# bunny pulled out his stitches after being neutered



## SnowyShiloh (May 27, 2009)

My new boy was neutered on May 15th, so 12 days ago. When we got him last Friday (the 22nd?), his balls were dark colored and kind of shriveled, and he had pulled out a couple of the stitches so there was a tiny amount of dried blood on one of his testicles, but no visible wound. His "foster mom" (what I call the girl who had him for a week and got him neutered) is a vet tech at the vet clinic I take my bunnies to, and she said it was all normal and he was fine.

Well, apparently those stitches are itchy because when I checked him a few minutes ago, he now has torn more stitches and has an open wound on one of his testicles! It's about the size of a pencil eraser and looks to be a healthy pink. No blood or anything. I've been checking his surgery site every day and it wasn't like that yesterday. 

I'm worried now! Will he be okay? Will he get an infection? He could have been like this for a whole day since I last checked him yesterday evening. He understandably gets stressed out when I hold him so I can look at his "owie" and I'm trying to foster trust. 

I plan on calling the vet in the morning. I get home from classes at 3 pm, Paul can take us to the vet then. Please hope that our vet is on duty tomorrow and can look at him, not one of the vets who know nothing about bunnies.

I know I already asked, but will he be okay? What are the chances of him getting an infection? He was neutered almost 2 weeks ago, should he be healed more by now? How much pain is he in? Will they need to knock him out to sew him back up? They are dissolving stitches. :nerves1

Poor baby has been through so much in the past 3 weeks, he doesn't need this too. Oh he's been eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, etc just fine and is acting normally.


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## ra7751 (May 27, 2009)

Umm....wonder how many neuters the vet that did this has done? I didn't know vets still used external sutures for neuters (or for spays for that matter). If sutures are needed for these procedures, our buns have internal sutures and final close with Vet Bond (tissue glue). Good stuff as we use it for deglovings on wild rabbits. I am wondering if these are absorbing sutures if they are still in there. But our neuters don't have any sutures....just glue since there is very little if any pressure on the scrotum post-op. This also prevents any irritation caused by external sutures.

I think it might be a good idea to have a vet take a look. Any vet should be able to look at it.....you would probably need to do the restraint for the PE. This is another one of those "better safe than sorry" issues. In the unlikely event that there is a problem, it would be better to start treatment earlier rather than later.

Randy


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## SnowyShiloh (May 27, 2009)

Yeah Randy, I thought it was kind of weird too? Ive had 2 bunnies and a rat neutered there, and they did the surgery like how you're describing. 

In any case, Little Man has a sort of appointment for 3:30 which is when I get out of school. I'm taking summer classes and today is the second day, my English teacher warned us that if we miss today our seats will be given away to someone on the Waitlist... I really need to take this class. I may be able to get out of my second class though so he can get to the vet sooner.


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## tonyshuman (May 27, 2009)

At least they are dissolving stitches. It's good to have him in there for a look. As long as he isn't biting them at the moment, he can probably wait until your classes are over to get to the vet.

edit: wouldn't they have dissolved by now? I had dissolving stitches for my wisdom teeth and they were gone in a week, I think. Also if they were normal stitches I would think it would be time to take them out. It makes me wonder if these stitches are somehow irritating the wound and not letting it heal properly.


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## SnowyShiloh (May 27, 2009)

Our little dude is very mad at the world right now. I swear he's glaring at everyone! The doctor put some fancy kind of New Skin on his owie, and gave me trimeth sulfa to give him .6 mL twice a day for 10 days. Does that sound appropriate? The vet we saw doesn't normally see rabbits (as was clear by how she tried to hold him), but was nice. Because he keeps trying to lick and tear his wound, he has to wear an e-collar. He looks like a sad little blue clown. We just got home and he's in his cage recuperating, but in half an hour or so I'm going to take him outside to play and take off the collar since I'll be able to keep an eye on him.

Photos pending of him wearing his collar!


