Is my dog's spleen surgery incision infected? She's pink & lazy.

It is hard to tell from the picture - heat, redness, discharge , smell and pus would be the red flags most concerning. A small bit of swelling and blood spots is not uncommon but a post surgery recheck to monitor her temperature and signs of infection would be recommended for safety as infection could cause problems in the longterm

It looks like there is accumulation of fluid (the cranial swelling) and inflammation of the surgical site. the rest of the wound looks like it is healing. a check up and physical examination it is essential in her case to rule out any accumulation of fluid (which could be even pus).

It appears to be healing fine based on what I can tell from this photo. You can use some Neosporin on it topically twice a day for the next week or so. I would only be worried if it becomes swollen or is draining fluid from it. Hope this helps!

It's difficult to tell from just a picture. The skin is definitely discolored, but this could be from the surgical prep (iodine), or from dried blood. If the skin is not stained, then this would be abnormal and would indicate bruising or an infection. You can test for stained skin by gently wiping the skin with a little hydrogen peroxide. Avoid wiping the incision (the middle) and just wipe the edges. If it's staining, then the redness will start to be lifted with just a couple of wipes. If the wiping is unsuccessful at removing the discoloration, then it's likely bruising or infection and I'd recommend he get checked by the vet in the next 24 hours. I hope that helps and all is well with your dog.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Panda's spay incision does appear to be red and a little swollen. Swelling at a spay site can be due to a variety of reasons, including infection, inflammation from a reaction to the suture material, or over-activity after her procedure, among others. I would recommend Panda be seen by her regular veterinarian to have the swelling evaluated, and start any medications (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory) that she may need. In the meantime, I would recommend icing the area as well. Good luck!

If you have any doubt you should take her back to your vet and have it checked, maybe she needs an antibiotic course, it's not uncommon. you can also take a picture and re-post the question with the uploaded picture, maybe we can tell you if there is anything to worry about or not.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about IIsie. The top half of the incision looks like it's healing beautifully. You can see some redness and if the staples are tighter at the bottom of the incision, it could account for the swelling. I agree there are no signs of infection from the picture, so continue to monitor the incision for now. If the area gets redder, more swollen, and/or you see other signs of infection, then I would be concerned and have her seen by a vet. I hope this helps!