My cat's incision is red and seeping after surgery. Is it infected?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks good to me. The redness isn't terrible and doesn't worry me. The hanging saggy belly skin is normal for a cat and is more obvious after you shave the fur. If she is licking I'd use an E-collar. She is likely licking 10 times more than you are seeing. I wish Zoey a speedy recovery!

The photo didn't come through. A small amount of spotting can be normal and generally the incisions on cats heal quickly even if they open up a little. As long as he's eating and acting normal I'm not overly concerned about this. Keeping the cone on will prevent his licking the area and it will heal more quickly. Should the incision look very red or have a bad odor then I would take him back to have it checked. I expect though that it will improve every day. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucas.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oliver. The incision site appears slightly red in color. However, there is no discharge visible and I do not see areas that appear to be opening. I think that it is healing very well. Please keep the collar on him at all times to prevent any further licking. He should heal up very well. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor T! The redness below the incision can be from normal bruising after surgery. As long as it doesn't get worse it should fade over the next several days. If T is lethargic, not eating, the skin is hot or painful or if the redness worsens I would have her rechecked today by your vet. I wish T a speedy recovery!

Hello. It does look like the incision is opening a bit, but just the skin. The underlying muscle looks intact. You may have to put an E-collar ( cone of shame ) on her to prevent her from licking the incision open more. Most of the big pet retailers have them & one of the soft ones made for kitties should not be too stressful for her. I would also pick up some betadine at any pharmacy & gently clean the skin twice daily. No need to scrub. It is not necessary, but it would not hurt to put a dab on Neosporin on the incision, but only if she is wearing the collar. You do not want her to try cleaning the incision with her rough tongue. If the incision reddens much more, or begins to discharge at all, you will need to have her seen over the weekend. She will not fall apart on you, but keep a good eye on things & if it really worries you, have her seen quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I think there's enough going on here that it would be worthwhile to take her for a recheck by your vet. It's not terrible looking, but there is some swelling along the incision margins and a small defect in the top of the incision. I would expect her incision to look better than this after a week. For now, I don't recommend you do any sort of treatment at home, because this may make things worse. As long as you get her to the vet in the next day or two, she should be fine to wait. I hope that helps and your kitty gets better soon.

I agree with your vet that the area will heal with time. However, Gypsy has the potential to get the area infected or open it up more if she continues to lick at it, so you need to use an e-collar or such to prevent her from licking. If the area continues to ooze, becomes red or swollen or the incision opens up more, then I would certainly contact your veterinarian again. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Gypsy heals quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.