Why is my chihuahua's neuter incision open 2 days after surgery?

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This warrants a veterinary examination as soon as possible. While this cannot be sutured back in place for now as it is infected and inflamed, the ultimate goal would be to treat this wound aggressively and it can improve. This is not something that can be treated at home. This will require surgical debridement, cleaning and antibiotics. This is also painful and pain control medications need to be considered as well. Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From your pictures you have provided, I would strongly suggest taking Buddy in to have the neuter incision rechecked. It looks infected and looks as though the wound will open up further. The sooner this is seen the better. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. This likely needs to be cleaned up and Buddy needs to be on an oral antibiotic.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The incision is open indeed and it will require stapling or re-suturing. A visit at your local vets or emergency service is required as this wound should not be left like this till Monday. If you clean the wound with antiseptic skin solution (ideally containing 4% chlorhexidine, for example Hibiclens) and make sure Chase does not lick the incision, you can wait and see your local vets tomorrow. Alternatively, you should try and get Chase seen at your local 24/7 vets this evening.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. - I don't think the wound will need to be re-stitched. It looks on the picture you posted that the opening is very small. This should heal without stitching. - It takes 10-12 days for incision wound to fully heal up. However, if there is wound infection or the wound opens up, the healing process may take a few days longer. - The incision usually opens up as a result of licking the wound. It also can be caused by jumping, running or any excessive exercising. - Please, talk to your vet about the yellow discharge from the wound. Caesar may need an antiseptic cream or ointment on top of antibiotics treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like the knot under the skin has worked it’s way out. I would continue to use an ecollar to prevent Tucker from licking the incision and opening it up. If after the 2 weeks of healing time the suture is still present, take him to the vet that did the surgery so they can cut it off. If you notice the incision opening, take him to a vet right away to determine if he needs antibiotics. Good luck and kisses to Tucker!

Both incisions do look red, and the incision from his undescended testicle looks as though it may be partially open. Unfortunately even though it had been two weeks it looks to me like the incisions may not have been fully healed and he was able to open them by licking. An infection would also be possible. I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. They might recommend re-suturing the incisions or potentially starting antibiotics and putting the e-collar back on.