If your pet is recovering with stitches, here's how to turn an old T-shirt into a protective jacket (2024)

FAQs

Do T-shirts protect dog stitches? ›

Abdomen wounds: Short-sleeved T-shirts knotted at the waist are a good way to protect sutures located on your pet's abdomen. Hindquarters wounds: Short-sleeved T-shirts put on backwards (tail through neck hole, legs through arm holes) and knotted to secure can help protect hindquarters sutures.

For wounds on the torso, a t-shirt may do the trick. For the front half of the body, put a t-shirt on in the natural way. For wound in the back half of the body, put the t-shirt on backwards, with the tail going through the hole for the head and the rear legs going into the arms.

You can use any shirt that will cover the wound and prevent your dog from licking at it. You can make your own dog cone, too.

Keep your dog's bandages clean and dry. You can cover the stitched area carefully with a clean wrap when your pup needs to be outside and remove the wrap when it comes back inside. Put on protective garments to prevent your dog from ripping its stitches and licking its wounds.

Alternatives to the “cone of shame” are inflatable collars, soft E-collars and neck brace collars. Try covering the wound with soft fabric secured by medical tape to prevent licking. Keep pets busy with other fun things to distract them from licking wounds.

Carefully applying the Bitter Apple Spray to a wound dressing will put a stop to this: the sour taste will put your pet off fussing over their cut. You can also use the Bitter Apple Spray to discourage your pet from chewing the furniture.

Do not allow your dog to lick or scratch at the incision, as he may pull the sutures out and could introduce an infection into the incision. If the incision is not bandaged, inspect it at least twice daily.

How Long Do Stitches in Dogs Take to Heal? On average, a dog's incisions with stitches take 10-14 days to heal. However, this timeframe is dependent upon a number of factors, including what type of surgery was performed, the suture material, suture absorption time, and your dog's health and age.

Make a Visit to Your Vet Immediately

If a suture is pulled out, the risk for events like blood loss, infection, and painful scarring becomes increasingly likely. According to the VCA, stitches coming out is more common than you might think.

Is a onesie better than a cone? ›

In the toss-up between the dog onesie vs. dog cone, the right choice will ultimately depend on the individual dog's situation. In general, a recovery onesie like BellyGuard is a great choice for dogs that are: Recovering from abdominal, chest, or spinal surgeries, or hotspots, rashes or injuries to the belly or back.

If your furry companion is on the smaller side, a “onesie” may be a good choice. Made of soft, stretchy fabric, this bodysuit covers cats and dogs beginning at the neck, along the body and over the hindquarters.

It is not necessary to stay up, or sleep next to your pet and you can leave your dog alone after surgery for short periods as long as they aren't likely to lick their stitches.

Many vets find that minor wounds heal fine without topical medications (as long as the dog doesn't lick the area). It's best to clean the wound and call your veterinarian for advice, and avoid applying products like Neosporin unless your vet advises it.

This is helpful if you have multiple dogs and can't keep them separated. You can also cover the stitches with a bandage. This might be necessary if the wound is on a limb. If the dog scratches at the wound with a back leg, try putting a snug-fitting sock on that paw so the nails can't rip at the stitches.

Their surgical incision and stitches should stay dry — no ointments, lotions, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol. Any liquids or gels will prevent the incision site from healing properly, and that's the exact opposite of what you want to occur. Keep the area dry until your vet advises you otherwise.

The cone should stay on until the site is fully healed, and/or the sutures are removed. Most sutures and staples are left in for 10-14 days. Other lesions may take less or more time than that to heal completely.

During healing, there is no need to apply any ointments to the incision. Coconut oil, Polysporin, Vaseline, or essential oils can all break down the sutures before it has a chance to heal completely. Ensure the incision is always dry. Do not scrub the incision or bath your pet.

Can I put Neosporin on my dog? ›

If your pooch got into a scrape, chances are good that you can use a small amount of Neosporin to help prevent infection in the wound. Superficial injuries, such as scrapes, abrasions, and small cuts, may benefit from this trifecta of a topical antibiotic. However, be cautious of usage on the nose.

Your vet will examine the wound and assess the severity of the situation. Your pet may require repeat surgery to clean up and close the wound. Antibiotics and pain relief may be required. If the wound edges have already healed up and there is no redness and swelling, the other stitches may also be removed.

Excessive licking can irritate the incision site causing inflammation, leading to further infection, and will even cause it to reopen. Licking and chewing on the wound will also tear the sutures and require you to visit the vet again to close it properly.

1. Absolutely no licking of the incision area is allowed! If your pet is going to lick or begins to lick their incision, they need to wear an E-Collar (plastic cone) for 7-10 days after surgery. A pet can pull out stitches easily which can lead much more damage.

Incisions that are healing properly typically look clean, with the edges touching each other. The skin should be its normal color or slightly pinkish-red, and it's not unusual for the incision to become slightly redder during the first few days following surgery.

