Nipple - to be removed :(

[Lab_adore]

Great news @M.F. and I agree that you DID do the right thing. If it was cancerous it needs to get out asap....and dogs heal quickly - darling Snowie will be perfectly fine

I'd be furious about what happened to you with that surgeon too. Of course you were terrified and did what he said; I would have done the same thing on the assumption that he knew what he was doing.

 

[Boogie]

 

[M.F.]

Thank you everyone for seeing the brighter side of this ordeal. Thankfully it’s all over. The stitches are out—I counted about 14 stitches!! Came out last Friday. Vet used what looked like a crochet needle scalpel thing and quick as anything removed all the stitches while Snowie stood on a bench. Vet asked if he’d lie on his back. Umm no, definitely not in the vets office!! But he stood nicely and wagged his tail madly while we plied him with treats to stay in position.

Instant relief. Not much licking. Vet said the stitches would’ve been uncomfortable due to the swelling and getting rather tight. She was happy with the wound, said all was normal. There’s a lot of scar tissue, which I’m not happy about. Very hard to the touch. Hopefully it will get softer as it heals more. Poor boy.

 

[Oberon]

Over time it’ll get smaller and smaller.

Glad the stitches are out and you can put this episode in the past.

 

[Loraseal]

I understand the anger but you really did do the right thing.
Onward and upward now the stitches are gone.

 

[Jacqui-S]

There’s a lot of scar tissue,

In people, gentle massage can help scars organise. I'm sure Snowy won't complain about some extra belly rubs.

 

[M.F.]

In people, gentle massage can help scars organise. I'm sure Snowy won't complain about some extra belly rubs.

Thanks! Will definitely start on that.

What does “organise” mean?

 

[Jacqui-S]

Thanks! Will definitely start on that.

What does “organise” mean?

Kind of means that the chaotic fibres forming scars become more aligned to their normal direction, softening scars.
Plastic surgeons I remember advise it for upper body scars in particular to help reduce lumpy scars. Often with a bit of moisturizer to help glide over skin but not quite the same with fur

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Very good to hear that all came back benign and Snowie's stitches are out. I second the scar massage - I've had a lot of facial reconstruction and the plastics docs are always very big on massaging creme into the scars every day for at least a couple months post surgery.

This has brought up a lot of trauma that you've suffered yourself. I know I've already said, but I also reacted very strongly to what what was a way-overkill surgery on Carbon due to my own background of being cut on for sometimes doubtful reasons. Definitely bothered me more than Carbon!

I wonder if one benefit of cutting the whole nipple out is that it can't get swollen and painful again to bother Snowie? Sometimes things like that can come back over and over...

 

[M.F.]

I wonder if one benefit of cutting the whole nipple out is that it can't get swollen and painful again to bother Snowie? Sometimes things like that can come back over and over...

This might be true. For a few months leading up to my discovering the lumpy nipple, Snowie seemed to have a tic whereby sometimes he’d contort to one side and start scratching in midair with his hind leg. Usually would happen on standing to say hallo to us. We thought he was itchy then. But who knows—maybe it was irritating him? I haven’t seen him do this post-op.