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What to do if my hyper dog keeps licking her surgical incision?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 10 months and 16 days old

My dog is extremely hyper. She is a German Shepherd and is inside but I caught her licking her incision and the vet told me to put some antibiotic ointment on it and this is what it looks like now. Should I be concerned?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Anna M., DVM

Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 26th, 2019

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!
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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