If your dog has bad allergies and they're scratching themselves to pieces, try covering their paws with baby socks. Allergies can take a really long time to sort out (both the cause and the solution) and dogs who are itchy will sometimes scratch their skin into ribbons, causing secondary skin infections.

There is nothing in a dog's saliva that can make wounds heal faster. They don't heal their wounds by licking; they simply keep them clean to prevent infection. It is important to remember that dogs in the wild can easily succumb to infected wounds – and they often do.

New soft moist pink tissue should be forming in the area the wound was sustained in. If there is no new soft pink flesh forming where the wound was sustained, and you notice flesh around the wound is looking dark or feeling leathery, this is a bad sign.

After the first few days, the redness and bruising associated with an incision will diminish. Scabs may form over the incision site and around the sutures (stitches), but the incision should not be painful to the touch. Active dogs may develop a large, firm swelling around the incision.

A cone should stay on for at least ten days while the surgical site is still healing; this is usually a sufficient length of time for most procedures.

How do you clean a dog with stitches? ›

Try not to bathe your dog as keeping the surgical incision and stitches dry is important. Unless instructed by your vet, don't use any lotions, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to clean the stitches as this can lengthen the healing process.

The length of our t-shirts and tanks are approximately 3/4 of the total length of your dog (measured from the collar to the base of the tail). For example, size S will fit most dogs with a body length of 10” but the length of the tee will be 7”-8”.

But you can actually repurpose these items in your own family by making them into dog clothes. That's right, handing down some baby clothes to your fur baby isn't all that tricky. With just a few adjustments and a little time, you can turn nearly any onesie into a cute, comfy outfit for your pup.

"Stitches can be left in too long," warns Dr. Yaakovian. "When this happens, the skin can grow over the stitches — making removal more difficult. It can also lead to more scarring."

Stitches and staples are used to keep wounds together during healing. They need to be removed within 4-14 days.

Atle, a 9-year-old Bouvier, models a step-in, back-snap recovery suit from Cover Me by Tui. To allow the dog to eliminate, you unsnap the lower portion and roll it forward; more snaps secure the flap out of the way.

Sleep Shirts: Our pet recovery suit can not only be used for pets to wear after surgery, but also can be used as pet's pajamas, home clothes, the cosy soft fabric can give your pet a good quality sleep all night.

While there is no strict cutoff date for babies to stop wearing bodysuits, most baby clothing stores only offer bodysuits that go up to size 24 months. As it becomes more difficult for parents to find bodysuits for toddlers, many decide to stop using them altogether.

Abdomen wounds: Short-sleeved T-shirts knotted at the waist are a good way to protect sutures located on your pet's abdomen. Hindquarters wounds: Short-sleeved T-shirts put on backwards (tail through neck hole, legs through arm holes) and knotted to secure can help protect hindquarters sutures.

The best way to get your pet to stop is to get an Elizabethan (or “E”) collar, AKA “Lampshade”, or “Cone of Shame”. These stay on your pet during the healing cycle and prevent your pet from licking.

What can I cover my dog's incision with? ›

Cover the incision.

If you can't keep the dog from licking or touching the stitches, you can cover the stitches. If the stitches are on the dog's torso, try putting a t-shirt on him. Make sure it's cotton, so it will breathe. Just make sure the t-shirt fits the dog and isn't too large or too tight.

Do not put any topical ointment, including neosporin, or hydrogen peroxide on the incision, and do not cover the incision. If your female dog or cat was in heat at the time of surgery, you must keep them away from unneutered males for at least two weeks.

Keep Stitches Dry

If unable to avoid rain, cover your dog's incision site properly to maintain dryness. No ointments or topical creams should be applied unless instructed otherwise. This includes alcohol and hydrogen peroxide as these chemicals can cause damage to the tissue.

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.

Apply a small amount of antibacterial ointment and cover the wound with a piece of sterile gauze or other bandage. Use the elastic tape to hold the bandage in place. Consider an E-collar. Pets can't understand not to bite or lick at a bandage.

Managing the wound — Follow your veterinary surgeon's advice on keeping the surgical site clean and dry. Never put ointment or antibacterial sprays on the sutures or cover the site with bandages or anything else. The area needs enough circulation and contact with oxygen in order to heal properly.

Do not allow your dog to lick or scratch at the incision, as he may pull the sutures out and could introduce an infection into the incision. If the incision is not bandaged, inspect it at least twice daily.

Wherever possible, a wound will be closed and sutured in order to speed healing. However, if there is gross contamination or deep infection present, the wound will be left open for topical treatment and to ensure drainage.

An average incision typically takes 10-14 days to fully heal. This means remaining disciplined as a pet owner and keeping your pet's e-collar on while limiting her activity levels for at least 2 weeks following the surgery is a must.

How do I protect my spay incision without a cone? ›

After the first day, wash around the wound with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the wound with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.