My cat's wound suture came out. Should I re-suture or use a band-aid?

Unfortunately, at least 10 days with stitches on are required for complete healing. I recommend to bring your cat to the vet to replace the missing suture asap. In the meantime and after replacing the sutures, avoid licking or scratching by using a buster or a postoperative body (https://www.amazon.com/Kruuse-Buster-Body-Black-3X-Small/dp/B00Z0U6EH8). Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree, the abscess appears to be very open, which in a way is a good thing. This allows the wound to drain openly, so Lilly doesn’t get an accumulation of infected fluid under the skin (an abscess) again. I think the answer to your question about having her seen sooner depends on how the wound has changed since your veterinarian last saw it. Each veterinarian manages these wounds a little differently. If how it looks now is similar to how it looked at your last veterinary visit, and Lilly is otherwise acting healthy at home, she may not have to be evaluated sooner than her next appointment. If, however, the wound had changed dramatically (is more open, has a different colored fluid exuding from it, has a foul odor) then I recommend Lilly be seen sooner. The only bandage I would recommend would have to be placed by a veterinarian under light sedation, and this is called a “tie-over bandage”. These protect the wound from becoming increasingly more contaminated, and allow for relatively simple bandage changes while the skin in the wound heals. I hope this is helpful! If you have any further questions, please feel free to enter into a consultation with me; I would be happy to assist your further.

That is a pretty large wound! That being said though, it looks like it is healing fine. It does not appear swollen or to have discharge coming from it. The tissue looks healthy. Having it stitched when it first happened which would have allowed it to heal faster. I am not sure how long it's been but a wound that size would take weeks to heal without stitches. If I were you I would keep applying a topical antibiotic cream and just leave it be. Stop using the Betadine. If he is licking it you must stop that behavior by using an Elizabethan collar (cone). As long as he keeps licking it will not heal. If you want it to heal faster you need to take him to a vet to have it stitched. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Please trim the fur so you can keep an eye on the wound and so the fur doesn't get stuck in it. Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. I can't tell from the photo but if there is dirt in it you can flush the area with warm water. I wouldn't put anything topical on it if Truffles is licking the area. Using a restraint collar will stop the licking and then you could apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it, not deep into the wound. Keeping the area open and draining for a few days will prevent an abscess, a puss pocket under the skin. If Truffles stops eating or the area is very red and painful then he will need a veterinary exam and antibiotics. These wounds are not usually sutured as that traps in the infection. Cat wounds usually heal quickly when they are clean and open to the air. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Truffles.

Without seeing a picture of Dory's incision, I cannot tell you for sure if it needs to be stitched again or not. I strongly advise you do not try to stitch it yourself! This will be very painful to her, stitching the incision requires sedatives that can only be administer by a vet. If she had the stitches on the 15th of this month, then the incision likely isn't healed as it takes at least 10-14 days for it to heal fully. I would take her back into her vet to have the incision examined and stitched closed again. Best of luck.

Hi ! It is a very neat wound, so if you clean it with some saline (flush it with a syringe and some saline solution that yo can busy from the chemist) for the first couple of days and it should heal on his own without stitches in the next week or so. You will need to keep an eye on it and check it every day to make sure it is getting better and healing. If the wound starts to ooze, or swell, then it might mean that it is infected and needs to have antibiotics. Hope this helps !

Ouch, poor Starbuck! You can put a bandage over the hole, but make sure it's not too tight. Put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at the bandage. Best of luck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M