When can I bathe my dog after surgery if stitches are still in?

I recommend to wait to have her groomed until there are no scabs or rough skin. It’s OK if you can feel the sutures underneath. You do want to make sure the skin is 100% healed and normal. I think you guys are very close to that point so maybe wait another week or so. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The operation to remove an infected uterus is major surgery. I would not contemplate bathing a dog until after the stitches come out at 14 days post op. If the dog is very dirty due to the pup you could gently wash the back end but no full emersion.

For routine bathing, I recommend waiting at least 10-14 days, or until the skin appears visibly healed. If Princess has managed to get herself quite dirty prior to this, you may wipe the area clean with a soapy wet towel (mild hand-washing dishsoap such as Dawn works well) - it's important to keep the area around the incision clean while it's healing, but I would wait until the incision is totally healed before immersing her in water. Hope this helps!

Hi there! Yes, you can certainly use a warm washcloth or cotton ball to gently clean the incisions as often as needed if there is any oozing or drainage. They should heal up within the next 10-14 days :)

The stitches have to be kept dry, so no Cleo cannot have a bath. She should not be allowed to roll around it the mud while she is healing, so I would keep her indoors until it's time for the stitches to come out. Try to remove the mud with a soft wash cloth.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Generally, you would want to wait until after 10-14 days after surgery to allow the incision to heal well before bathing him. There are other anti-microbial options that could be considered in the meantime. If this very severe and cannot wait, you can check in with your veterinarian for alternatives. Otherwise, I would wait a bit longer. Good luck!

As long as your pup is just going outside on-leash long enough to use the bathroom, the stitches shouldn't get wet enough to be a problem. A little water won't hurt, we just don't want dogs to be fully submerged in a bathtub or swimming pool until the incision is completely healed. But a bit of snow or rain shouldn't cause any problems. You can use a towel to gently dry his belly when you get back inside, just to be sure.