My dog had surgery, licking incision. Should I finish all antibiotics?

Hello, and thanks for your question about Junie. Of course, a photo isn't the same as being able to examine Junie in person, but that incision still looks pretty good to me. There's a little mild redness where I presume she was licking, but no swelling, and I don't see any discharge. The most important thing now is to make sure you keep Junie from continuing to lick the incision, as that really could cause problems. She should wear a cone / E-collar for 10-14 days until that incision line is completely healed. If you don't already have one from your vet, they are available to purchase at most pet stores, such as PetCo. Secure it to her collar, and make sure it's a large enough size so she can't lick around the top of it! You can also ask your vet about a mild oral sedative medication to help keep her a bit quieter during this recovery period. I know it's not easy to keep a high energy dog quiet when they think they feel fine! But it's really important for her healing that she not over do it. Hope this helps!

I would recommend getting a larger ecollar and let your veterinarian know that this has occurred. He probably is trying to get to the sutures and this is the only area he can reach. This will get worse if he keeps licking. Your vet may just extend his antibiotics or just tell you to keep it clean. His incision looks great! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately, legally we are prohibited from telling you it is okay to start antibiotics. This has to come from your veterinarian after a physical exam. Inappropriate antibiotic use can lead to resistant bacteria. You shouldn't have any antibiotics "left over", it is always best to finish the course. You can place an e-collar (cone) on Apollo to prevent licking. This may be enough to allow for healing. Clean the area daily with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. If there is no improvement in 2-3 days, have Apollo examined by your veterinarian.

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!

I am afraid the itch is the wound trying to heal. Anything that would stop the itching would likely also hinder healing. I actually think the woulnd is irritating him and a natural reaction to that is to lick the wound. Of course we need to keep him from licking the wound and contaminating it with nasty mouth bacteria as well as opening the wound. So, Priat will need to be brave and plow through having a e-collar or wearing the doggy jacket. It will keep him from licking and so facilitates healing. The pain and itching should be gone in a few days (DO NOT take off the jacket until your vet says so). He will get used to it and be a good boy.

Yes. Make Romeo wear the collar again. Some pets remember that there was something they wanted to lick and they will do so at the first opportunity. Although he cannot injure the incision anymore, he could cause an infection if he licks it too much. Over the next week you can gradually start to give him more freedom but you should not leave him unsupervised without the collar until things are back to normal. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would continue the antibiotic for few more days (3-4) and keep the area clean. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!