How Do I Remove a Staple From Animal Skin?

Metal surgical staples can easily be removed with a surgical staple remover. The metal staples used in animal skin are used to close openings in the skin, appose wound edges or to attach medical drapes to the skin. Metal staples must be removed from the animal's skin after the wound has finished healing to prevent them from being trapped beneath the skin and causing an infection.

Things You'll Need

  • Surgical staple removers
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Clean and prep the area of skin around the staple to be removed. To prep the skin, make sure that all hair is out of the way and the skin is free of foreign matter. Also, make sure the animal is restrained to prevent injury to it and you.

    • 2

      Grasp the staple between the tines of the staple remover. The staple remover has a set of "jaws" on it that is made up of three tines, two of which are attached to one movable piece and one attached to a second piece. The tines open and close in a scissor motion. The double tines should slip under the staple, while the single tine should sit on top of the staple.

    • 3

      Crimp the staple. Slowly and steadily apply pressure to the staple remover handles to close the remover on the staple. As the remover closes, it will begin to fold the staple in the middle, lifting the staple's two points out of the skin.

    • 4

      Lift the staple remover away from the skin as you finish removing the staple. Gently lift the remover away for the last few centimeters of the staple, because the lifting motion will pull the staple straight out, whereas allowing the remover to finish bending the staple can cause scratches on the skin of the animal.

    • 5

      Dispose of the staple in a biohazard sharps container or a sealable container that is puncture proof to prevent injury to anyone handling the container.