Is my cat's surgical incision with staples infected or just irritated?

Hello. Cats don’t like to follow the rules sometimes. This incision looks great. The flakiness is just some residue of the skin glue, the green is tattoo ink . There does not appear to be any problems with this incision at all right now. Continue to monitor it and watch specifically for redness, discharge or significant swelling. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

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.

Then incision is more red than I would expect it to at this time. It could be just because he has been too active, or it could be early signs of an infection. If it is more red tomorrow then it is probably an infection. I would confine him to a small bathroom where he can’t jump around and keep his mouth away from the incision. Either a onsie or the e-collar needs to be on at all times to protect him from opening the incision. I would encourage you to have a follow up appointment with your veterinarian tomorrow to examine the incision and see if he needs antibiotics. I don’t see any need for an emergency clinic appointment today. Best of luck and I hope he heals soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. Thanks for the picture. Things look pretty good. It is a little irritated at the top, but the majority of the incision looks perfect. I would just clean away any discharge with a little warm water & not fuss too much with things. Once the staples are out, everything will calm down & heal well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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!

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!