My dog has a red patch near his neuter incision. Should I worry?

The red discoloured area seems to only be a bruise in the skin. I would not be very concerned and it should go away on its own. Just like with bruises on our skin, though they are healing they can sometimes appear larger or darker first. Issues to watch out for which would indicate a problem and a need to return to the veterinarian; Swelling Redness which is getting much larger or darker very quickly Redness at the incision site Discharge Bleeding Foul order Pain behaviours - hiding, lack of interest in food Fever Vomiting or dirrhoea

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The red area next to his incision looks like some bruising that likely occurred due to trauma/pinching of the area during surgery. Bruising can worsen during the first 2-3 days following a procedure, but should start to improve after that time. The dried blood/crusting around his incision is not abnormal either. If Charlie Brown will tolerate it, you can gently wipe the crusting away using a damp wash cloth once daily, but not any more frequent than this. I definitely recommend keeping Charlie Brown's Elizabethan collar on AT ALL TIMES until his sutures are removed by your veterinarian to prevent him from licking at the area and causing trauma/increasing the risk of an incisional infection. If the bruising worsens after day 3-4 post-op, and/or you notice yellow/thick, foul-smelling discharge, and/or if any of the sutures seem to have fallen out, I recommend having Charlie Brown seen by your veterinarian right away. Otherwise, I recommend monitoring the area and keeping his E-collar on. Best of luck with Charlie Brown! And THANK YOU for neutering your pet!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chulo. Hemorrhaging is a life threatening surgical complication that typically occurs relatively soon after the surgery. The patient becomes weak, pale and very lethargic. If he has any of these signs, then you need to seek emergency care right away. If he is eating, drinking and acting like himself, then it is more likely that he has some post-surgical swelling and bruising of the scrotum. The incision site itself appears to be healing well. I recommend following up with his veterinarian to ensure he does not require additional treatment. For example, some dogs that are too active will require mild sedatives to keep them quiet and allow their body to heal. 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.

Hello. There is probably a small piece of suture material that was used to close the tissue under the skin, trying to poke out. Oft times, this will eventually close up on its own, & there is no danger that Max will totally open things up, but it is probably a good idea to show this to the vet that did the surgery just in case an antibiotic is called for. No emergency, just have this looked at in the next few days. Until then, just clean the area gently with a skin antiseptic containing chlorhexidine ( we have Hibiclens here in the US ) 2-3 times a day. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's difficult to tell from just a picture. The skin is definitely discolored, but this could be from the surgical prep (iodine), or from dried blood. If the skin is not stained, then this would be abnormal and would indicate bruising or an infection. You can test for stained skin by gently wiping the skin with a little hydrogen peroxide. Avoid wiping the incision (the middle) and just wipe the edges. If it's staining, then the redness will start to be lifted with just a couple of wipes. If the wiping is unsuccessful at removing the discoloration, then it's likely bruising or infection and I'd recommend he get checked by the vet in the next 24 hours. I hope that helps and all is well with your dog.

That appears to be a small scab and likely no cause for concern. The post op swelling is minimal and the bruising should be decreasing as well. Keep the e-collar (cone) on him and monitor for redness, swelling, bleeding or lethargy.