So I talked to the vet this afternoon and let him know they were doing well. He said that he used different sutures on the two of them, wanting to compare how the girls fare as they recover. He did one of them (Hilda) with catgut. That's the material he started using with neuters. It is more irritating to tissue, but it dissolves very soon. The usual suture material is less irritating but dissolves more slowly.
So many males seem to get sterile abscesses in response to sutures. The catgut seems to dissolve before long-term irritation can occur. Any short-term irritation is less problematic because the rat takes a while to get rid of the anaesthetic and then (often) gets Metacam for a few days.
Anyway, both girls seem to be doing well. I tried to take photos today after work, but they didn't come out all that well. Tomorrow or on the weekend I'll post them and maybe take some more.
BTW, the vet said it was hard to find Clara's uterus because she has a lot of abdominal fat. My girls are like Jack Spratt and his wife! Hilda just doesn't gain weight no matter what (other than a little since I got her because of improved diet), and Clara gains easily. They both get fed the same, but Clara loves to eat and Hilda eats the minimum for survival... she's too antsy to sit still long enough.
