My dog's incision is red and oozy after surgery. What should I do?

It looks like it could be an area of minor infection or irritation. Place the e-collar (cone) back on him for a few more days. Keep the area clean and dry. This may enough to allow for healing. If not, gently clean the area with diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens). Dry it thoroughly afterwards. A dab of a triple antibiotic ointment can be applied. Aloe can be used as long as the e-collar is in place. If he were to lick it and ingest the aloe vera gel, it could cause stomach upset.

This happens all the time so don't beat yourself up. Put the cone back on immediately. Then gently wipe the incision with a warm, damp cloth and pat dry. Apply neosporin (or other antibiotic ointment) tonight and tomorrow morning, then keep your appointment for tomorrow. The vet may decide to wait to take the stitches out now that there is some inflammation involved. They may also prescribe oral antibiotics if they are worried that Diesel might have infected his incision. Or it may be perfectly fine and they will remove the stitches and you and Diesel will be on your way! Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Diesel!

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.

Hello. This may need to be rechecked by the surgeon. There is some redness extending out on each side which can indicate that it is infected. I would expect it to look more healed after 8 days, so it is possible that there is some infection which is delaying the healing. I would recommend a recheck visit or possibly calling to let them know that it still seems painful . They may be able to look at your photos and determine if they want to see him or dispense any medication.

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.

The wound looks dry and not swollen. A small amount of discharge (not pus) even clear blood, would be normal. If your dog is otherwise normal, eating and drinking ok and normal activity level and not painful, I would just monitor her at this stage and make sure she does not lick the wound and rest her as much as possible. A buster collar would be helpful in case of any licking.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Panda. I would monitor this closely. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, pain, discharge, and loss of function so if you notice this getting worse or other signs develop, take him back to have him re-evaluated. You can use some topical Neosporin or similar antibiotic ointment on the incision. Just make sure if doesn't contain hydrocortisone or a steroid. Good luck