Why does my dog's gastropexy incision look open after surgery?

I received the picture that you forwarded to customer service. I presume the area that you are concerned about is the area outlined in red. When we close the skin with surgical glue, there can be a small amount of tissue that looks like it does in the picture. I don't see anything that is particularly concerning in that picture. Make sure to keep Mia rested and use an e-collar so she cannot lick at the incision. The area that you outlined should not look any larger and should not ooze any discharge. If there are any other concerns, please feel free to post another question with another picture and one of us will be happy to try to help you. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The incision appears to be closed, although it isn't a pretty incision, it is functional. : )There is one area that has a pustule (infected pocket) there, but it should heal with the antibiotics that he is on. This is a common thing that occurs in pets that have a mild reaction to the sutures or staples placed, nothing serious to be concerned about at this time. So far, this looks to be healing appropriately. : ) Keep an eye on the pustule there, it may rupture, and if it does just wipe it with a clean dry towel and make sure the incision does not get wet in any way. Also ensure that Waffles keeps his e-collar on at all times to avoid him getting to the incision and potentially taking out staples, which could cause this to open up. With the antibiotics on board, the incision and pustule should heal completely by day 10. Keep an eye out also for any profuse drainage, separation of the incision line, or increased redness, and get this rechecked by your vet sooner if seen. For now, things look quite stable. : ) I hope that Waffles continue to heal well post neuter. Best of luck and take care.

Hello. I have never heard of leaving a dog neuter incision open like this. We do it in cats & horses, but not dogs. If this is your veterinarians practice, then he should have sent home a Elizabethan cone to prevent Cutty from getting to & licking the incision. Personally, I do not like the way it looks & really think it needs to be cleaned up & sutured closed. Until you can see your vet, please purchase a protective collar to keep him from licking & clean the area 2-3 times daily with a povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine skin cleanser. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

First of all--coming from an emergency veterinarian-- kudos for doing a pexy!! Walter, as well as ER vets everywhere, appreciate it. You really, really need to keep him from being active. It does not appear that there's a major issue here, as its only been 2 days, but the more he is active the longer its going to take the incision to heal and the more its going to ooze. Of higher concern is that being active puts him at risk for the body wall dehiscing which is a major complication that could become life threatening. Keep him on a leash when he goes out, and take him out only to go to urinate or defecate. No running, playing, jumping, etc, and keep him in a kennel or enclosed in a small room when he is not directly supervised. Call your vet and request a sedative such as trazadone or acepromazine if you need to, but take measures to further decrease his activity for at least the next week. Also, be sure to use an E-collar (cone of shame) to keep him from licking it. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photo, it looks like Milo has sutures under the skin, which you cannot see. There does seem to be a mild amount of swelling and redness of the incision, and a very slightly opened area. Swelling and redness, especially if accompanied by discharge, are signs of infection. Milo should definitely be wearing his E-collar at all times. Licking and chewing can cause the sutures to loosen and the incision to open. You can apply a warm compress the the area several times a day to reduce swelling and promote healing. If you notice that incision opens more, there is any bleeding or discharge, or the area feels hot to the touch, Milo should be seen by his vet as soon as possible. I hope this helps and that all is well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least based on these pictures, this looks almost healed. It just has a small area that appears to be close to healing but not quite. While neosporin is ok, I think the main thing to make it completely heal is making sure that he is unable to get to it and chew or lick at it. Please make sure to use an e-collar to try to prevent this. If you are able to keep him from getting to his incision, I think you should be able to get it to heal. You can continue to use the neosporin as that may speed up the healing process. However, make sure to not pick at any scabs as that will usually delay healing. Good luck and have a good night!

Sometimes skin incisions that were closed with glue will pucker at the very ends and open slightly. However, the middle pucker appears a little swollen. I would recommend that you take Chloe to a vet to check the incision. Usually the vet that performed the surgery will do brief incision checks at no charge. Sometimes another spot of glue is all that is needed to get it to heal properly. Sometimes the puckers are left open to heal on their own. If the vet finds signs of infection, oral antibiotics can be prescribed. Make sure that Chloe is not licking the incision. If you see her lick even once she needs to wear an e-collar or cone to prevent further opening of the incision. Also, she needs to still be on moderate activity restriction - even though this can be difficult in young puppies, encourage her to stay flat and not jump around too much. And no bathing for at least 1 week after surgery.