Sutures for spay?

I'm getting my dog spayed on Monday and I have 4 options for sutures:

Standard metal sutures for both layers... no extra cost

Standard metal sutures inside, Dissolvable sutures outside... $22 extra

Standard metal sutures outside, Dissolvable sutures inside... $22 extra

Dissolvable sutures for both layers... $33 extra

I don't know what to do. Can there be complications later on from leaving the metal sutures inside my dog later in life? I don't know if she'll try to lick or bite the sutures and I've heard stories about how the dissolvable sutures dissolved too soon and the dog had to get new stitches. I'm leaning towards dissolvable inside and metal outside, but I want to know what you think.

What experiences did you have with the sutures your corgis received?

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Beth Walker on July 15, 2012 at 12:42pm

I prefer the dissolvable sutures, have never had a problem with them dissolving to soon and no return visit to the vet. I used to use the same vet for all my spay/neuters and they always used the disolvable sutures. The last female corgi I took in they changed the sutures to metal sutures. I hated them, they would get caught up in the doggie blankets and colleted all the fuzz and lint from the blankets and carpet. Also, about 6 to 7 months after the spay the interior metal sutures started making their way back out of the skin, so 2 return visits to remove them since they could not get them both out on the first visit and it was starting to get infected because it was coming back thru the skin and picking up dirt. I have changed vets beause they did not inform me of their change in sutures and it was just a nightmare to deal with for me and the dog. This is just my personal experience and it will be interesting to hear what others have experienced. good luck

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Permalink Reply by Brittany & Abby on July 16, 2012 at 12:13am

D: That sounds horrible. I'm sorry your poor corgi had to go through that. I think I'm going to go with both layers dissolvable, unless the vet can give me a good reason to have metal on the outside layer.

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Permalink Reply by Rachael McClanahan on July 16, 2012 at 12:16am

If they are the same dissolvable sutures used in people, I wouldn't worry about them dissolving too soon. I had a surgery done that was closed with the dissolvables, and over a year later, when I had the second surgery, they found sections that still had parts of the original stitches!

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Permalink Reply by Brittany & Abby on July 16, 2012 at 9:08pm

Thanks for all the input everybody. I went with the dissolvable stitches only and everything seems to have gone well. My baby is all doped up and not very happy... hopefully, with the anesthesia, she wont remember what I've done to her.The incision site wasn't really what I was expecting. It's only like 2 inches and it doesn't even look like she's got stitches on the outside.

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Permalink Reply by Ludi on July 16, 2012 at 9:12pm

Bwuhahaha. I shouldn't laugh, but that picture is hilarious. Oh cone of shame, is there any dog you won't render completely miserable looking... :D Hope she recovers quickly. :)

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Permalink Reply by Brittany & Abby on July 16, 2012 at 9:17pm

Thanks. You should have seen her trying to walk on the sidewalk. She's so short that the bottom of her cone kept catching the cracks on the sidewalk and she'd keep going forward until her nose was pressed against the sidewalk and just stand there. I'd have to back her up to get her going again. It was absolutely pathetic.

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Permalink Reply by Ludi on July 16, 2012 at 10:05pm

Ace did the exact same! He would plod along the gravelly ground of our courtyard and come to a stop every 3 steps, thanks to the cone. I took it off him the day after, and he didn't even pick at the site. I'd say I'm lucky to have a good dog, but honestly he was the real winner of that deal. The cone is awful! :D