When Do a Dog's Staples Come Out After Surgery?

Surgical staples come out of a dog 10 to 14 days after surgery, at a vet visit that takes under 5 minutes and rarely needs sedation. Staples over a joint, on a large dog, or on a slow-healing senior may stay to day 21. Until then the incision needs a collar around the clock, because a staple chewed loose leaves a gap the skin cannot close on its own.

You lifted the fur and found a row of small metal clips instead of thread, and the discharge sheet only says "recheck in 10 to 14 days." Here is what the staples are doing, when they come out, what removal looks like, and how to make sure your dog is not the one who takes them out early.

Why did the vet use staples instead of stitches?

Skin staples are stainless steel clips set with a spring-loaded applicator. Each takes about a second, so a 6-inch incision that would need 15 to 20 minutes of hand suturing closes in 1 or 2. That matters at the end of a long procedure, when the dog has been under anesthesia for an hour or more. Staples are also strong in tension, which is why surgeons reach for them on a splenectomy, a mass removal on the flank, a TPLO on the knee, or a large abscess closure.

They hold the skin only. Under the staples, a layer of dissolvable suture in the muscle wall and fat does the structural work and disappears over 60 to 90 days. Once the skin has closed, the staples have done their job and come out.

Cats and small dogs get staples less often, because a small incision closes as fast with thread. A spay on a 60-pound Labrador is a common staple job. A spay on a 6-pound Chihuahua is not.

How long do staples stay in a dog after surgery?

Days 10 to 14. Standard removal window for a spay, neuter, mass removal, or abdominal surgery on a healthy adult dog. By day 10 the skin edges have enough tensile strength to hold without help.

Days 14 to 21. Incisions over a joint (knee, elbow, hock), where every step pulls the edges apart; incisions under tension on a large or heavy dog; and any dog whose healing is slower, which includes seniors over 8, dogs on steroids, and dogs with diabetes or Cushing's disease.

Earlier than day 10 is not a shortcut. Taking staples out before the skin has bonded lets the incision gape, and re-closing it means sedation and a second recovery clock. If a staple is causing a problem before day 10, the vet removes that one and leaves the rest.

Skin healing follows the same timeline whether it is held by staples or thread, which is why dissolvable stitches are also protected for 10 to 14 days even though they disappear on their own.

Does staple removal hurt a dog?

Very little. The technician slides a staple remover under the clip and squeezes; the staple bends in the middle, the two legs lift out of the skin, and it drops into a tray. Each one takes 2 or 3 seconds. Most dogs flinch at the first and ignore the rest, and a handful of treats gets an ordinary dog through a 20-staple row without restraint.

Sedation is reserved for dogs that cannot be handled or for a row that has become embedded because the skin swelled over it. If your dog is anxious at the clinic, ask about trazodone or gabapentin 2 hours before the appointment.

Do not remove staples at home. A household staple remover crushes rather than lifts, and a staple pulled at the wrong angle tears the skin. The removal visit is usually included in the surgery fee.

What should staples look like while they heal?

Each staple should sit flat with the incision closed beneath it. Mild pinkness for the first 5 days and a small crust at each staple site are normal. Dog incision healing: normal vs. warning signs covers the day-by-day picture; the staple-specific things to watch are these.

A staple standing up on one side. One leg has pulled out, usually from a chew or a scrape against furniture. Cover it lightly and have the clinic look within 24 hours; they will remove or reset it.

A missing staple with a gap beneath. A gap under 5 mm on day 8 or later is often left to close on its own with a collar and antibiotics. A wider gap, or one with visible tissue, is treated like any other licked-open incision: cover it, stop the licking, and call the same day.

Skin swelling over the staples. If the clips are sinking into puffy tissue, they are becoming embedded and removal gets harder every day. Call today, not at the recheck.

Discharge, heat, or smell at the staple line. Infection. Staples give bacteria 20 small entry points, and a licked staple line gets infected faster than a licked suture line. Same-day appointment.

How do I keep my dog from pulling its staples out?

This is the whole game. A dog can lift a staple with its teeth in a single bite, and a row of loose staples on day 6 means sedation, cleaning, and re-closure. Three things prevent it.

A collar the dog cannot beat, worn 24 hours a day. A soft inflatable recovery collar sits at the base of the neck and stops the dog bending far enough to reach the flank, belly, or chest, while leaving peripheral vision open so it can eat, drink, and sleep without the wall-scraping and panic of a plastic cone. Fit it with two fingers of room; a loose collar rides forward and a determined dog gets its muzzle past it. For a knee or hock incision on a long-bodied dog, size up one step or pair it with a recovery suit. The collar does not come off for "a quick break." The break is when the staples go.

No rough contact with the incision. No wrestling with other dogs, no rolling on gravel, no belly rubs on the incision side. A staple that catches on a carpet edge lifts as cleanly as one that is chewed.

Twice-daily counts. Count the staples on day 1 and write the number down. Count again morning and night. A missing staple found at 8 a.m. is a phone call; one found at the day-14 recheck is a wound that has been open for a week.

Collars sized from 7-inch to 22-inch necks are in the BENCMATE after spay and neuter collection. Measure at the base of the neck, add half an inch, and match the chart.

What happens after the staples come out?

The skin is closed but not strong. Full tensile strength takes 6 to 8 weeks, so the recheck is not a green light for the dog park. Most vets clear leash walks at removal and free running 1 to 2 weeks later; orthopedic surgeries have longer timelines. Keep the collar on for 2 to 3 days after removal if the dog shows interest in the line, because the staple holes itch as they close. How long a dog wears a recovery collar after surgery covers the taper.

The staple marks fade to small pale dots within a few months and disappear once the fur regrows.

Frequently asked questions

Can staples stay in a dog too long?

Yes. Past 3 weeks the skin starts to grow over the staples, removal becomes painful, and each clip is a standing infection risk. If you missed the recheck, book the next available slot.

My dog pulled out one staple. Is that an emergency?

Not usually. If the incision beneath is still closed, cover it lightly, put the collar on, and call the clinic in the morning. If there is a gap with pink or yellow tissue showing, or bleeding that does not stop in 5 minutes, it is a same-day visit. Either way, the collar goes on now, because a dog that pulled one will pull the next.

Can I bathe my dog with staples in?

No. Staples and the skin around them stay dry until removal. A damp cloth on the rest of the dog is fine; submersion, hosing, and swimming are not. Wait 3 to 5 days after removal for a full bath.

Do staples show on X-rays?

Yes, as a neat row of small bright marks, which is useful if a vet later needs to find an old incision site. They are far too small to trigger a metal detector.