My dog's neuter stitches look inflamed. Is this normal recovery?

Based on the photo, it does not appear to be infected or overly swollen. There is likely some discomfort from the incision healing (itchiness) and pain from the procedure. If you believe that the pain is not well controlled, I would reach out to your veterinarian to discuss additional pain medications. Continue to monitor for any signs of infection such as discharge, swelling and redness. I hope this helps!

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!

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.

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The photo looks like there is a little crusted discharge around the incision, which is OK. As long as the swelling continues to stay down, and you don't see yellow, thick, purulent liquid coming from the incision site, he will likely be OK. Winston should absolutely be wearing an Elizabethan collar (cone collar) AT ALL TIMES until his sutures are removed. It is best to restrict his activity too so that he is not stretching or pulling at his stitches. I hope this is helpful!

If there were stitches in place it's possible they may have torn since the area looks open (it's hard to tell from a photo alone). If the are is oozing or stitches are obviously torn open I would bring Hank back to your vet for care. Otherwise, keeping the area clean and dry can help prevent infection. Hank should also be on strict kennel rest and leashed-walks only along with an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent him from pulling any stitches until healed.

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!