# Stitches?



## Ryle (Jul 13, 2007)

10-14 days is usually the amount of time to leave stitches in. With the fact that hers are in 14+ days I would think it's not very likely for the area to rip open once they are removed. However I would do some controlled exercise for a few days afterwards to take the edge off of her excess energy so that she doesn't just act stupid the first time you turn her loose and do damage.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks Ryle!! That makes me feel better, coming from a Registered Vet Tech  She also has a very small section along the stitches that's pink and I was afraid she had ripped it. It's only about a cm long, VERY tiny, and our Barn Manager looked at it and said it was just a scab that got pulled off. I don't have a photo so I know it's impossible to tell for sure, but does that sound like the case to you too? He suggested I leave the stitches in for another couple days, just to be safe (although he's not a vet...)


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Montana had stitches in over/around his eye area. The vet said that almost all of the horses will at some point rub their head and pull out the stitches. Thankfully he did not.

They were only supposed to be in for 7-10 days, but because of a death in the family, they were in for 13 days. 

When the vet removed them, everything was pretty much healed up. There was one section that wasn't 100% healed, but he said that it has healing to do from the inside, but it wouldn't open up again.

He wasn't on stall rest and was turned out the day after he got his stitches. None of my other horses bothered him and he kept the stitches in perfectly.

I would think that after the vet removes the stitches you'll be good, though I personally would wait another week or 2 before I saddle her up. (I waited 2 extra weeks before I put a bridle on Montana and rode him)


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks applylover...I agree with you, I hadn't planned on riding her for at least a week after, just because she's going to be a little stir crazy from being in her stall for 2 weeks straight!! And after that, I'll probably try riding bareback since the stitches are right behind her leg, right where the girth goes -- and I don't want it to be rubbing her newly healed area that soon afterwards. So I may take a dive or two those first few rides with a pent up horse and no saddle/stirrups! ;-) We'll be working on a lot of ground work at first!

The spot that it's in is why she was on stall rest for 14 days, the vet said it's a bad spot for stitches!


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## Summer08 (Dec 5, 2008)

A little home trick I learned to help heal injured areas, and help healing areas heal faster that you can use on her side once the stitches come out is to make a sugar paste with regular table sugar and warm water and getly rub that against the pink skin. As long as you don't have flies you can leave it right on there. Sugar is what the body uses to heal anyway, so you're basically giving the cells exactly what they need to fix themselves. It works on people too, just make sure to only use it on clean surface wounds as it will heal skin first and if you have bacteria inside it will seal it in. It is however perfect for finishing off after stitches.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

UPDATE: We took the stitches out the other day, after 16 days of being in! Everything looks good, and Sandie was SURE glad to be off stall rest finally! We hand walked around for awhile, while she promptly spooked at EVERYTHING haha! Finally, I let her go and she went NUTS!! I've never seen her so happy to be out stretching her legs, throwing bucks up in the air and galloping as fast as she could across the arena!

And I thought to myself...yeah I'm not riding you for a few...GROUND WORK for you and I the next week or so little horsey! haha


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

At the end of the day, a horse is a horse and there is only so much you can do tho 14 days should be plenty to allow for the injury to heal. How deep was the laceration?
As long as you stay off your horse for a couple more weeks, there is no reason for anything to tear. Would you be able to keep your horse on stall rest for a while longer after those 14 days?


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Cache, 

She was on stall rest for 16 or 17 days before we removed the stitches, we wanted to be absolutely sure she was healing well...and it looks like it worked, the area looks good so far and she's been out running around already - so far so good!  I don't plan on riding her right away though for a couple reasons...1. she is CRAZY from being stuck in her stall and 2. the scar is right where the girth goes so I don't want to put anything on her this early while it's healing and mess it up.

It actually wasn't a laceration at all, it was a lump right behind her left front leg, where the girth goes, that the vet thought was suspicious and ended up removing and sending away to the lab. It turns out Sandie is hyper sensitive to insect bites! It came back as a spider bite reaction!


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Hoofprints in the Sand said:


> Cache,
> 
> She was on stall rest for 16 or 17 days before we removed the stitches, we wanted to be absolutely sure she was healing well...and it looks like it worked, the area looks good so far and she's been out running around already - so far so good!  I don't plan on riding her right away though for a couple reasons...1. she is CRAZY from being stuck in her stall and 2. the scar is right where the girth goes so I don't want to put anything on her this early while it's healing and mess it up.
> 
> It actually wasn't a laceration at all, it was a lump right behind her left front leg, where the girth goes, that the vet thought was suspicious and ended up removing and sending away to the lab. It turns out Sandie is hyper sensitive to insect bites! It came back as a spider bite reaction!


I was more concerned as to how deep it was. Thats what would have made the difference as to how long it would have required to heal. That is really unusual to hear that it was a spider bite! what area are you in? I could not imagine having that happen here. Glad to hear you were able to find out what it was


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

I know, it's esp wierd because all the insects are dead right now in Ohio, it's FREEZING outside and we're under over a 2 feet of snow lol!! But apparently the one spider alive in the barn found Sandie and she's got really sensitive skin! her previous owner did warn me that she reacts to fly bites like that, but GEEZ...


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