My dog had CCL surgery. Is his incision healing normally or infected?

That looks fine for soon after surgery. If he licks at his incision, you should get him a cone to keep him from paying too much attention to it and delaying healing or opening it back up. The bruising is not unusual and should fade over the next few days. Keep him from running, jumping, crate him or confine him in a small room if need be. He should go out on a leash only just to potty and then back inside. He can be out with you if you're home and able to keep an eye on him. After a week to ten days of restricted activity he should be ready to resume his normal routine.

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.

It's difficult to tell from just a picture. The skin is definitely discolored, but this could be from the surgical prep (iodine), or from dried blood. If the skin is not stained, then this would be abnormal and would indicate bruising or an infection. You can test for stained skin by gently wiping the skin with a little hydrogen peroxide. Avoid wiping the incision (the middle) and just wipe the edges. If it's staining, then the redness will start to be lifted with just a couple of wipes. If the wiping is unsuccessful at removing the discoloration, then it's likely bruising or infection and I'd recommend he get checked by the vet in the next 24 hours. I hope that helps and all is well with your dog.

It is hard to tell from the picture - heat, redness, discharge , smell and pus would be the red flags most concerning. A small bit of swelling and blood spots is not uncommon but a post surgery recheck to monitor her temperature and signs of infection would be recommended for safety as infection could cause problems in the longterm

Batman's incision appears quite red and inflamed. I can't zoom in far enough to be certain, but I'm questioning whether or not the top portion of the incision may also be slightly open. Based on the appearance of his incision, I think there's a high likelihood of infection. I strongly recommend taking Batman to see his vet today or tomorrow for further evaluation. He'll need antibiotics if an infection is diagnosed and will likely need anti-inflammatory pain medications if he isn't already receiving them. Given this redness, he's clearly been licking at his incision quite a bit. Since he's a little guy, you could try putting a baby onesie on him in the crate or use an inflatable donut collar ( I hope that the rest of Batman's recovery goes smoothly!

Place the e-collar back on him. Have him rechecked by your veterinarian. He may need a few more staples to keep the site fully closed. Consider Bitter Apple Spray, Fooey or other deterrent ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-training/dog-training-repellents-and-attractants ) around the site to further prevent licking. A cold compress applied for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day may ease any discomfort. Continue to restrict activity to just leash walks for eiimination.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Keela. The incision site appears intact. The redness and bruising mainly seems to involve the surrounding skin. It is unlikely infected at this time, but I worry that it will become so if he continues to lick. I recommend trying a larger size collar on him so that he cannot access the surgical site. I hope this information helps!