My dog's cancer surgery left a hole. Should I leave it open?

Hello, thank you for your question about Roofus. Depending on the location of the hole in regards to the rest of his stitches I would be concerned that his incision may not heal properly. Since his surgery was so recent and there has been very limited time for any healing so far it is possible that Roofus could develop a build of of fluid (seroma) or blood (hematoma) which could prevent healing of his full incision. It is also possible that he could develop a surgical site infection due to this opening, although this is less likely since he is on antibiotics. I would recommend having Roofus evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can examine the surgical incision and determine the need for additional closure. If this opening is at the bottom of the incision they may elect to allow this to act as a drainage site and perform no further closure. However, if the hole is at the top or middle portion of the incision they may elect to place an additional stitch or staple to close the incision. Hope this helps, good luck!

This can happen , as wounds like that, even with tension cuts, often slough the skin, The skin will have to grow in slowly and it will. However the wound will need regular bandaging and moisture, so you will need to discuss a bandaging schedule with your vet, Have the vet or his techs show you how to bandage the wound, and give you supplies , (ointments, etc),

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Oreo. Potentially it could heal, but keep in mind that the cyst will likely grow back because the cyst sac has not been removed. So this could be a continuing problem when it heals, fills up again, and then opens. While the best thing to do is have it removed, you can hold off to see if it fills up again. Clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry you and Pitoune are dealing with this. Please be advised that to prevent this from happening to future pets, they need to be spayed before their first heat cycle. The chance of getting mammary tumors is virtually zero when a female dog is spayed young. It is very difficult for me to tell the orientation of what is going on in this photo. I'm assuming the photo is of the abdomen since you said they are mammary tumors but again, it is hard to tell what is going on based on this one photo. You are not going to get these to clear up and will likely only get worse; they are malignant cancer. They will only stop weeping when she stops scratching them. All you can do is exactly what you are doing although I don't think you should blow dry them - it is very easy to burn the skin making it worse. Everything else you are doing is fine. I'm not sure what you are using to cover her but I suggest a recovery suit and to put a feminine maxi pad between the skin lesions and the suit to catch any discharge. This protective layer should stop her from traumatizing the area. You can also put a human baby sock on her back feet so it covers the nails so if she does scratch she cannot hurt the area. ( https://www.amazon.com/s?k=surgery+suit+small+dog&crid=ZTVVO4IRU78L&sprefix=surgery+suit+small+dog%2Caps%2C120&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 ) If they are worsening I suggest you speak to your vet about possibly increasing the dose of Prednisone. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Aries has a scab/wounded area that is struggling to heal. Any lump/mass on the skin could potentially be cancerous, but the only way to definitively diagnose this is by a veterinarian sampling cells from the area and examining them under a microscope. Sometimes the entire affected area needs to be removed and submitted to a lab for biopsy in order to see what type of mass it is. If it turns out to just be a non-healing wound, your veterinarian can make recommendations about how to help the area heal. If you want, you can post on the forum again with a few photos of this area and someone may be able to give you additional information. I hope this is helpful!

I'm so sorry to hear that Comus is dealing with this. Unfortunately, since chemotherapy decreases the immune system, infections can be common in dogs treated with chemotherapy. I would recommend considering some special wound creams or ointments and bandaging techniques to help speed healing. You veterinarian may be able to teach you to do bandage changes at home. I would also ask your veterinarian about trying LASER treatments to help speed healing. Many vet clinics have LASERS, so that would a simple addition to Comus' treatment plan. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that area should have had stitches, so I’m assuming Buddy licked them out. It only takes a few seconds for a dog to remove them. He should be wearing an E-collar or a donut at all times. He shouldn’t lick that open area either. Clean it well with soap and water and apply a triple antibiotic ointment. It likely will heal on its own as long as he doesn’t continue to lick. I wish Buddy a speedy recovery!