My dog's neuter stitches are swollen and bloody. Should I see a vet?

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.

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!

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!

That does look a bit concerning with the blood, and if Agno is hunching or acting painful (with the quick steps and then sitting), I'd worry that it is bothering him. I would use a warm washcloth compress for 10-15 minutes to help reduce any pain or swelling and also to clean up the area gently so you can see if there is extra discharge or swelling. If this causes him pain, there is discharge that is discolored, green, or yellow, or the site is opening back up again, a trip to the vet is best to treat any infection and make sure the surgery site is healing properly. Until you can get to the vet, strict kennel rest (leashed walks only) is best to help reduce pain and prevent any open wounds from tearing further.

Thank you for the picture of his incision, it's very helpful. After 12 days, the incision should be fully healed, and in the picture, it doesn't look red, swollen, or infected. There is an area in the middle that looks a little open, and that may be from him pulling at the stitches, but it doesn't look fully open. I would put a cone back on him to keep him from pulling at the stitches more, and take him to a regular vet if you can on Monday to get the rest of them removed. There isn't a need for an emergency vet at this point in time. If you cannot get him into another vet on Monday, you can wait until Tuesday to see his normal vet as long his incision doesn't become infected or open up more. Again, keep a cone on him to keep him for getting at the stitches. I hope this helps!

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.

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!