My dog's pyometra post-surgery incision is swollen. Is it normal?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Daria. If she is not acting normal, this is worrisome. She should not be getting more painful this many days out from surgery. It is worth having her rechecked by a veterinarian. In the meantime, keep the incision clean and dry. Do not allow her to lick it. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

This does look quite swollen and would be worthwhile having it rechecked and a small sample drawing to rule out infection and to determine if any additional treatment is required. It can occasionally require revision and restitching to close the pocket of swelling if persistent as the skin becomes stretched

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about IIsie. The top half of the incision looks like it's healing beautifully. You can see some redness and if the staples are tighter at the bottom of the incision, it could account for the swelling. I agree there are no signs of infection from the picture, so continue to monitor the incision for now. If the area gets redder, more swollen, and/or you see other signs of infection, then I would be concerned and have her seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Panda's spay incision does appear to be red and a little swollen. Swelling at a spay site can be due to a variety of reasons, including infection, inflammation from a reaction to the suture material, or over-activity after her procedure, among others. I would recommend Panda be seen by her regular veterinarian to have the swelling evaluated, and start any medications (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory) that she may need. In the meantime, I would recommend icing the area as well. Good luck!

It looks like there could be some inflammation at the site of the incision. That could be due to her body breaking down the sutures, or she caused some sort of trauma to the area. If she is acting normal and you don't feel any swelling around that area I would wait and see if it improves. But if there is swelling, drainage, or pain I would worry about a dehiscence (opening of the incision) which would be an emergency and she should see a vet immediately.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The incision looks inflammed, but this could be part of the normal healing process. If there is any discharge, OR if the wound looked better than this previously and is now looking MORE red than say Friday or Saturday, I would take her back to the vet right away. If it is steadily looking better, and she is eating, drinking, pooping and peeing normally, then you can continue to monitor it. Best of luck with Lilo.

The incision appears closed in the pictures and the blood around the incision appears dried, so that is all good news. However, the incision is much redder and more swollen than I would expect it to be the day after surgery, so I would be concerned that she has been licking at the incision. If you don't have one, I would recommend getting an e-collar to prevent her from licking at the incision and keep her in a kennel to make sure that she cannot run and jump and risk opening the incision. If the incision starts to ooze or continues to be red and swollen, you may need to have your veterinarian examine it to make sure that it isn't infected. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Maggy heals quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.