To Danny Williams:
 
>I have seen the mention of staples the last couple of days and wanted to
>express my opinion on it.  Buster had a biopsy done behind his rear leg and
>I had fits with those staples.  Two days later, I had to have them
>reapplied, then two more days later, they were replaced with the wire
>stiches.  I am *not* fond of either one.  In trying to use fewer staples,
>they tear at the skin more, and are likely to snag if they work their self
>around.  I also had a ferret with emergency coozie removal.  The doc used
>the surgical thread, left virtually no scar and healed *very* quickly.
 
>
>I was very curious, though, as to what the medical staff thought?
 
        I am not a big fan of medical staples when used in ferrets.  Medical
staples are excellent in people, and are a big timesaver in horses and
cattle.  Unfortunately, the more motion there is at a site, the longer it
takes to heal.  Suture tends ot give a lot, steel staples don't - so these
sites take a long time to heal.  People will keep pretty still, so will
horses and cattle - but try to keep a healing ferret still.
 
        Mitt the terrible had abdominal surgery today to take a biopsy of
his colon and one of his enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes.  We sewed him up
with suture.
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM         Dept. of Veterinary Pathology
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath    Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]         Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
                               [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1243]