My pet's incision is opening. Is it infected? Does it need vet care?

Hello. It does look like the incision is opening a bit, but just the skin. The underlying muscle looks intact. You may have to put an E-collar ( cone of shame ) on her to prevent her from licking the incision open more. Most of the big pet retailers have them & one of the soft ones made for kitties should not be too stressful for her. I would also pick up some betadine at any pharmacy & gently clean the skin twice daily. No need to scrub. It is not necessary, but it would not hurt to put a dab on Neosporin on the incision, but only if she is wearing the collar. You do not want her to try cleaning the incision with her rough tongue. If the incision reddens much more, or begins to discharge at all, you will need to have her seen over the weekend. She will not fall apart on you, but keep a good eye on things & if it really worries you, have her seen quickly. Thanks for using 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!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From your photo I can tell you that this looks seriously infected and does not look very good post-neuter. I would get him in as soon as you can for treatment before this affects healthy surrounding tissue. He will likely need to be sedated and have the dead tissue removed for treatment and placed on a course of oral antibiotics and pain medications to reduce inflammation. If he has been chewing at the area, he must wear a plastic cone at all times to prevent him from getting to the incision. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

It’s difficult to say if this wound is infected based on a picture alone. I think it looks concerning but it would be a bit unusual for it to become infected so quickly. I think you can wait to recheck with your vet but if there is a different smell and the incision now seems open you should definitely see them today.

Unfortunately the photo does show separation of the incision and draining from this area suggest that it may be infected. Yes Bailey should be seen by your vet asap to have this area investigated to determine why she is having this leakage, how far the infection is underneath, and if antibiotics or an additional surgery is required. This is not ideal; however, getting her seen quickly before it gets any worse and restricting her activity until she is seen, is the next best step towards getting this resolved. Wipe away any discharge with a clean rag and place a clean t-shirt over her to help prevent any further contamination of the area. Place her e-collar back on her as well to prevent any licking of the incision. Best of luck with Bailey and dealing with complications following her surgery. i hope that she gets this resolved very soon. Best wishes and take care.

I agree with you, it does look like Zara's incision is opening a bit but the rest of it looks great. I do think this is something that needs to be seen by your vet to be safe, but it does not need an emergency visit. You can wait until Monday to have her seen. If the incision opens wider, she starts bleeding from the incision, you notice the area becoming red, swollen, or warm to the touch, or you notice internal tissue coming out of the incision, then that is an emergency and I would rush her into a vet right away. I'm not sure if she has an Ecollar or not, but if she does, keep it on her to keep her from licking at the incision. If you don't have one, I can put a link below on how to make one at home. Best of luck, I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like that one focal area at the end of her spay incision is red, inflamed, and getting crusty. I definitely recommend having your vet take another look to make sure it's not getting infected, especially since that one spot looks dramatically different from the rest of the incision line (which appears to be healing nicely). Hope this helps!