My dog's neuter incision is swollen and looks open. Is it serious?

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The incision appears to be closed, although it isn't a pretty incision, it is functional. : )There is one area that has a pustule (infected pocket) there, but it should heal with the antibiotics that he is on. This is a common thing that occurs in pets that have a mild reaction to the sutures or staples placed, nothing serious to be concerned about at this time. So far, this looks to be healing appropriately. : ) Keep an eye on the pustule there, it may rupture, and if it does just wipe it with a clean dry towel and make sure the incision does not get wet in any way. Also ensure that Waffles keeps his e-collar on at all times to avoid him getting to the incision and potentially taking out staples, which could cause this to open up. With the antibiotics on board, the incision and pustule should heal completely by day 10. Keep an eye out also for any profuse drainage, separation of the incision line, or increased redness, and get this rechecked by your vet sooner if seen. For now, things look quite stable. : ) I hope that Waffles continue to heal well post neuter. Best of luck and take care.

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

It doesn't appear that there is much swelling other than between the sutures here, and I don't see any discharge/leakage from the incision. If he is acting normally/normal energy and there is no leakage from the area I don't think this is an emergency, but I would recommend getting it looked at in the next day or so. He could be having a suture reaction which can cause inflammation/irritation to the incision site. I would put an e-collar on him at all times if he doesn't already have one, to prevent him from causing any trauma, and you can put an ice pack over the area to decrease swelling- just be sure to cover it with a cloth because the incision can't get damp/wet. If you don't want to drive back to Banfield, any vet office should be able to examine the incision, they will just want to charge an exam fee, which may be worth it so you don't have to drive so far!

Thank you for the picture of Apollo's incision, it's very helpful. I agree the incision does look a bit swollen and red, and I'm concerned there is some bleeding. Please feel the skin area, and if it's warm as well, he needs to see an ER vet immediately. Otherwise, wait until the morning and take him in then. Should the area keep swelling during the night, it keeps bleeding, and/or he becomes lethargic, then rush him into an ER vet right away. I hope this helps!

This swelling is likely edema from the inflammation or infection, You should finish giving the antibiotics prescribed by your vet. If the swelling is still there when you have finished the course of antibiotics, you should take your dog back to the vet for a recheck. This actually does not look very bad, as it is neither red, nor painful nor looks abnormal other than the edema/swelling.

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.

Poor Quentin! From what I can see in the photo, it does look like he has some swelling and discoloration of the scrotum, and a small amount of bruising around the incision site itself. These issues can sometimes happen after a neuter - they're more common if the dog has been too active (I know this is hard to avoid sometimes!), but sometimes they just happen as a result of the surgery itself, just like post-op swelling and soreness in humans. If your pup is still eating and drinking normally, and seems alert and otherwise okay apart from being sore and reluctant to move around much, then it would be reasonable to wait until Monday to have him checked out by your regular veterinarian. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medication, as there are no OTC human options that are safe for use in dogs. In the meantime, you can use a warm compress on the area (a washcloth soaked in warm water, and then wrung out) for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day if he'll let you - this can help some with the soreness, and help the swelling resolve more quickly. I would also restrict his exercise as much as possible (crate rest would be best), since the more he moves around, the more he will aggravate the swelling. Make sure he isn't licking the incision or his scrotum at all, as this will also make things worse - use an e-collar (plastic cone) if needed to prevent this. If you feel that the swelling and bruising is continuing to get worse over the course of the weekend, or if your pup is not eating or acting extremely depressed/lethargic, then the safest bet would be to have him seen at your nearest emergency clinic to make sure there's nothing more serious going on.