This information is not a substitute for proper medical care! It is only meant to be used in emergency situations where appropriate medical care cannot be obtained in a timely fashion, but if you can tie a knot or sew a little, you can learn to suture. A common needle and thread or fishing line is all you need (along with an assistant to restrain your patient!). But first let's determine if you should suture that wound.
Do not suture:
-Puncture Wounds
-Badly contaminated or extremely dirty wounds
-Old wounds that are dry and stiff (>12 hours old)
-Infected or maggoty wounds
-Wounds with protruding organs, exposed bone, or that puncture a body cavity
-Wounds that are too large or tight to pull together with suture
-Small wounds (<1 inch) can be closed with super glue or left to heal naturally
Prep:
-Gather all your supplies.
-Wash your hands and make sure your supplies are clean and dry (we're going for clean, not sterile!).
-Have an assistant restrain your patient.
-Clean the wound and surrounding skin of debris, feathers, etc.
-Cleanse the wound with warm water and mild soap, rinse well.
-Make sure you have adequate light, suture material, needle, and scissors.
-Make sure there is healthy/living tissue on both sides, you may need to trim away dead or dry skin, until it bleeds, with a scissors.
-If the wound is deep (more than an inch of muscle/fat under the skin) you'll need to close the wound in 2 layers.
-Make sure you know how to tie a square knot (not a half-hitch!).
-You can close with a continuous or running type stitch but multiple, single stitches is easier in most cases.
-Make your first stitch somewhere in the middle of the wound.
-Make your next stitch halfway between the first stitch and one end of the wound, repeating until the wound is closed.
-Secure each suture with two square knots and trim the ends to 2-3mm.
How to Suture a simple skin wound (A visual guide):
An 'aerial' view of a shallow skin wound.
Take your threaded needle and poke it through the skin (1/4 inch adjacent to the wound) and pass it across the wound and poke it through the skin on the other side.
Pull up on both ends of your thread and begin pulling the skin together, prepare to make your first knot.
Pull the skin together so the edges are next to each other but not too tight or overlapping, secure with 2-3 square knots and trim the loose ends to 2-3mm. If there is too much tension and it won't close completely, just do your best. Fishing line is less likely to break than thread if there is a little tension in the area.
Place your next suture halfway between the end of the wound and the first suture. Repeat until the wound is fully closed.
Closing a Deep (>1 inch) wound:
A deep (>1 inch of fat/muscle under skin) wound needs to be closed in 2 layers: muscle/fat and skin.
Use your needle make a loop through both sides of the muscle/fat layer and secure with 2-3 square knots. Continue closing the deep layer until no air pockets or holes remain.
Once the muscle layer is closed, suture the skin as for a simple skin wound.
After Care:
-Trim up your ends and wash the blood away from the wound.
-Most sutures can come out in 7-10 days, just snip and pull.
-If you notice pus, significant redness, swelling, or the patient is lethargic, droopy, not eating, then antibiotics and medical attention are needed.
-Don't let anything peck at or lick the wound.
-Minimize movement (keep food and water handy) in a small enclosure, especially for wounds near joints.
-Make sure flies can't get to it.
-You don't need to put anything on the wound (Neosporin, peroxide) and want to keep it open to the air (don't wrap it!).
-A little redness and swelling is normal, as is oozing blood or serum (clear fluid) for a day or two afterwards.
-If treating a deep wound, antibiotics are recommended.
-If you notice the wound inflating and becoming crackly afterward this means an air sac has been ruptured, this should regress eventually, as long as the patient isn't sick it isn't anything to worry about!
-Don't bathe the patient or allow it to get the suture line wet (can introduce bacteria).
-Practice good nursing care and minimize stress.
Do not suture:
-Puncture Wounds
-Badly contaminated or extremely dirty wounds
-Old wounds that are dry and stiff (>12 hours old)
-Infected or maggoty wounds
-Wounds with protruding organs, exposed bone, or that puncture a body cavity
-Wounds that are too large or tight to pull together with suture
-Small wounds (<1 inch) can be closed with super glue or left to heal naturally
Prep:
-Gather all your supplies.
-Wash your hands and make sure your supplies are clean and dry (we're going for clean, not sterile!).
-Have an assistant restrain your patient.
-Clean the wound and surrounding skin of debris, feathers, etc.
-Cleanse the wound with warm water and mild soap, rinse well.
-Make sure you have adequate light, suture material, needle, and scissors.
-Make sure there is healthy/living tissue on both sides, you may need to trim away dead or dry skin, until it bleeds, with a scissors.
-If the wound is deep (more than an inch of muscle/fat under the skin) you'll need to close the wound in 2 layers.
-Make sure you know how to tie a square knot (not a half-hitch!).
-You can close with a continuous or running type stitch but multiple, single stitches is easier in most cases.
-Make your first stitch somewhere in the middle of the wound.
-Make your next stitch halfway between the first stitch and one end of the wound, repeating until the wound is closed.
-Secure each suture with two square knots and trim the ends to 2-3mm.
How to Suture a simple skin wound (A visual guide):
An 'aerial' view of a shallow skin wound.
Take your threaded needle and poke it through the skin (1/4 inch adjacent to the wound) and pass it across the wound and poke it through the skin on the other side.
Pull up on both ends of your thread and begin pulling the skin together, prepare to make your first knot.
Pull the skin together so the edges are next to each other but not too tight or overlapping, secure with 2-3 square knots and trim the loose ends to 2-3mm. If there is too much tension and it won't close completely, just do your best. Fishing line is less likely to break than thread if there is a little tension in the area.
Place your next suture halfway between the end of the wound and the first suture. Repeat until the wound is fully closed.
Closing a Deep (>1 inch) wound:
A deep (>1 inch of fat/muscle under skin) wound needs to be closed in 2 layers: muscle/fat and skin.
Use your needle make a loop through both sides of the muscle/fat layer and secure with 2-3 square knots. Continue closing the deep layer until no air pockets or holes remain.
Once the muscle layer is closed, suture the skin as for a simple skin wound.
After Care:
-Trim up your ends and wash the blood away from the wound.
-Most sutures can come out in 7-10 days, just snip and pull.
-If you notice pus, significant redness, swelling, or the patient is lethargic, droopy, not eating, then antibiotics and medical attention are needed.
-Don't let anything peck at or lick the wound.
-Minimize movement (keep food and water handy) in a small enclosure, especially for wounds near joints.
-Make sure flies can't get to it.
-You don't need to put anything on the wound (Neosporin, peroxide) and want to keep it open to the air (don't wrap it!).
-A little redness and swelling is normal, as is oozing blood or serum (clear fluid) for a day or two afterwards.
-If treating a deep wound, antibiotics are recommended.
-If you notice the wound inflating and becoming crackly afterward this means an air sac has been ruptured, this should regress eventually, as long as the patient isn't sick it isn't anything to worry about!
-Don't bathe the patient or allow it to get the suture line wet (can introduce bacteria).
-Practice good nursing care and minimize stress.
