My dog licked her CCL stitches. They're red and inflamed. What now?

I would make sure she isn't licking it and not being too active. I would keep her confined to a crate or small bathroom and only take her out on a leash for short walks to go to the bathroom. You can put a cone collar on her to prevent the licking. From the picture, they do look a litte red but otherwise it looks good. You can put a little neosporin or bacitracin on the area as long as it doesn't attract her attention to it. If she is leaving it alone, then the ointment will likely make her lick it and that isn't ideal. I hope this helps. If you are still unsure by how it looks, I would have your vet take a peek at it when you are able.

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!

The area certainly looks less inflamed. As long as there is not discharge, heat, worsening of swelling, or pain I would not be overly concerned. I would keep her cone on until the inflammation is resolved. You do not need to clean the area overly as this can cause more irritation to the skin. The incision itself looks healed but has areas of irritation. This should resolve, if not I would be worried about a suture reaction or incisional infection and then she should certainly see a veterinarian.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Geno and for providing pictures, they are very helpful! I see what you mean about the area being a little more irritated than before. I definitely see how it's redder. I don't think it's infected, so I would keep an eye on him for now. Rest him more, and if it gets redder, warm to the touch, swollen, or you see pus, then take him into the vet. I hope this helps!

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!

The incision appears closed in the pictures and the blood around the incision appears dried, so that is all good news. However, the incision is much redder and more swollen than I would expect it to be the day after surgery, so I would be concerned that she has been licking at the incision. If you don't have one, I would recommend getting an e-collar to prevent her from licking at the incision and keep her in a kennel to make sure that she cannot run and jump and risk opening the incision. If the incision starts to ooze or continues to be red and swollen, you may need to have your veterinarian examine it to make sure that it isn't infected. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Maggy heals quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for the picture of Malina's paw, I see what you mean about the incision being pink. This is likely due to irritation from her licking it. Stitches can be removed between 10-14 days after being placed, and since they are bothering her, I would take her into the vet to have this checked out and see if they can be removed. It's really hard to constantly supervise a dog, so I would urge you to keep an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking this further. You can buy one at a pet store or make one at home. I hope this helps!