Dog post-op: Why are there slits near her abdominal incision?

Hello. I can assure you that there are internal sutures holding the incision closed, but I assume you are worried about the small opening visible at the base of the incision. Two things you can do, the first is to make sure Rhett can not get to the incision to lick or chew at it. He may need to wear a collar or cone of shame to protect the incision. Then you can put a dab of Neosporin on the raw area, but if Rhett is leaving the incision alone, this is probably not necessary. Everything looks good to me based on your pictures. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is inflamed on that back portion with the scab but the rest looks great. It is not uncommon to have a scab on the incision but the redness can be a problem. I would soak trbscab in warm water or with a cloth to get the scabciff and make sure ours is not underneath it. After that you can apply neosporin to the area to prevent it from scanning back. Keep your appointment for Tuesday so they can check it and take the stitches out

Unfortunately the photo does show separation of the incision and draining from this area suggest that it may be infected. Yes Bailey should be seen by your vet asap to have this area investigated to determine why she is having this leakage, how far the infection is underneath, and if antibiotics or an additional surgery is required. This is not ideal; however, getting her seen quickly before it gets any worse and restricting her activity until she is seen, is the next best step towards getting this resolved. Wipe away any discharge with a clean rag and place a clean t-shirt over her to help prevent any further contamination of the area. Place her e-collar back on her as well to prevent any licking of the incision. Best of luck with Bailey and dealing with complications following her surgery. i hope that she gets this resolved very soon. Best wishes and take care.

Actually, it could be stitches, depending on what kind of material they used for that layer (we close abdominal incisions in 3 individual layers). Or it could be scar tissue. Either way, if it isn’t causing any issues, just let it be! :) If it seems to be causing discomfort or swelling, then it needs to be examined by a vet.

You need to take her to your vet to get it checked, it is indeed opened but it is just the skin layer so there is no life threatening condition here but because the puppies are in this area all the time i would recommend having it closed with a few staples by your vet, this can be done without anesthesia.

Sometimes skin incisions that were closed with glue will pucker at the very ends and open slightly. However, the middle pucker appears a little swollen. I would recommend that you take Chloe to a vet to check the incision. Usually the vet that performed the surgery will do brief incision checks at no charge. Sometimes another spot of glue is all that is needed to get it to heal properly. Sometimes the puckers are left open to heal on their own. If the vet finds signs of infection, oral antibiotics can be prescribed. Make sure that Chloe is not licking the incision. If you see her lick even once she needs to wear an e-collar or cone to prevent further opening of the incision. Also, she needs to still be on moderate activity restriction - even though this can be difficult in young puppies, encourage her to stay flat and not jump around too much. And no bathing for at least 1 week after surgery.

Have her rechecked by your veterinarian. The site should have been fully healed by now unless she has been licking it or overly active. Place an e-collar (cone) on her and restrict activity to just leash walks for elimination until she sees the doctor. A staple, suture or glue may be applied once any infection or trauma has been ruled out by the vet.