Hi guys,

As some of you may know, my elderly girl Thelma had 2 tumours removed last thursday. After pulling her stitches out, she was stitched up again on the friday and was forced to wear an e-collar to stop her from getting to them. As much as I hate to see her wearing it, it has worked wonders and she is now healing very well (its also saved me a further £60 trip to the vets for a 3rd stitch up!).

However, she had her post-op check up yesterday and although the vet has confirmed that both incision sites are healing very nicely with no redness at all or swelling, they want to keep the collar on Thelma for another 6 days until next monday. They also want to remove the stitches themselves despite them being dissolvable nylon, so that when the collar does come off she definitley doesnt have anything to chew on. Now I know my Thelma very well, she's not a "pick me up" rat (more of a "ill sit on your lap but dont fuss me" kind of girl), she doesnt like being held and I know she will NOT sit through manual stitch removal. It will be very difficult for the vets to do this and I dont want to have her undergo a further anesthetic, it just seems unneccessary if they will dissolve soon enough.

I dont want to leave this collar on Thelma until monday, although she is eating ok and getting about fairly easily - I know this collar is hindering her full recovery because she's just not happy with it on! Im having to wash her because she cant use her paws for cleaning. I just want to know how long it takes for the rats skin to fuse together properly? After 7 days (on friday) if i take the collar off, will she be able to open her wounds up again?? The vet said it takes 10 days for the skin to fuse together, but surely this is in cats and dogs because I know rats are known for healing quickly.

What shall I do?

I wouldn't be taking that collar off.. I would do as the vet says .. Also vets getting stitches out is a very quick process....

Have you ever taken stitches out before.. I had to take them out of my dog..

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Hmm ok. I just thought she would have to be kept quite still to get the stitches out?

I agree with MOM, stick with what the vet said.

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no its easier getting them out than getting them in

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This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.

Cookie was all healed and back in with the others 2 weeks after her tumour removal but she didnt pick at the stitches, if your vet has reccomended leaving the collar on I would definately do so, it it comes off and on easy enough you could maybe take it off while you are closely supervising her then pop it back on again when you have to leave her.

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)