# Recovering from surgery: time for wheel?



## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

Quinn has had an operation on the 30th to get fixed in order to remove a tumor in her uterus. She's been recovering nicely and seems to be full of energy. The vet's order were 14 days of full rest, so I had to remove her wheel and pipe tunnel (cause she was trying to climb on it).

To other people who've had to deal with surgery, does the time seem right to you? I'd be giving her her wheel back tonight. 

She looks good and I know she's getting restless without her wheel. She's started pulling out the liners in her cage, moving stuff around and making huge messes. I can't wait for her to get her usual routine back. But I'm concerned about the fact her stitches are still there, they haven't started falling out yet? Could it be dangerous to let her run again, since she might rub her belly on the wheel?

Same thing goes for bathing her. She really needs a bath, and a bit of a soak in oil to soothe her dry skin. But would soaking melt down the stitches?

I suppose I can trust the vet's order, but I thought I'd ask other owners just to be sure I'm doing the right things!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I would say she can have her wheel back. Sometimes the dissolving stitches take a long time to fall off. When Peaches had her mammary tumour removed one of her stitches was still there 9 months later. 

Sometimes they do more damage to themselves out of boredom than they do having their wheel. Her incision has most likely healed enough that there is no risk of feces affecting it from running and pooping on the wheel. I'm sure she'll be happy to have it back.


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

Woa, 9 months, no way I could wait then 

How about a bath? Her incision does look well healed, (though it looked great from the start) there's no redness and the stitches haven't gotten loose or anything.


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

I would call the vet first and make sure that the stitches are dissolvable and not non-dissolvable that have to be taken out. All the dissolvable suture we use are only used for subcutanouse closures and non-dissolvable are visible. I would confirm that first and then go ahead with wheel and bath after. If stitches have to come out you may have to wait a couple extra days for bath for holes from suture to heal and as for wheel the vet may only want her to have it for small amounts of time to start and not all night. We usually recommend on leash 5 to 10 minute walks for first couple days then increase time over about 2 to 3 weeks for dogs so assuming vet would recommend a re-introduction to exercise like that. Goodluck


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## Annabelle (Mar 19, 2011)

When Annabelle was spayed last summer, I waited the 2 weeks before putting her wheel back. She didn't seem to miss it while it was gone but was fine once it was back. As for the bathing, I'm sure it would be ok now but I'd still double check with your vet


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

They are dissolvable, I don't need to check. The orders were just 14 days of rest and nothing more. I gave her her wheel back yesterday, she came out at once to check it out, but I'm not sure she even used it last night... She'd rather still pull out her liners instead. :roll: I'll keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't overdo it, but it looks like she'll be taking it easy.


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

I called the vet's office today and asked about bathing. They told me as long as I was sure the wound was closed (which it should be at this time) I can give her a bath.

So I picked her up and had a closer look at it. She didn't enjoy it, so I took a picture close up so I could inspect it. there seems to be some yellow stuff in there. It might be scabbing? I hope it's not infection, the fact she's lied down in her pee worries me a bit. But I suppose scabs are to be expected, I know I had them when I had stitches on my hand!

I attached a picture, what do you guys think? Does this look like a normal healing wound? Would it be okay to wash her?

Oh and, she started using her wheel again, though I think she's not as active as she used to, but she seems to be on the way up. She's been cleaning her food bowl every night too


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I think it looks pretty good. What you are seeing is probably just scabs. If there was infection the area would be red and puffy. You should be able to give her a short bath. 

It may take her a while to get back to normal wheeling. Her tummy is probably still tender. Abdominal surgery take quite a while to fully heal.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

The incision looks wonderful! She's healing really well.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Incision looks great! Though those are external sutures and they sometimes do require removal. Usually if the vet did not plan on a return visit, they would suture internally(so you can't see the sutures at all). Although I guess you could wait the months for the sutures to go, or maybe give the vet a call about it. 
I'm not sure on how it may be for hedgies, but I would've expected the vet to suture internally so there's no need for a return visit.


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

They told me they were disolving stitches and I wouldn't need a followup as long as the incision would stay nice... It says so on the care notes too. I'll give them a bit more time to fall off before I decide to call out the vet :S

Anyway, good to know I was being silly worrying about the scabs. I'll give her a quick bath soon. Her nails seem to have grown faster because of the forced break from wheeling, and she's still itchy.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Pretty sure most sutures are dissolving sutures nowadays, least the ones at our clinic are(Our vets use the same set of sutures for internal and external, just depends on which ones close the wound better. Like today, for a mass removal, vet made both internal and external stitches with the same suture thread). But like Nancy said above, can take many months to actually dissolve, so when the vet makes external sutures, they tend to have a follow-up removal.

But sounds like she would be fine to just leave them, since, like already said above, it's been left like that for at least 9 months. Just glad she's ok. ^_^


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

I did end up giving her a bath with aveno oil last week and she looks like her skin is less dry now. She didn't enjoy the bath though (she hates water!) and spent that night messing up her cage. Take that, mom! She's been good since, and she's eating her normal amount of the new, healthier food I got her every night. It looks like she likes it (she comes running out when I serve it, teehee), so I'm glad! Her poop stinks though (but hey it did before too, different stink but stinky eitherway)!

One of the stitches got untied a few days ago. I tried to clip them shorter with a nail clipper, but she struggles against it too much so I quickly gave up, I don't want to hurt her. It looks like she hasn't been touching them at all anyway.

However inspecting them today I noticed what looks like a zit near one of the stitches. It might just be an ingrown hair and will clear out soon, it doesn't seem nasty or anything. But I'll post a picture to be sure.


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