My dog's neuter stitches are exposed. Is this normal, or what do I do?

Hello. This incision is still healing and you are seeing areas where the skin edges have not completely healed together. Even though it has been 2 weeks- this photo indicates that Tucker should still be wearing an E-collar or some other device that will prevent him from licking the area. It will heal but it will take longer and you are at risk of it getting infected or opening up more if he is continued to be allowed to lick the area. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Neuter incisions are closed with two layers of stitches. Your vet only removed the outer layer of stitches. The inside layer is never removed and will eventually dissolve. There is still a chance he is having a suture reaction to the inside layer. Typically this will resolve on its own over time with no treatment. Occasionally, if the issue doesn't resolve, a second surgery must be done to remove the old "inside" stitches and replace them with a different type of suture material. I suggest you keep a cone collar on Cosmo until the issue is completely resolved. If he licks this area too much this will cause a severe problem, a possible infection and he may even open the incision. I don't recommend you put anything on the incision. It's best to leave it be. If the swelling gets worse, or there is discharge from the incision then he definitely needs to go back to the vet. If Cosmo is very uncomfortable then you may also want to take him back to the vet so they can prescribe an anti-inflammatory for him. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

He should have been healed after about 2 weeks. If he never had an e-collar (cone) on, he was likely licking the area when you weren't around or during the night. This could have caused the delay in healing. Ideally, he should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as you can. An e-collar should be obtained and placed as soon as possible to prevent further licking. A small tee shirt or onesie may prevent licking until you get a proper e-collar. Antibiotics may be indicated to treat infection. A veterinarian can dispense them, if indicated, after an exam.

The incision is opening a little, but it does not appear infected or inflamed, so I wouldn't be too worried. The stitches do sometimes show at the end of the incision and it doesn't look like these have broken. It's best to have the vet who did the neuter examine Shero within a day or so to better evaluate this and do any necessary treatment. For now, it's best to not do anything to the incision. You may be tempted to put something like iodine on it, but this would actually be more harmful than good. Considering the incision appears clean, you will have time before it needs treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Shero.

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.

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.