Why is my puppy licking his neuter site after e-collar removal?

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At this point this looks very superficial. If he does not lick or scratch at it, this will likely heal on its own at this point. I would put the e-collar back on until this heals completely. Good luck!

Hello. This incision is still healing and you are seeing areas where the skin edges have not completely healed together. Even though it has been 2 weeks- this photo indicates that Tucker should still be wearing an E-collar or some other device that will prevent him from licking the area. It will heal but it will take longer and you are at risk of it getting infected or opening up more if he is continued to be allowed to lick the area. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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.

He should have been healed after about 2 weeks. If he never had an e-collar (cone) on, he was likely licking the area when you weren't around or during the night. This could have caused the delay in healing. Ideally, he should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as you can. An e-collar should be obtained and placed as soon as possible to prevent further licking. A small tee shirt or onesie may prevent licking until you get a proper e-collar. Antibiotics may be indicated to treat infection. A veterinarian can dispense them, if indicated, after an exam.

Without an image or exam, it is difficult to determine if the site is infected. He should not be allowed to lick the site. Place an e-collar (cone) on him and have him physically examined by your veterinarian. Not using any sutures for closure may result in an open wound which is at high risk for complications such as infection and bleeding.

In most cases these will heal by themselves (rest is helpful!) but continue to monitor for any bleeding, pain or discharge/ps from the wound which would require further treatment. If he is licking the wound, an E collar is recommended to prevent further trauma and possible infection