Traditional Repair Recovery Complications – Mousky

Hello, my Husky/Labrador mix, Mousky is an 8 year old female. She had the Traditional Repair surgery done exactly one week ago today.

Everything was going well, she was contained to one room, walked only with a leash and a homemade harness. On day 5, she started to tiptoe a little bit on her repaired leg.

On Christmas Eve (day 6), my daughter took her out to pee, but I think the collar was loose because Mousky escaped in the yard. My daughter doesn’t know if she ran or walked around in the snow (we are in Canada, near Ottawa)because it was dark. It took her about 7 or 8 minutes to get her back and inside the house.

For the rest of the evening, she licked her sutures, something she didn’t do at all before. Today, Chrismas Day, Mousky is not licking anymore, seems fairly confortable and she puts a little weight on her bad leg but she holds it at angle to the side. Before this incident the leg was more like straight down, now it’s clearly at an angle.

I am afraid that the lines have ruptured. Is there any way that we can know for sure? The vet clinic is closed until tomorrow.

If she moved too much and broke or extended the lines, is it the whole surgery that has to be redone or would this be more minor, and less costly?

We already spent 500$ in consultations plus 1500$ for the surgery and can not afford much more. My daughter is usually a pretty responsible girl, she is just 13 years od but is already 6 feet tall and she loves animals. She had been taking Mousky out and was doing okay with it until this happened.

Have we ruined everything?

5 thoughts on “Traditional Repair Recovery Complications – Mousky

  1. We have a 3 yr old Lab mix. In August we at the Authrex Tightrope surgery done on her right knee. Two weks before Thanksgiving we had to have the left knoe done. She did beautiful within a couple of days she was doing fantastic. A couple of weeks after that we noticed some fluid building up inside the outer incision area 4 weeks later we have gone through 2 additional oral antibiotics, antibiotics flushed into the incision area, the outter incission healed and the infection moved to the inner incision area. We noticed the inner one doing better but fluid is now building up on the outer area again.Our Vet said we need to remove the tightrope materials because she is rejecting them. I am concerned that there has not been enough time for scar tissue to build up. Is there any type of anti rejection meds that we can give her?? Any information would be appreciated.

  2. my german shepherd bocephus had tta surgery 9 days ago his incision has opened up about an half inch right in the middle leaking some fluid and blood my vet said not to worry the fluid needs to escape I am worried and stressed out what do I do someone help me doesn’t it need to be stiched back up to heal

  3. This happened with my dog,it went on for weeks. (Make sure you are using the colar so you dog can not lick the wound). We then found out she had a staff infection.
    If it does not heal up with in a couple of days you may want to have them culture the liquid that is weeping from the incision. Good luck!

  4. Don’t let him lick it. Watch it carefully, take a washcloth, put it into warm water (not too cold) and then place it on his leg for 15 minutes 3 times a day to help it drain.

    Sounds like he has a seroma (swelling) and it popped his stitches.

    It CAN turn into an infection – make sure you’re seeing your vet every few days.

    My dog did this too – 12 days post-op. He had internal (dissolving) stitches but a seroma (water pocket trapped inside the incision area), along with his weird gait, popped open 3 stitches.

    He stayed on antibiotics longer (another 10 days) and I had test done to see whether he had an infection. He did not. They gave him 3 staples (at the pet ER) and left a drain in so that seroma could drain out.

    He wore his e-collar religiously. You definitely do not want to get anything near that device. Make sure your dog cannot touch it not matter what.

    And keep seeing your vet.

    We’re like 14 weeks post-op now and everything is fine. Whew.

  5. Dawn and Nancy thank you for your reply Bocephus went to his vet Dr Jacoby this morning and had his incision reworked new stitches on inside and stainless steel stitches on outside with polymere stitches down each side of incision was checked for infection and THANK GOD there was none,Dr Jacoby placed him on cephalexin 500 mg 3ea 2times a day for the next 3weeks,0h yea there was a weep hole left in bottom of incision, and just to let you know Dr Jacoby isn’t his sergan either if you know what I mean????….

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