My dog is scooting and bruised after neutering. Is this normal?

Pain after neutering does occur, and your vet can give you pain medication for him if they haven't already. After neutering, some dogs can be tired and want to rest a little more than usual. Keep an eye on the stitches where the surgery was done, and make sure they don't become red and swollen. Do not let your dog lick the stitches. Your dog likely didn't poop until this morning because they weren't allowed any food for 12 hours before the surgery, so they wouldn't have anything to poop out. Butt scooting can also indicate parasites, so if his worming isn't up to date, I would get worming tablets from your vet. If the incision site becomes red, swollen, and warm to the touch, I would contact your vet right away for an appointment. It is also okay to give your vet a call if you are concerned about your dog being in pain, and see what options they can give you for pain relief.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Boris. It could be his bum area is itchy causing this behavior. This may be due to intestinal worms or his anal sacs may be impacted. I would have him seen by a vet for this in the morning. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your questions about Hunter. In the first picture, his incision looks great. In the second, it looks a bit swollen, but it may be the angle and the way he is laying down. Some redness is normal, yes. As for the pooping, he may be a bit constipated. Feed him canned food and add water to it to see if that helps. He may be scooting because his behind is itchy, which can be due to something like anal sac impaction or intestinal worms. Give his vet a call to let them know you are seeing these signs, and they can let you know if they want to see him. I hope this helps!

Hi, I have seen bruising like this myself in several cases and in itself is not a cause of concern as long as Ollie is eating, drinking, and seems comfortable. You could apply a cream on the bruised area, such as Arnicare twice a day (Arnica cream), skipping the area where the stitches are and obviously keep an eye on him. If he should be quiet, uncomfortable, not eating, I would recommend to have him checked over, if not just keep him home and monitor him. Hope all goes well, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. That is a lot of bruising, but it just indicates that there was some subsurface capillary bleeding. This can occur in any surgery, but most often is the result of too much activity too soon after surgery. Try to confine Barklie a little more, by keeping him indoors & leash walking only for another week. If he is licking a lot, you may have to put an Elizabethan collar on him for a week or so so everything can heal. You can pick up the collars at most pet stores or even Tractor Supply if one is near you. If you are truly concerned, it is always best to have the veterinarian who did the surgery take a look to make sure everything is OK. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

They are likely not full again but may be a bit irritated due to the expression. If your dog keeps scooting for more than a day or two then I suggest you take him back to your veterinarian for a recheck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes this goes away on its own after a few hours. However, if this does not improve, have Peanut evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment as anal sac expression may be indicated as this may be due to anal sac impaction or infection. Good luck and have a great day!