Stitches

How long before dog starts chewing stitches after spaying?

My dog got spayed 5 days ago and she's never showed any signs of chewing, licking or scratching at her stitches since her spay. Some people told me that she might start during the 2nd week where the muscles are healing. If your dog scratched at her stitches, when did she start? Right after surgery, or later? My dog has dissolvable stitches as well.

Public Comments

1. They usually start a little later because it's when the incision is healing that it's most itchy. But not all dogs are the same - I'd be watching her carefully all the time now.
2. my dog didn't at all and her so called dissolvable stitches took almost a month to go away. I had to leave them in because she had developed cystitis due to vet negligence and various other healing problems, but never once did she go for her stitches at all
3. Every dog is different. Some don't bother them at all. Most, if they do start to chew, do so after a few days when the skin starts to heal. Of course, there are the few that start in right after waking up! I kept an e-collar on mine all the time until healed to be safe.