Thanks

Question
QUESTION: my puppy is 6nths and was spayed 1 week ago. she is due for stitch removal on the 22nd but she has already pulled the middle ones which were stitched loosly anyway. i am concerned. i cleaned the area with baby soap and water and dryed the area. her vet opens up at 7:ooam what can i do until then?

ANSWER: She needs to keep these stitches in another week! Seven to ten days is the minimum time for sutures to stay in so the underlying structures can heal.

We remove them at 10 days so if she holds out that long that is good.
If nothing else, get a big sticky bandage and cover it with that then add some skin tape to it. Don't make it too tight or she will go after that.
Bitter apple for dogs or tabasco sauce on it sometimes stops them from chewing but not often.

If all else fails you have to use an e-collar on her.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you I could not take her to the vet today her skin seems to be sticking together ok. I have an e-collar on her now. She is hell on wheels lol. I am keeping her in her crate when unsupervised it is small enough only to lie down and turn in. She has a wellness plan and I will take her in as a walk in tomorrow. I found a puppy that is exactly or maybe worst than my 2 years old, you'd think I gave birth to her too. I am potty training both of them now and it is not easy. I am going crazy.This is certainly a challenge.Let me ask you something my Dox found a pile of poop from lord knows what animal and ate some of it. Is this normal? I thought they are really picky about poop and stuff. She is not pooping in the areas where I put down training pads she only voids on them and that is sometimes. She smells her poop and even walks on it. What in the hell might be wrong with her? I have read every book their can possibly be on training and nothing works. When get home I can not acknowledge her because she void all over the place and I am talking huge puddles. Any suggestions? I am loosing my mind.

Answer
Training a dog is never easy and especially one that is way past the age of potty training. She should have been done with this stage by the age of 9 weeks tops.
These new potty pads that people use only teach a dog that it is okay to potty in the house. It is not okay. A dog trained to use these is NOT housebroken.

She needs some normal potty training which is that when you feed her in the morning, you take her OUTSIDE immediately to potty and praise her when she does. You cannot scold her for wetting in the house as she has been given the okay to do so.
If you start her on a schedule of eating and being taken out right away, praised for going outside and given a treat, she will eventually get the idea.

But she has gone so long now that you have to reinforce this for a long time and be extra vigilant on the weekends.

Don't put the pads down. Keep her crated or crate her when she potties in the house and just tell her she needs to go outside. When you get home take her outside and repeat the routine. Take her out before you leave in the morning too.
Get her a playpen for puppies and keep her in that during the day with her crate at one end. That way she won't wander around the house potty-ing all over.

That is the best way and the only way that works to stop this house wetting. She walks through her stool because it doesn't register to her that it is not supposed to be in the house.

And yes, it is very normal for them to eat others and their own stool.  Puppies drive owner nuts doing it.

So let me know how she is doing in a few weeks. She is old enough for training and should be enrolled in a obedience class too. Get her a Gentle Leader collar or a Behave brand collar and use that while you are potty training her. They make the dog pay attention. You really need her to PAY attention to you at this point. Read how to use the collar and use it on her every time you take her outside.
They work like miracles. I know, I used one on my puppy eleven years ago and she still uses it. It helped her be a wonderful and gentle dog.

I hope that helps some. You have to be determined to do this for your sake and hers. This is the number one reason people take dogs to the pound and it is not even the dog's fault.