Is my dog’s surgery incision infected? Find Out Here

Why are my dogs stitches infected?

The cause of a dogs suture becoming infected is usually bacterial. Although the stitches close the incision, the wound is still somewhat exposed. It is possible for a fungal infection to affect wound stitches, but it is much less common. When a dogs stitches are infected, it is usually for one of the following reasons:

Poor asepsis conditions: to avoid post-surgical infections, surgery must be performed under strict asepsis conditions. The operation theater must be rigorously disinfected, sterile materials must be sued and surgical instruments also need to be sterilized. In some cases, new instruments are needed at different stages of a procedure, especially if the surgery involves the gastrointestinal tract. If these conditions are not suitably met, it can result in bacteria being introduced to the wound. Meeting this responsibility is the most basic level of care from a veterinarian.

Existence of dead spaces: surgical wounds must be closed by stitches from the inside out. This will help to avoid dead spaces in the tissue. These are spaces remaining in the wound after surgical closure and they can promote infection.

Use of inadequate suture materials: multifilament or braided sutures are both easier to use and cheaper, but they also have a higher risk of infection. They should not be used on infected wounds, nor when there is suspicion of infection.

Lack of antibiotic prophylaxis: although it is not always necessary, there are certain situations in which antibiotic treatment should be administered during and/or after surgery to prevent infections. Antibiotic therapy should be established in procedures that are associated with a high probability of postoperative infection of the wound. An example is when surgical intervention is required for a wound which has already been exposed to bacteria, when the animal is immunosuppressed for some reason or if they have a metabolic disease.

Inadequate postoperative care: various types of postoperative care are required to minimize the risk of the stitches becoming infected. Properly dressing the wound and redressing when necessary are some of the most important aspects, but we also need to maintain proper hygiene. Since dogs often want to lick the wound site to reduce irritation, we may need to use an Elizabethan collar to prevent this. Maintaining general hygiene is important.

Take a look at our related article on the complications after neutering a dog to know some of the other reasons a dogs stitches may become infected.

Are the instructions for care of different types of surgical incisions the same?

The general instructions for incision care are the same for all surgical incisions.

Under no circumstances should a dog with a fresh surgical incision be allowed to run off leash. Restrict your dogs activity for a period of 7-14 days, to allow the incision to begin healing. When you do take your dog outdoors, keep him on a short leash, and avoid long walks. Do not allow your dog to jump, rough-house with other dogs, or engage in any strenuous activity that could cause excessive stretching of the surgical incision, especially during the first few days after the operation. Excessive activity may cause the stitches to break apart, or may cause the incision to start bleeding.

Your veterinarian may prescribe cage rest or confinement in a small room in certain circumstances.

Do not bathe your dog or allow the incision to get wet. Never apply any cream, ointment, disinfectant, or other substance to the incision unless specifically instructed to do so by your veterinarian. In particular, NEVER clean the incision with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol since these products will damage the cells and delay healing.

Do not allow your dog to lick or scratch at the incision, as there is a danger that the dog may pull out the stitches or may introduce an infection into the incision.

As long as the incision is not bandaged, inspect it at least twice daily. If a surgical drain was placed in the incision, you may be instructed to clean the drain several times per day. Your veterinarian will advise you when to return to your veterinary clinic to have the drain removed.

What Happens to a Dog’s Skin After the Incision?

Any breakdown of the dog’s skin, including wounds, lacerations, and incisions, stimulates the body’s immune system. From the moment the skin is affected, the body attempts to close the wound and heal the break in the skin. This immune response results in the mobilization of white blood cells, inflammatory cells, and protein to the site of injury. Initially, the skin swells and reddens and may even show signs of bruising. Over time, the repair cells and proteins diminish and a scar is formed. In a normal, healthy dog, properly healing, non-infected incisions typically heal within 10-14 days and a permanent scar forms within about 14-21 days.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Incisions – Spay Neuter Charlotte

After canine surgery, it is relatively common for the wound to become infected. However, it is not clear how often this occurs, what increases the risk, and how much it affects treatment costs. A new study looks for answers.

Although scientists have invested a great deal of time in understanding surgical site infections (SSI) in humans, they know much less about these infections in animals.

Researchers have a good idea about which factors are likely to increase the risk of postsurgical infection in humans, but, again, the picture is not so clear in animals.

Recently, a group of veterinary scientists set out to understand how often surgical wounds in dogs become infected. They also asked what factors make it more likely and investigated the costs associated with these infections.

The authors of the study, which features in BMJ Vet Record, explain why this work is important:

“These infections are responsible for an increase in morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospital stay, increased costs, and a negative impact on the emotional state of the owner.”

Although only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of SSI in dogs, the authors of the research study note that current estimates range from 3% to 6.6%.

They explain that some of the previous results might have been open to errors. For instance, some studies could not differentiate between inflammation and infection, while others relied on diagnoses by people lacking training.

To investigate, the researchers used data from a veterinary teaching hospital. During the study, 184 male and female dogs of all ages underwent soft tissue surgery.

Alongside details on the dogs’ health following surgery, the researchers also collated information about each animal’s age, sex, reproductive status, underlying conditions, and breed.

They also looked at surgical factors, including the type of surgical scrub that the surgeons used, how many people participated in the procedure, whether undergraduates took part, the type of surgery, how long it took, and how the team sealed the wound.

Assessments of the animals took place in the hospital 5 days and 10 days after the procedure. The researchers also followed up at the 30 day mark with a telephone call.

Of the 184 procedures, SSI occurred in 16 cases, which equates to 8.7%. The age, sex, and breed of the dog did not influence the risk of SSI. However, as hoped, the authors did identify certain factors that were associated with an increased risk.

For instance, they found that steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increased the risk of infection. According to the authors, this association — which is new to veterinary science — might be because steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause immunosuppression, making infection more likely.

The authors also found that SSI risk was greater for dogs with higher-than-normal blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) before the operation. Although researchers have not shown this link in animals before, hyperglycemia is a known risk factor for SSI in humans.

According to the researchers, studies have shown that hyperglycemia reduces the ability of white blood cells to pass through the walls of capillaries, preventing them from reaching the site of infection.

Risk also increased for the dogs that underwent operations that lasted longer than 1 hour. The medical community also considers a long surgery time to be a risk factor for human SSI.

Similarly, animals that needed a urinary catheter had a higher risk of infection. Again, this is a new finding for veterinary science, which, the authors believe, the known link between catheters and urinary tract infections (UTIs) might explain. The authors note:

The scientists also showed that if animals did not receive an Elizabethan collar (also called a dog cone) after surgery, the risk of infection increased. The authors write that this “could be explained by the existence of [a] certain degree of self-mutilation in veterinary patients when the healing surgical wound is not protected.”

Bacteria from the dog’s mouth can pass freely to the surgical site and cause an infection.

As for the cost of SSI, the researchers found that although presurgical and surgical costs did not increase in infected dogs, postsurgical costs rose by 142.2%. The authors outline the reason for the increased expense:

“This increase is mainly due to the need for a greater number of follow-up appointments, the cost of additional treatment, as well as the performance of culture and antibiotic sensitivity tests.”

In this study, the researchers used what they refer to as an “active surveillance system.” In other words, trained personnel checked the surgical wound at regular intervals.

The authors believe that this system helps explain why they reported a higher rate of infections than earlier studies that did not use such a system.

The authors conclude that “avoiding surgical infections is vital to preserve the patient’s overall health status and to avoid unnecessary expenses. In fact, the implementation of surveillance and control systems for SSIs could reduce the economic costs and improve the service offered to patient and owner.”