# Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches open



## Monkey (Nov 2, 2007)

My daughter's rat Chihiro had surgery on Wednesday to have a tumor removed from her tummy and back foot. Unfortunately and sadly the news regarding the tumor wasn't good. This evening we returned home and found Chihiro had chewed through her stitches. I called the vet and was referred to the emergency vet clinic. I took her in and found it would cost 700.00 to have her put to sleep to get stitch back up. As much as I would like to give the go ahead and have the vet do the surgery to stitch her back up I can't afford that kind of money. She recommended I make a make shift thing to go around her neck to prevent her from chewing that area. One of the suggestions was use a sock. We tried cutting holes in a sock and putting it around her but she quickly figured out how to get out. So we are on a watch all night to prevent her from chewing until we can get her to the vet in the morning. 

Does anyone have any suggestions as how to prevent her from removing the new stitches. Chihiro's time is short with us as the cancer will spread and I want to ensure the time she has left with us is as painless as possible.

Thanks!!!
Deb


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

i dont know, cant the vet make her a cone thing?


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## AustinXAPMX3 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Ya just like they make for dogs and cats just smaller?


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

thats right


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## AustinXAPMX3 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Why dont vets try to help us instead of trying to get money out of us? And making us make or own things to prevent them ripping their stitches out :roll: ...CRAZY!


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

i agree, its the same with dentists, get lots of money and a week later your tooth hurts again or your filling fell out....


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## AustinXAPMX3 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Ya i have braces and they didnt put a bracket on well enough and it popped off my tooth a day later. Well atleast for my braces we get all that stuff free . Do they ever try to help us out?


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

i have braces to, im getting them tightened within the next 2 weeks, and my mouth is already sore from eating, i can only eat on one side cuz now my teeth arent lined up *sigh*


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## AustinXAPMX3 (Oct 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

oh Well good night im going to bed lol, long day


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

night i need to go to bed to 1:30 am....tired


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

I had a bad experience with one of my rats who ripped open his stitches 3 times. In the end we had to get a small cone from the vet (it didn't cost me much) and tied it around his neck with a thin bandage (quite tight though, because they pull them off easily - sometimes you need to fashion a harness around their front two legs too)

I now use these cones with any stitches/ops, regardless of whether the rat has tried to chew. Simply because I don't want to run the risk of stray teethies when my back is turned from stitch-watch.

I make sure I keep it on for 5/7 days, depending on how well the wound heals. They adapt to eating easily after the first day or so

EDIT










Ritchie - looking non-too-happy with his cone after an external growth removal. Apologies about the poor quality, it's from my phone


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Did your vet give the rat pain meds? Did you get any to take home? THAT is the best way of stopping them from messing with the incision.

There are OTC meds you can use (like infant tylenol) but you need to know the weight of the rat to figure out the dosage.

If you get her stitched up again, ask them to use glue as well as stitches. That should help. Oh and a tube of pantyhose works well to hold a bandage in place or even the stuff you use to wrap sprains...(can't remember the name right now, pre-coffee :roll


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

How the heck do you keep them in it? Whenever I've tried they manage to sausage-slip out of the darn thing! That's why I use the cones lol

And that sprain stuff I think we call TubiGrip (or something) her (UK)


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Ration did they give you pain meds?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

Initially, directly post op. I've never been given them to take home with me.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*



Ration1802 said:


> Initially, directly post op. I've never been given them to take home with me.


and therein lies the problem.  For some reason, a lot of vets don't believe they need pain management after a surgery, and that is insane. Is she still worrying her incision? If she is I will help you work out something OTC like Infant Motrin concentrated drops).


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## Monkey (Nov 2, 2007)

*Re: Chihiro had surgery for a tumor and ripped her stitches*

and therein lies the problem.  For some reason, a lot of vets don't believe they need pain management after a surgery, and that is insane. Is she still worrying her incision? If she is I will help you work out something OTC like Infant Motrin concentrated drops).[/quote]

I didn't realize I could give infant Motrin to my rat. We just had her back to the vet and they put staples rather than stitches. She had a cone but I removed it as it was causing her too much stress and she was hurting herself. Chihiro doesn't quiet weight a pound. She was something like .9 on the scale but not sure what that was. Do you think giving Motrin to Chihiro will help her leave the staples alone. She isn't bothering them so far....to tired from fighting the cone and she is sleeping right now....but then it wasn't until the 2nd day after surgery did she tear the stitches out.

Thanks
Deb


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