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## tonyshuman (May 27, 2009)

Well, sulfa drugs don't do a whole lot of good, but the New Skin is good. Poor guy with his collar! Make sure he gets to eat his cecals when you take the collar off.


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## SnowyShiloh (May 27, 2009)

Well, little dude is now collarless. I kept checking on him every 2 minutes because I was concerned he was going to strangle himself. I heard him flailing around just a minute ago and went upstairs to find that he somehow got his front legs through the neck hole and was doing a remarkable impression of a pissed off ballerina.

I took off the collar for now, not sure what I want to do about it. He doesn't lick his wound constantly or anything, I've actually only seen him do it twice. But it won't heal up if he keeps harassing it! The vet said that once the antibiotics kick in, it should stop itching so much. I'm sad to hear that his antibiotics may not work very well


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## JimD (May 27, 2009)

*SnowyShiloh wrote: *


> and gave me trimeth sulfa to give him .6 mL twice a day for 10 days. Does that sound appropriate?


That's a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
The only thing I worry about with oral antibiotics is the chance that it may interfere with the good gut bacteria.
It might be a good idea to simultaneously treat with a pro-biotic like Benebac.


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## JimD (May 27, 2009)

*SnowyShiloh wrote: *


> to find that he somehow got his front legs through the neck hole and was doing a remarkable impression of a p*ssed off ballerina.



The collar might not be fitted tight enough.
You should only be able to slip a finger under it when fitted right.

Our Binkie had to wear one for several weeks after some surgery, and eventually became accustomed to it.


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## SnowyShiloh (May 27, 2009)

Jim, it was tight enough that the vet could only slip a finger on it! I don't know how he managed to get his paws under it. I'm going to try putting it on him again when I can observe him for a while in case he gets in trouble. It's one of those soft e-collars, not a hard plastic one. He's started shredding it already. The vet said we could come back tomorrow for a hard plastic one if necessary...


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## tonyshuman (May 28, 2009)

That story made me laugh out loud. Poor guy. I wouldn't put it back on if he isn't bugging it much. The drug is a broad-spectrum, but very few sulfa drugs work very well. It may help a bit, and putting some neosporin on it might help too.


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## JimD (May 28, 2009)

*SnowyShiloh wrote: *


> a hard plastic one ...



...is what we used.

...and the Binx would have shredded the soft one, too!


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## Maureen Las (May 28, 2009)

Bo Bunny has made a very soft e-collar for one of her buns I don't have time to look for the topic but I would tke the hard collar off him as soon as you can make another one.

Iknow that you are in Alaska soI know that you don't have tremendous choices with vets. 
Did the experienced one do the neuter or the other one. /"

it's really a shame that this has gone on so long; a good neuter should be drying up in 2-3 days.

If you didn't see the experienced oneI honestly would try to go back as it is unclear what is really going on with his testicular sacs


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## SnowyShiloh (May 28, 2009)

Angieluv, the soft one is the one he has. He's shredded the edges by now. I didn't actually ask yesterday who did the neuter, but the vet said his progress with healing looked fine except for where he'd pulled it open. She said that if he leaves it alone and the medicine works, it should be all healed up in a week. Seeing the vet is really pricy here (hooray $150 per visit!) and he's doing fine so far, so I probably won't bring him back to the vet unless he doesn't make progress or hurts himself more. Hope that doesn't make me seem like a bad bunny mom.


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## Maureen Las (May 28, 2009)

No that sounds fine ; I was gone yesterday and am trying to catch up!!!


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## NorthernAutumn (May 28, 2009)

I thought I saw another thread where another e-collar was fashioned with a few washclothes...

Here it is: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=37816&forum_id=16&msg=2


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## Maureen Las (May 28, 2009)

That's it Autumn Thanks 

"You're faster than a speeding bullet....

able to leap from forum to forum in a single bound"


but 

way too young to know where those lines comes from 

Ask Jim D


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## NorthernAutumn (May 28, 2009)

You mean Jim D, the KISS version of Superman?:dude:
My fingers fly across the keyboard, at liquid lightening speed!

