My dog's neuter site is swollen, red, and itchy. Is this normal?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Swelling of scrotum is not uncommon after neutering. As long as the swelling is not painful to touch, is not bothering Sheldon and he is acting as normal, you can monitor him at home. However, if the scrotum becomes hot to touch, painful or your dog is lethargic, you should take him back to your vets for a course of painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications. Typically, this kind of swelling goes down a few days after castration.

Poor guy...that does look uncomfortable. It may be infected, but I would suspect a discharge at the incision or a fever, lethargy. It is more likely that this is a scrotal hematoma. These typically do resolve in their own, but it can take weeks. Keep his activity level as low as possible to discourage more swelling, continue the anti inflammatory medication, make sure he cannot bite or lick it by using a “cone” if needed. It can provide some relief if he will allow you to do a cold compress on the area. Try wrapping an ice pack with cloth and apply to the area for 15 minutes..three times daily. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Theo. From your picture, it appears to be healing normally. That being said, pictures can be deceiving. I recommend taking him to your veterinarian for a quick peek. They will gently clean the incision site to ensure that it is healing normally and the tissue is healthy underneath the scab. In the meantime, do not allow him to lick the area. I hope this information helps!

Hello. The scrotal area is bruised, but there is no indication of infection. Make sure Hank is not licking at the incision. If he is not already wearing a cone or something to keep him from reaching the area, I would put one on & leave it on when you are not with him. He may not like it, but it will allow the incision to heal much faster. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Indy. The amount of swelling still appears within the realm of normal post-operative. Neosporin can be irritating to the skin of dogs. So if it looks worse, I would stop applying it. You must ensure that he is not licking the surgical site as this will make it worse. Limit his movements as much as possible as well. Increased activity will lead to additional swelling. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Teddy. I suspect that he has been too active and has some post-surgical swelling as a result. When an adult dog is neutered, there is a very high rate of swelling in the scrotum unless the dog is kept very quiet. If he is just too energetic, you may need to request a sedative from his veterinarian. The incision site has mild swelling, but appears to be healing. Be sure to keep him from licking. I hope this information helps!

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!