# How to stop a my rattie biting her stitches? Help me please!



## rachy_boppa (Jul 31, 2012)

Hi everyone,

My little rat girl Stripe had two lumps removed two days ago. This morning as I have her the antibiotics I noticed that she'd pulled out her stitches leaving a gaping hole. I immediately took her back to the vets to be re-stitched up. After paying nearly £160 for the initial op, I had to pay another £90 for her to be stitched up again. The vet told me that immediately after being re-stitched up, she was still trying to pull out her stitches. Apparently they tried everything to stop her from biting them, including a collar, a gown to cover it etc etc. There is nothing now stopping her from biting the stitches out again and I can't afford to pay £90 every 2 days to have stitches out back in. Can anyone recommend anything that they have used on their personal experience to stop their ratties messing with their stitches? I am desperate for help and I would really appreciate any suggestions x x


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Where are the stitches? an Ace bandage wrapped around the middle could cover/prevent her from bending. Did your vet use surgical glue?


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## rachy_boppa (Jul 31, 2012)

The stitches are just in front of her back leg. The vet used surgical glue and stitches by the looks of it. The vet wasn't available to speak to when I picked her up. I've been looking online at the bandage wrapping around her middle so that she can't bend to reach the stitches. The other incision is by her front leg and is healing well as she can't reach it as easy x


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## Sara00 (Aug 23, 2012)

Had same problem myself recently - my girl pulled out a set of staples & stitches. I ended up putting bandages round her.

Started with a bit of sterile gauze over the wound itself, then wrapped a soft bandage round her middle and secured it with microporous tape. I then either used some self-gripping pressure bandage or a tubigrip to stop her shredding everything. I cleaned the site and changed bandages every couple of days. 

I got all my supplies from local Poundworld too, so didn't cost a fortune 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## rachy_boppa (Jul 31, 2012)

I tried an elasticated bandage yesterday and she really panicked and ended up falling off my shoulder onto the settee and wiggling out of it. I've left it off and me and my partner started Ratwatch yesterday, basically watching her constantly and telling her off each time she went near her stitches. Touch wood, so far it's worked and she's left them alone. The big test starts tomorrow when we go back to work. I've had to separate her from her cage mate into a smaller cage, so tomorrow while I'm out, I'll swap them round and put Stripe in the big cage with lots of toys to keep her entertained. Caspers probably not going to like the little cage but it will be a nice little change for her. Stripe has her checkup tomorrow at the vets too. I'm disappointed in the vets for not being able to suggest anything to stop her from biting her stitches. The vet nurse even said to me "oh I had stitches not long ago in my arm and they were so itchy!" I had to bite my tongue to stop me from saying "well you didn't have to pay £90 to have them put back in if you pulled them out!!" Hopefully this time they will stay in and she'll heal nicely. She looks a bit like Pinky and The Brain at the min too so I hope her bald patch grows back too bless her x


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## rachy_boppa (Jul 31, 2012)

Just as an update on this story, she ripped out her stitches again! I took her back to the vets who told me that because she had bitten her skin, she couldn't be stitched back up and there was nothing else they could do. They suggested going to see a specialist (which would have cost me an absolute fortune) or having her put to sleep. I rang a different vets to arrange for a second opinion. I then went to collect Stripe and the receptionist switched completely when I said that I was not going to the specialist and was taking her for a second opinion somewhere else and was quite rude. Later that evening, I took her to the other vets. Bearing in mind she had an open wound, it wasn't looking good for her. Thank god I took her to this new vet! He had a look at her and said there was plenty of skin there to stitch/staple her back up. She hadn't been biting her skin at all! But he had another suggestion; see if it heals on its own. It was Friday, so he suggested keeping her cage super clean and see how it heals over the weekend, then bring her back Monday for a check up. So we did what he suggested. We took her back on the Monday and it was healing nicely. The skin and tissue was bonding together with no signs of infection. He then asked us to carry on keeping the cage clean and to bring her back the following week. So last Wednesday we took her for her final check up and she'd almost completely healed! A two and a half inch open incision had healed almost completely in two weeks! I just thank God that I didn't agree with the original vet and have her put to sleep (the vets who had almost £250 from me! Value Vets by the way). If any of you guys are from round here (West Midlands), I recommend Bilston Veterinary Clinic. Steve the vet is amazing and really knows his stuff. And he only charged me one consultation fee for the three times Stripe visited. 
She's now re-joining her cage mate Casper in the big cage and back to her normal self. Just waiting her fur to grow back now


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## Persian_boy (Mar 16, 2014)

How about cutting around an opening at the bottom of a foam dixie cup? Or some paper cone you can make for her head like they do with dogs? Granted it would be uncomfortable, but in theory it sounds like it would be ideal to prevent her from pulling out her stitches?

Edit: Glad she is okay now!


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