Is a black spot on my dog's neuter incision normal after surgery?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The red area next to his incision looks like some bruising that likely occurred due to trauma/pinching of the area during surgery. Bruising can worsen during the first 2-3 days following a procedure, but should start to improve after that time. The dried blood/crusting around his incision is not abnormal either. If Charlie Brown will tolerate it, you can gently wipe the crusting away using a damp wash cloth once daily, but not any more frequent than this. I definitely recommend keeping Charlie Brown's Elizabethan collar on AT ALL TIMES until his sutures are removed by your veterinarian to prevent him from licking at the area and causing trauma/increasing the risk of an incisional infection. If the bruising worsens after day 3-4 post-op, and/or you notice yellow/thick, foul-smelling discharge, and/or if any of the sutures seem to have fallen out, I recommend having Charlie Brown seen by your veterinarian right away. Otherwise, I recommend monitoring the area and keeping his E-collar on. Best of luck with Charlie Brown! And THANK YOU for neutering your pet!

Although there is some bruising around the area this is quite normal and the wound looks to be clean, sealed and dry at this stage. Continue to monitor for any gaping or discharge from the wound but this is quite unlikely at this stage

The red discoloured area seems to only be a bruise in the skin. I would not be very concerned and it should go away on its own. Just like with bruises on our skin, though they are healing they can sometimes appear larger or darker first. Issues to watch out for which would indicate a problem and a need to return to the veterinarian; Swelling Redness which is getting much larger or darker very quickly Redness at the incision site Discharge Bleeding Foul order Pain behaviours - hiding, lack of interest in food Fever Vomiting or dirrhoea

Hello. That is a lot of bruising, but it just indicates that there was some subsurface capillary bleeding. This can occur in any surgery, but most often is the result of too much activity too soon after surgery. Try to confine Barklie a little more, by keeping him indoors & leash walking only for another week. If he is licking a lot, you may have to put an Elizabethan collar on him for a week or so so everything can heal. You can pick up the collars at most pet stores or even Tractor Supply if one is near you. If you are truly concerned, it is always best to have the veterinarian who did the surgery take a look to make sure everything is OK. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am concerned that it looks like bruising, and that there appears to be a large scab over the incision. Neither of these things are particularly uncommon, but both warrant an exam by a veterinarian to ensure that there is no infection, fluid pockets, or bleeding that could occur after any surgery. Also, make sure that Sandy wears her e-collar at all times to prevent licking as this could make the possible issues even worse.

There appears to be some bruising there but if the incision is not warm, swollen, opening, nor have any discharge these are good signs. Given the bruising, activity restriction and an e collar will remain important. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

That looks fine for soon after surgery. If he licks at his incision, you should get him a cone to keep him from paying too much attention to it and delaying healing or opening it back up. The bruising is not unusual and should fade over the next few days. Keep him from running, jumping, crate him or confine him in a small room if need be. He should go out on a leash only just to potty and then back inside. He can be out with you if you're home and able to keep an eye on him. After a week to ten days of restricted activity he should be ready to resume his normal routine.