Surgery can be physically and emotionally tough for any rabbit. As a responsible owner, you must ensure that your furry friend is healthy and comforted during these difficult times. It is important to carefully check the stitches from your rabbit’s surgery daily for a few days after surgery. It is important to ensure the rabbit isn’t chewing them. In this article, we’ll talk about how to stop rabbits from chewing their stitches and some post-operative care tips.
When performed by an experienced rabbit veterinarian, surgeries such as spaying and neutering are entirely safe. When rabbits undergo surgery, they will likely begin licking or chewing on their stitches which you should avoid as much as possible.
How to Stop Rabbit from Chewing Stitches?
To stop your rabbit from chewing their stitches, you can use an Elizabethan or Mae West collar, sock, or a ribbon.
Use an Elizabethan Collar
An Elizabethan collar, also known as an E-collar, is a plastic or fabric cone wrapped around a rabbit’s head to prevent it from licking or chewing at a surgery site, wound, or stitch. Many veterinarians try to avoid using an E-collar on rabbits because it can cause unnecessary stress.
Rabbits dislike these collars and may refuse to eat while they are on. To allow your rabbit to eat, you may need to remove the collar for a short period, in which case you must constantly monitor your rabbit. If your rabbit is continuously chewing on its stitches and you don’t have any other options, getting an E-collar can be a great idea, so you don’t have to keep an eye on your rabbit all the time.
Use a Mae West Collar
An E-collar can be replaced with a Mae West Collar. It is popular among rabbit owners because it does not restrict the rabbit’s movement as much as an E-collar. The Mae West Collar is essentially a long tube wrapped around a rabbit’s neck and fastened like a necktie with a tape rather than a knot. It prevents the rabbit from reaching for and chewing on their stitches while still allowing the rabbit to eat and groom in other areas.
Use a sock
To stop your rabbit from chewing stitches, you can use a sock as a simple and quick solution. All you must do is find a sock and cut out the appropriate holes for your rabbit’s arms and legs. The sock will function as a bodysuit or sweater, preventing your rabbit from reaching the stitches. You can also do this with pantyhose. The key is to find a thin, stretchy sock that doesn’t hang loosely enough that your rabbit can’t get out of it.
You want to make sure that the sock doesn’t restrict your rabbit’s breathing, so it shouldn’t be too tight.
Use a ribbon
Another method to stop your rabbit from chewing stitches is to wrap and fasten a ribbon around its midsection. As a ribbon, you can use an elastic bandage, a small dish towel folded into a triangle, or a band cut from the leg of a pair of tights. Simply tie the ribbon around your rabbit’s body, but not so tightly that it can’t breathe.
What happens if your rabbit chews its stitches?
Allowing your rabbit to lick or chew on the stitches can result in complications such as surgical site destruction, infection, or swelling, which may necessitate emergency care. Stitches are used both internally to close muscle layers and externally to close incisions.
Stitch material is classified into two types: dissolvable and non-dissolvable. When used externally, non-dissolvable sutures and staples must be removed by your veterinarian. When non-dissolvable stitch material is used, many rabbits will excessively lick or chew at their stitches. Most rabbit veterinarians prefer to use glue to close incisions. This is because most rabbits do not lick or chew excessively when glue is used, and return visits aren’t required.
How long does it take for a rabbit’s stitches to heal?
A rabbit’s healing time after surgery is usually ten days. During that time, you must provide all necessary medical care. You should plan ahead of time to make post-operative care as easy as possible.
Make your rabbit is in a comfortable and safe environment as soon as you get home. When it first arrives at your house, try to make it as warm and comfortable as possible. You should keep your hands as far away as possible to avoid ruining the stitches. If your rabbit chews its stitches out, you must immediately take it to the veterinarian.
The key to success in any surgery is proper planning and follow-up care. An experienced rabbit veterinarian can make this process as stress-free as possible and provide you with all the information you require for follow-up care. Hopefully, this article was of assistance in some way. Good luck!