(ahem)

back to the e-collar...


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## Maureen Las (May 28, 2009)

*NorthernAutumn wrote: *


> You mean Jim D, the KISS version of Superman?:dude:
> My fingers fly across the keyboard, at liquid lightening speed!
> 
> (ahem)
> ...



yeh Jim D the KISS version of Superman


maybe everyone knows those lines.............. 

"Faster than a speeding bullet 

able to leap tall buildings in a single bound 

it's a bird 
it's a plane 

No...It's a great big rabbit 

bACK TO THE ORIGINAL CONTENT OF THIS THREAD....


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## SnowyShiloh (May 28, 2009)

Hey, that towel collar looks great! I vaguely recall seeing that picture before. How do you think I should go about making it? I think it needs something in the center other than just rolling up a wash cloth. Gosh, I'm terrified that he's going to strangle himself with anything around his neck...

Good news is he love love LOOOOOVES his medicine. I think it's the same kind that Tallulah got a couple times. She would go crazy licking everything in sight and even Rory would run off with the medicine bottle.

Here is her reaction to her medicine:





I miss her so much... tomorrow will be 1 year since she died.


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## Maureen Las (May 28, 2009)

She is just lovely ..reminds me of my bun Babette who died last June

the collar in the pic was a longtube of cotton wrapped in vet wrap and secured at the ends with surgical tape ..read the whole thread.
she said it was about 1" wide but you would need to custommake it to fit him


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## SnowyShiloh (May 28, 2009)

Aw I remember when Babette died. This talk about dead bunnies is depressing.

I read the thread before I posted, but I don't have vet wrap or surgical tape or anything. Do you think a rolled up wash cloth an safety pins could work? Maybe we'll buy some of that Ace bandage at the store to wrap around a washcloth since I'm afraid just a rolled up wash cloth would unfurl like a bandanna.


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## mouse_chalk (May 28, 2009)

Aww poor little guy!

I WISH I'd taken a picture of it but when Chalk had surgery last year, she was trying to chew her stitches out, so we made her a soft e-collar. Because she's small (about 4lbs I think) I used one of those fleecey/fluffy socks, that are quite stretchy. I cut it off from the ankle, folded it and put it around Chalk's neck (I tried to put it round her middle but her paws flailed around too much for that). It was snug, but not at all tight, and it restricted her from chewing her stomach, but she could still just about eat her cecals and clean her face etc. It worked a treat. She didn't manage to pull it off either. I don't know if that's a help at all but just thought I'd share my experience 

I hope he'll be ok! Good that he likes his medicine at least- I wish that would happen with our buns whenever they need it!


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## Maureen Las (May 29, 2009)

I think that you coud use sock stuffed with a smaller sock but I'm not sure about the safety pins ...wish I could thing of some way that you could hook it

you couldn't sew it could you ?

(I should talk I cannot even sew on a button :blushan
maybe someone else can think of something 

too bad you don't have something that could go around and attach with velcro 

Whatever you do have to make sure that it is nothing that could get caught on something and choke him.


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## tonyshuman (May 29, 2009)

I bet safety pins would be fine, as long as they're not pulled on too tightly. What about an ace bandage over top to hold it in place as well?


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm worried about Paxden. He's been a good boy and hasn't been bothering his owie, but I think he may have an abscess or something. The wound itself is scabbed over and is getting smaller, but the testicle underneath looks a little swollen. I want to take him back in to the vet tomorrow.

Is it honestly normal for their scrotum to turn black as it shrivels? His previous owner and the vet both assured me that it's fine, but none of my 4 boy bunnies ever had their scrotum turn dark like that. Not even Skyler, who has black fur there! And how long will it be until they shrivel away? I've accidentally brushed my finger on them when checking out his wound, and they're hard.

