My dog kicked after cruciate surgery. Are her stitches torn?

The wound margins still look normal and the wound seems still ok at this stage. I would recommend to have the collar back on and keep it on. At this stage a vet check up is not strictly needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Goodness! I think that if he is using the leg like he was BEFORE running off then he is probably fine. He may be more sore tomorrow so we may need to wait. I would be sure you are giving the anti-inflammatories as prescribed by the surgeon. I would also touch base with them tomorrow before the weekend. Be sure on future walks that his collar is tight and he can't slip out again. Good luck!

I can certainly understand being very upset and worried about Iola! When MPL surgery is done, the goal is to prevent the kneeing from popping out of it's correct anatomical place in the patellar groove, so it should not be pooping a week afterwards. Unfortunately, it is possible that internal sutures can fail even when owners strictly follow the discharge instructions, so it is possible this has happened to Iola. Without seeing her in person, I can't say this for sure. Even though the place where she had her surgery done is a surgery only clinic, they would want to know if there were post-operative complications such as this. I recommend giving them a call first thing in the morning if possible to speak to the vet who did the surgery about this possible complication. In the meantime, continue the strict cage rest, and walking only to go to the bathroom.

Unfortunately yes, she could injury it again. There are other causes of injury as well. I recommend to play it safe and have her examined by the veterinarian. The may need to radiograph the legs to check the surgery site. I hope it's nothing too serious. Go ahead and significantly restrict her activity (no walks, running, jumping, stairs) until she gets examined by the veterinarian.

I think you could continue to monitor her but if she seems painful againit would be best to see your vet. Since it’s been 1.5 months since her surgery she should be fully healed and I wouldn’t have any specific concerns about internal injuries because of the surgery.

It probably just sprained it. It is not uncommon for dogs to do very well post-op and then have a bit of a set back. You didn't mention which type of surgery he had to correct his CCL tear. Did they put in a false ligament? Was a TTA done? Was the meniscus involved? All of that can play a factor on what may be going on. I suggest you just rest him very strictly and ice the knee for 10 minutes 3-4 times per day (both the outer and inner portions of the knee). Continue all the medications that your vet has prescribed. If not much improvement after ~7 days of this I suggest you get a referral from your vet to an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thumps is certainly lucky to have an owner that is so attentive to her. It sounds like you are doing everything right. The most important things after surgery are to make sure that the area stays clean and dry. If the area does not feel wet, then Thumps may have just has a small amount of oozing around the stitches that has dried. If the incision appears red, swollen or painful, I would certainly have it examined. The only other idea I have for when you go back to work would be to put a T-shirt on Thumps to prevent her from scratching the stitches with her back legs if that becomes a problem. Otherwise, I think having her in the cone in a kennel should be perfect. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.