second opinion and also have strong words with the vet who stapled my dog without any pain relief. I find pictures of the serome and post them later.
 
Last edited:
Cath

Cath

MLF Sales Coordinator
Hello and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your dear girl. You could ask your vet for a referral if you are not happy.
 
SwampDonkey

SwampDonkey

Jelinga said:
@SWALKER, if there is no improvement, I would ask for a referral to another veterinary surgeon. I don't like the way she was stapled with no local anaesthetic. There can be swellings SEROMA, sorry having to put it in capitals as my laptop keeps changing it to another word! However, I feel it has gone on long enough and needs a fresh pair of eyes on it.
Click to expand...
I agree I would like another vet to take a look.
 
S

SWALKER

Jacqui-S said:
Hi there! Poor girl, sounds like a bit of a saga for you.
Is the wound not closing, or is it lumps/redness at the site?
Also wondering how old your girl is and whether she has any other allergies, with any skin irritation, or ear infections, or diarrhoea issues?
I'm guessing she isn't that happy visiting your vet now 🙁
Click to expand...
Hi no she isn't friends with the vet anymore ! Lol! She had a reaction to her first lot of vaccines and she did have an ear infection when she was younger. She is 18 months now and the wounds close up but as one closes another lump appears and eventually opens ! She seemed to respond well to the oral antibiotics but obviously don't want to keep her on them. I am in constant contact with the vet but she herself has said she doesn't understand what is happening she has had another vet look at it which is where they said it might be an allergic reaction. I just feel so sorry for her because I am keeping her in evrytime she gets a new wound for fear of infection so she's totally fed up to x
 
S

SWALKER

SwampDonkey said:
I agree I would like another vet to take a look.
Click to expand...
My partner feels the same we are paying the vet as well as its not covered by the insurance and she isn't getting any better so we have paid out over £800 up to now and I feel tight because I decided to get her spayed! Going to speak to them again Monday and have a long conversation about what way we go. I just figured sutures would have dissolved by now and I worry its 6 months post spay and she isn't getting any better x
 
Jacqui-S

Jacqui-S

Moderator
Location
Fife, Scotland
I don't really understand the background to this (the pathophysiology) but you can definitely get delayed sensitivity reactions to sutures, and they are more common in those with previous allergic reactions.
Sutures are dissolvable only because the body sets up an immune response and treats them like foreign bodies. Different suture materials take different times to be "dissolved" and some could take 6 months, particularly the type of suture used for deeper tissues.
I think I read somewhere that delayed hypersensitivity occurs at the end of the dissolving period, so that would fit.
There is formation of "granulomas" which I guess occur if there is an overshoot of the immune response?
It might be if there IS this type of allergy, that the solution may have to be exploration of the would and removal of any residual suture material.
It's a pity that this isn't covered by insurance as I think your girl might benefit from some expert input.
PS I'm not a vet, and info based on human medicine and a bit of reading. Not sure if its help or hindrance.
 
Last edited:
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
Hello and welcome. Sorry to hear about the problems your poor girl has been having. No advice to add to what other people have said, my girl also had a Seroma following surgery after a dog attack earlier this year, the vet said it was nothing to worry about and it would eventually go, which is what's happening. I wouldn't want to have staples put in without a local anaesthetic though, nor would I want my dog to.
 
S

SWALKER

Jacqui-S said:
I don't really understand the background to this (the pathophysiology) but you can definitely get delayed sensitivity reactions to sutures, and they are more common in those with previous allergic reactions.
Sutures are dissolvable only because the body sets up an immune response and treats them like foreign bodies. Different suture materials take different times to be "dissolved" and some could take 6 months, particularly the type of suture used for deeper tissues.
I think I read somewhere that delayed hypersensitivity occurs at the end of the dissolving period, so that would fit.
There is formation of "granulomas" which I guess occur if there is an overshoot of the immune response?
It might be if there IS this type of allergy, that the solution may have to be exploration of the would and removal of any residual suture material.
It's a pity that this isn't covered by insurance as I think your girl might benefit from some expert input.
PS I'm not a vet, and info based on human medicine and a bit of reading. Not sure if its help or hindrance.
Click to expand...
No definitely a help, I am Going to pay whatever it takes to make sure she gets better she is my baby I think because she originally did seem to recover well and now this it has knocked our confidence but the advice here today has helped reassure me so much! Thanks to everyone I will keep you updated xxx
 
S

SWALKER

Candy said:
Hello and welcome. Sorry to hear about the problems your poor girl has been having. No advice to add to what other people have said, my girl also had a Seroma following surgery after a dog attack earlier this year, the vet said it was nothing to worry about and it would eventually go, which is what's happening. I wouldn't want to have staples put in without a local anaesthetic though, nor would I want my dog to.
Click to expand...
Yeah I definitely didn't want to we didn't know it had happened as she was taken in under covid restrictions so they brought her out with them in and gave her pain relief tablets to go home with so it's really knocked her trust now I think. The vet is good with her so.i was surprised and definitely something to reflect on for futrure visits as we now have to give her home sedation before we go back for anything else x
 
S

SWALKER

edzbird said:
Glad you stumbled across us @SWALKER, hope your girl heals up soon, she's been through so much. What's her name?
Click to expand...
Bella she is gorgeous and so friendly. We had a cat also who she was close with and passed away around the time all this happened so I think she is grieving to as still looks for him in his usual spots and will whimper by where his bowls where to. She's been through a lot over the last few months! X
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top