My puppy's spay incision is oozing clear fluid. Is this normal?

I cannot speak for your vet but Spays are sterile procedures. This means it is done in a sterile bacteria free area. Sometimes patients can have suture reactions or inflammation around the surgery site secondary to movement. Also sometimes mild discharge if clear in color is not actually a bacterial infection. The clear discharge can be just secondary to the inflammation and reaction. However at anytime if you see green/yellow discharge, heat around the incision, increase in patients temperature or the incision separating I would recommend taking Lexi back to the vet for possible antibiotics and a close exam of the incision. I hope that helps and Lexi makes a speedy recovery.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. While the antibiotics should prevent a real nasty infection from progressing, I would also recommend gently cleaning the area with dilute betadine and warm water. Add a couple of tablespoons of the betadine into 1/2 cup of warm water, & clean off any serum that has accumulated around the incision. Do not scrub the incision. Dry the area, & you can wrap her abdomen using an absorbant pad & either vetwrap or coban. Most general pharmacies will have all this. You can also place an infant t-shirt on her, tying up the bottom to cinch her just in front of the hindlegs. Keep the cone on, & clean the wound several times a day. If it is not healing or the discharge increases or changes in any way, see your vet immediately. Good luck with her, she should be fine in 7-10 days.

Hi and thanks for getting in touch with us! The incision seems relatively healthy, with a small amount of dry discharge. Antibiotics will prevent any infection. She should be checked only if the discharge is increasing and she seems uncomfortable and lethargic. She should be absolutely kept indoors and rested as much as possible. A cone/buster collar should be kept on at all times.

Unfortunately it is hard to tell from the picture what is going on. If her spay incision is leaking fluid I recommend taking her back to the veterinarian. Incisions can get infected and need antibiotics and I would make sure this is not going on with her.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is probably ok for now though it does indicate that there was some discharge and potentially an infection. I would recommend that you keep a very close eye on the incision site. If you notice any active discharge (moist instead of dry), bleeding or pain, have her evaluated as soon as possible to make sure it is not an active infection. Keep the area clean for now. If no more discharge is noted, it is possible that it will heal completely on its own. Good luck and have a nice day!

As long as the draining fluid is clear, and there is no opening or removed stitch I would leave it as it is and not put a wrap around it Make sure Luna wears an e-collar so she cannot lick the incision. If the incision turns red, puffy, painful and/or has a discharge other than clear, you will need to take her back to the vet office for a recheck.

Thumps is certainly lucky to have an owner that is so attentive to her. It sounds like you are doing everything right. The most important things after surgery are to make sure that the area stays clean and dry. If the area does not feel wet, then Thumps may have just has a small amount of oozing around the stitches that has dried. If the incision appears red, swollen or painful, I would certainly have it examined. The only other idea I have for when you go back to work would be to put a T-shirt on Thumps to prevent her from scratching the stitches with her back legs if that becomes a problem. Otherwise, I think having her in the cone in a kennel should be perfect. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.