Ask Dr Claire

My dog was attacked last week. Her stitches have started weeping heavily for the past few hours, why would this be?

Typically dog attack wounds cause a large amount of deeper tissue damage, which is not always obvious when you’re looking at the outer skin wound.

During the attack teeth bury into the deep tissue and spread bacteria from the tooth, deep into the skin.

We call these dirty wounds, and it’s essential that the dog is administered a broad spectrum antibiotic (to treat the infection), and that we don’t allow fluid to pool and accumulate under the skin (often we need to use surgical drains to accomodate this as the wounds heal).

Given the wounds are weeping heavily now, a week after the attack, I am concerned that either infection, fluid accumulation, or both, could be responsible, and if severe or left untreated, that the sutured wounds could actually break down, requiring further surgery.

A hands-on examination from your local vet would be a great place to start, and as soon as possible.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire