My dog's spay incision swelled then leaked watery blood. Is it okay?

The site itself looks good. No swelling, redness or bruising and it appears closed. The slight discharge does not appear to be frank blood. It looks like it may be fluid from a seroma. Seromas can occur after surgery. Continue to monitor the site, If the discharge increases or has a bad odor then see your veterinarian. Monitor Delilah for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. These are symptoms that should also be addressed by your vet. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing of the site. You can use a diluted betadine or Hibiclens solution around the site to keep the area clean.

If the area is leaking a clear/light pinkish fluid, that makes me thing she has a seroma. A seroma is a collection of fluid, usually occurring at an incision site. This is not a medical emergency, so I would wait to take Lily into the vet until Monday. Keep her quiet and rested until then, no running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a lead only, and bring her right back in when done. I would keep an eye on the swelling, and if pus starts coming out, or it becomes red, swollen, or warm to the touch, then I would bring her into a vet right away.

If Marley has significant swelling with bloody discharge from her incision, she should be seen re-examined by her vet. This can indicate infection and poor healing of the incision. She will likely be started on a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. Make sure she is wearing an e-collar (cone) at all times until her incision as fully healed to prevent further issues.

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.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oaklee. The incision looks irritated. Has she been able to lick or scratch it? If so, make she to prevent her any access to the site. Keep the area clean and dry. It should look better everyday after the surgery. If it becomes more red, has more discharge, is warm or painful to her, then you will need to see her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

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.