My puppy's spay incision has a yellow tinge. Is it infected?

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!

Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking. Restrict activity as much as possible. As long as there is no active bleeding, Lilo can likely wait until your veterinarian is available. If there is active bleeding, discharge, lethargy or fever then have her seen at the nearest veterinary ER.

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.

Since the incision is not open, as long as your pet is feeling okay (no fever, lethargy, etc).. it is okay to wait until the morning. At that time, contact the surgeon and schedule a recheck as they will definitely want to see the incision. It does look like there is some infection starting and that will need to be treated with antibiotics. If you have an Elizabethan collar or "cone" to put on her until you get to the vet, that would be a great idea. The area is probably tender and itchy and she may want to lick it, which may cause more damage.

I'm glad to hear that Bree is feeling well after her spay surgery. However, the single most important thing you can do during her recovery is preventing her from licking at the incision for at least 10-14 days after surgery. The best way to achieve this is by putting an e-collar (cone) on her. These are typically available through veterinarians or most pet stores. The blood and yellow discharge could indicate a sign of incisional infection from her licking, or could be irritation caused from her jumping and activity. Since you are seeing blood and yellow discharge, I do recommend taking Bree back to her vet for an exam to determine if an infection is present. If her incision has become infected, topical antibiotic sprays are not typically very effective and oral antibiotics are often needed. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

It does look like there could be some irritation and possibly infection here based on the discharge I am seeing. There appears to be mild inflammation of the area. I would recommend putting an e-collar (the cone shaped collar) on Piper and calling her vet in the morning. The vet may need to prescribe antibiotics, give you an e-collar if you don't already have one, and may be able to prescribe a sedative if you are having trouble keeping Piper calm. In the meantime, confine her to a small room or kennel if you have one available. Best of luck to you and Piper!