Spayed cat stitches are weird...

comithy

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I recently just spayed my 6 month old kitty,
and since she's long haired and still doesnt quite like to be held by us (adopted a few weeks ago), we couldnt really take a close look at the stitch until the second day.... and thats when i thought her stitches looked a little off. It doesnt look painful, just messy. Theres a loose thread at the end of the stitch and it sort of looks too tight? Like when you pull a fabric stitch and the fabric bunches up, but this is on skin! Which i thought was awful. As of today, there hasnt been any negative reactions around the stitching area e.g. swelling or bleeding but i'm just worried that the incision wont heal as well because of how it was stitched up.

I dont have a frame of reference for normal stitches except for google because this is the first time i've spayed a female cat and my other male cat obviously did not require stitches. Can anyone tell me if that type of stitch is normal? Or if i should be worried about this?
 

Jcatbird

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Can you post a photo? Normally we worry when there is drainage, a bad odor, strange color, fever, kitty keeping her tail tucked under her tummy, not eating or not drinking. Sometimes stitches come apart if not well done or kitty is jumping around a whole lot. The flesh is going to heal as it is stitched. If it were my kitty I would make a call to the vet that did the Spay and ask. If you can get a photo we might be able to tell more but even so, a call is an easy way to get information from the expert. If you are unsure about that vet, call another. Most have websites and you can email or text a photo too.
 
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comithy

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Can you post a photo? Normally we worry when there is drainage, a bad odor, strange color, fever, kitty keeping her tail tucked under her tummy, not eating or not drinking. Sometimes stitches come apart if not well done or kitty is jumping around a whole lot. The flesh is going to heal as it is stitched. If it were my kitty I would make a call to the vet that did the Spay and ask. If you can get a photo we might be able to tell more but even so, a call is an easy way to get information from the expert. If you are unsure about that vet, call another. Most have websites and you can email or text a photo too.
Thanks for the reply! Here's a picture. Honestly i might just be worried for nothing but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Also, i wasnt sure whether those marks above the stitches were bruises/scabs and if they were related to the stitch, but hopefully not.
IMG_20200406_092940.jpg
 

Jcatbird

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You didn’t mention when she was spayed. I can’t say I have seen stitching like that. Normally the stitches aren’t so visible. Maybe that’s just how that vet ties things off. I wouldn’t want kitty to pull on that though. The incision looks a bit wet. The area that you thought might be scan looks more like some drainage to me. My concern would be that kitty may have been licking the area. Any aroma? Your comment about preferring to be safe is ALWAYS the best route. Not only is it keeping kitty comfortable and safe, it relieves us of any worrying. If it were my kitty, I would call and get them to at least clip the ends of that a bit closer. At that time they can also check her progress.
 
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comithy

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You didn’t mention when she was spayed. I can’t say I have seen stitching like that. Normally the stitches aren’t so visible. Maybe that’s just how that vet ties things off. I wouldn’t want kitty to pull on that though. The incision looks a bit wet. The area that you thought might be scan looks more like some drainage to me. My concern would be that kitty may have been licking the area. Any aroma? Your comment about preferring to be safe is ALWAYS the best route. Not only is it keeping kitty comfortable and safe, it relieves us of any worrying. If it were my kitty, I would call and get them to at least clip the ends of that a bit closer. At that time they can also check her progress.
She was spayed 4 days ago. Unfortunately she's really high energy and has a tendency to run around on her own in her room and i'm worried about her stitches... There hasnt been any bad smell coming from her as of yet but could you explain drainage to me? And also, i asked the vet if she needed an e-collar after her surgery and they said it was absolutely not needed... So i'm very confused because she does lick her stitches and I'm able to stop her when I see it happening but when i'm not around, thats a different story. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a serious problem
 

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It seems like you are right on top of this so it shouldn’t be terrible. Some drainage at first is not unheard of. It may be wet because she is licking it. I never used collars myself but many vets put them on their patients cats. My cats were all feral though and would have gotten vey upset. I’m order to be absolutely sure that know should be exposed, you just need to talk to the vet and explain all you see. That will make sure that all is well. Explain seeing some reddish drainage and the knot from the stitches. They may just trim the thread or give her some antibiotics. If they did not give her pain medicine, that might help to relax her a bit if the vet thinks that is in order. If you want to see other incisions that people have posted on TCS, just go to top right on the page and click on the magnifying glass icon. I’m the search type in Spay incision. That brings up lots of questions from other members and the threads they wrote with responses. Do keep us posted with how she is doing and any further questions or concerns. :hellocomputer:
 

jen

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I have never used e-collars either, a little licking is ok in the healing process and other than the fact that it looks wet, it looks ok, maybe a little swollen. As mentioned look for odor and redness and oozing. Can you email a picture to your vet so he can make sure it looks ok?
 

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Oh a pursestring suture! I've heard of it but haven't seen it personally. They stitch around the edges and then pull it like a drawstring. It's considered an acceptable method so it must work out in the end.

It does look a bit moist, other than that it looks fine. The stitches should start dissolving in another 4 days or so and things should even out then. If anything looks weird to you, send a pic to the vet for a professional opinion.
 
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comithy

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It seems like you are right on top of this so it shouldn’t be terrible. Some drainage at first is not unheard of. It may be wet because she is licking it. I never used collars myself but many vets put them on their patients cats. My cats were all feral though and would have gotten vey upset. I’m order to be absolutely sure that know should be exposed, you just need to talk to the vet and explain all you see. That will make sure that all is well. Explain seeing some reddish drainage and the knot from the stitches. They may just trim the thread or give her some antibiotics. If they did not give her pain medicine, that might help to relax her a bit if the vet thinks that is in order. If you want to see other incisions that people have posted on TCS, just go to top right on the page and click on the magnifying glass icon. I’m the search type in Spay incision. That brings up lots of questions from other members and the threads they wrote with responses. Do keep us posted with how she is doing and any further questions or concerns. :hellocomputer:
thank you so much for the help! I called the vet and she explained that there wasnt a need for a collar, nor was the drainage a major problem unless my kitty shows extreme discomfort or other negative physical reactions. So i'll just monitor her closely for now and update on her health! I really appreciated the advice :)
 
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comithy

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Oh a pursestring suture! I've heard of it but haven't seen it personally. They stitch around the edges and then pull it like a drawstring. It's considered an acceptable method so it must work out in the end.

It does look a bit moist, other than that it looks fine. The stitches should start dissolving in another 4 days or so and things should even out then. If anything looks weird to you, send a pic to the vet for a professional opinion.
Thank you for the reassurance! I'm still quite new in taking care of indoor cats (our last cats were just outdoor strays who came and left as they pleased) so this has been a great help for me. I'll be sure to monitor her well!
 
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