My dog's neuter incision bleeding after cone off. Should I worry?

It's normal for a dog to lick the scabs. After 13 days, Milo's incision should be fully healed, and if there is a small amount of blood, I would not worry. I would start worrying if the area appears infected, in which case you would see redness, swelling, the area would be warm to the touch, and you'd see pus. If he is licking the area excessively, then I would put the cone back on and have him see the vet. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question about Lucky. Yes, Lucky needs to wear the cone at all times until the incision is completely healed. If he leaves it alone, there is a high likelihood that it will heal on its own. It takes roughly 10-14 days to heal an incision and he damaged it around around day 10 so that is going to delay things a bit. Check the incision daily for redness, swelling or discharge. If you see this, he needs to go to the veterinarian for a likely infection from licking. Keep the incision clean and dry. Don’t worry about putting anything on it. It will likely form a new scab and will continue the healing process. I do recommend to have him checked by his veterinarian in about 1 week. I hope you found this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, it would be best to have the wound checked over by your vet as the edges don’t seem to be perfectly together. It might be normal, but it’s best to have the wound checked in person to make sure no underlying infection is present.

Check the incision whether a stitch came out or whether it opened. If not, then all is well . You need to keep your dog from licking the incision. Licking prevents the incision from healing. If the incision keeps bleeding or if the incision looks open, you need to go back to your vet to have it closed again.

That does look a bit concerning with the blood, and if Agno is hunching or acting painful (with the quick steps and then sitting), I'd worry that it is bothering him. I would use a warm washcloth compress for 10-15 minutes to help reduce any pain or swelling and also to clean up the area gently so you can see if there is extra discharge or swelling. If this causes him pain, there is discharge that is discolored, green, or yellow, or the site is opening back up again, a trip to the vet is best to treat any infection and make sure the surgery site is healing properly. Until you can get to the vet, strict kennel rest (leashed walks only) is best to help reduce pain and prevent any open wounds from tearing further.

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

Hello. I have never heard of leaving a dog neuter incision open like this. We do it in cats & horses, but not dogs. If this is your veterinarians practice, then he should have sent home a Elizabethan cone to prevent Cutty from getting to & licking the incision. Personally, I do not like the way it looks & really think it needs to be cleaned up & sutured closed. Until you can see your vet, please purchase a protective collar to keep him from licking & clean the area 2-3 times daily with a povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine skin cleanser. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.