Also, after the first day he decided he hates his medicine. This means I have to haul him out of his cage to give it to him. That is NOT good for getting him to trust me! I feel like a big old meanie :cry2


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## tonyshuman (Jun 5, 2009)

I haven't seen them shrivel up and fall off. Is it the one that doesn't look like an abscess that is black? I have very little experience with this, as Ben is the only one we had fixed. His scrota looked like deflated balloons for a little while, then they just kind of disappeared and the skin got taut there again.

Is it warm at all? An infection will be warm to the touch.

I think with your experience and this time being different, it's a good idea to take him in to be sure. Maybe someone else will have seen this before.


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 5, 2009)

Claire, my 3 other boy bunnies' scrotums looked like deflated balloons and then the skin tightened up, just like you described. His are shriveled, black and hard. Like dead tissue. Like I said, his vet tech previous owner and the vet we saw last week both said it's normal.

I don't understand what kind of surgery they did on him  Actually, the spot that is swollen is closer to the skin and is pink, not black and at the base of his scrotum. When I go to give him his medicine tonight, I'll try to get a picture.

Let's hope our good vet can see him tomorrow! Good thing is he's acting completely normal.


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## Maureen Las (Jun 5, 2009)

I've seen hundreds of neuters from shelter buns. Usually they will be swollen and puffy for 3-4 days and then begin to look like deflated balloons. sometimes one side will get puffed up and infected (rare) and need to be reglued by the vet. I have never seen what you are describing. They must do a different procedure. A pic would help...


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## maherwoman (Jun 5, 2009)

ray:for Paxden...

As if it's not stressful enough going through a neuter without added complications.


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 5, 2009)

I got a photo! Sorry it isn't great, but it's hard to hold down an unhappy bunny, move all his fur out of the way, and take a photo (one with a camera that you have to look through the viewfinder to use vs. just looking at the LCD) with just two hands.







As you can see, the wound is on the testicle on the right, at the top. I actually think it looks a lot better now than it did a couple days over. It's gotten a lot smaller and the scab is still on top. His scrotum looks like it's shrunk too, which is good. 

Until now, I hadn't been touching his scrotum (except for the time I accidentally did) because I don't want to be some bunny pervert, but I set my concerns aside and poked around a bit. His testicles actually are NOT hard- they're quite soft. The part my finger accidentally touched is the left testicle, you can see it's a little bunched up in one spot. It has a little bit of something dried on it, and that's what was hard. Also, in the process of poking around, I can see that what I thought was minor swelling beneath his wound is also present on the left side, which makes me think it's not an infection. 

What do you guys think?


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## tonyshuman (Jun 5, 2009)

Geez, I dunno. I guess it could just be dark from bruising. The scabs look fine. I also don't think there's any swelling that's indicative of an infection.


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## Maureen Las (Jun 7, 2009)

I never saw anything quite like that after a neuter ( but that is really a close up) ; it should start to look better than that soon which will tell us if it is healing. 

Ihave never seen the tissues that dark before butthe there could have been bleeding into the testicular sacsafter the neuter . 

Watch for improvement.


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 7, 2009)

Good news is the wound is even smaller today. Sorry the photo is such a close up, angieluv. Because of how I had to hold him and the camera to get the photo, half the picture was my boob so I cropped it because I didn't think the forum needed to see that, clothed or not!


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## maherwoman (Jun 7, 2009)

LOL, Shiloh!

I'm so happy to hear that he's doing better...

*sigh of relief*


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## Maureen Las (Jun 7, 2009)

*SnowyShiloh wrote: *


> Good news is the wound is even smaller today. Sorry the photo is such a close up, angieluv. Because of how I had to hold him and the camera to get the photo, half the picture was my boob so I cropped it because I didn't think the forum needed to see that, clothed or not!



LOl it was a great photo but I have never gotten that close to one that I was looking at

if it's smaller today that's great


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## tonyshuman (Jun 8, 2009)

Yeah, if it continues to improve, it will probably go away without incident.


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