My Shih Tzu puppy's hernia incision bleeding, vet closed. What now?

Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking. Restrict activity as much as possible. As long as there is no active bleeding, Lilo can likely wait until your veterinarian is available. If there is active bleeding, discharge, lethargy or fever then have her seen at the nearest veterinary ER.

Poor Friday! Yes, since his eye is still bleeding despite these medications, he should be examined by a vet. You can take him back for a recheck by his first vet, or seek a second opinion with a different vet. Either is a good option. Also be sure that Friday is not rubbing or scratching his eye by putting an e-collar (cone) on him. I hope hat he feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos, it appears as though the area around the incision is slightly swollen with a small amount of blood evident. If Mia is otherwise normal and the color of her gums is nice and pink, I would suggest applying some pressure to the incision area and holding this for 10-15 minutes to see if the bleeding stops. With her being hyper, she certainly could have caused a blood vessel in her skin to begin bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop with pressure, I would get her examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It's a great idea to bandage it to prevent itching, and as long as the incision isn't excessively bleeding, then it is ok to wait until the morning. I certainly understand you can't watch her all night! You might consider getting a recovery suit, as that may help prevent her from itching the site. If you have a crate, I would keep her in the crate overnight to keep her from moving around too much. You are doing the right thing by taking her to a vet first thing in the morning :-)

There is no reason to panic with a hernia unless there are other problems associated with it and if it is a very large hernia. I see many umbilical hernias in puppies and many times, these can be addressed at the time of the spay / neuter. You do not have to worry about touching Mimi as this will not worsen the hernia. As for the blood in the stool, I would recommend initiating a bland diet as outlined below and feed this for at least 3-5 days beyond the resolution of the bloody stool. If the blood becomes more prominent and new symptoms develop, then I would recommend having Mimi checked out by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It looks like Sydney's incision is still mostly apposed. I would keep her very quiet for the next week, and keep an e-collar on her at all times. With strict rest, the small gap may start to scab up and start healing on its own. Over the next few days, if you notice any further redness, swelling or discharge, I would take her back to the vet to see if she may need a few stitches or tissue glue to re-appose the edges again. I hope this helps, and that Sydney continues to heal well!

The site itself looks good. No swelling, redness or bruising and it appears closed. The slight discharge does not appear to be frank blood. It looks like it may be fluid from a seroma. Seromas can occur after surgery. Continue to monitor the site, If the discharge increases or has a bad odor then see your veterinarian. Monitor Delilah for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. These are symptoms that should also be addressed by your vet. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing of the site. You can use a diluted betadine or Hibiclens solution around the site to keep the area clean.