My dog just had a splenectomy. Is some incision bleeding normal?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos, it appears as though the area around the incision is slightly swollen with a small amount of blood evident. If Mia is otherwise normal and the color of her gums is nice and pink, I would suggest applying some pressure to the incision area and holding this for 10-15 minutes to see if the bleeding stops. With her being hyper, she certainly could have caused a blood vessel in her skin to begin bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop with pressure, I would get her examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

A small amount of seeping is to be expected. Any active bleeding that won't stop should be addressed by your veterinarian. Bella should have an e-collar (cone) on to prevent licking ro chewing the sutures. Try to restrict her activity as much as you can. leash walk her when she has to go outside.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It can be normal to see a small amount of blood-tinged/clear fluid (what we term serosanguinous discharge) from an incision within the first 24-48 hours following a surgical procedure. This discharge will typically decrease in amount and should have resolved within 48 hours following surgery. Clinical signs that could indicate a problem with the incision (such as dehiscence or infection) or abdomen would include a swelling that was not previously noted that is painful and may be firm or fluid-filled, discharge that looks purulent (pus) or has a foul odor, extreme reddening of the incision, or if Ashleigh is exhibiting lethargy, fever, inappetance, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Hello. There is probably a small piece of suture material that was used to close the tissue under the skin, trying to poke out. Oft times, this will eventually close up on its own, & there is no danger that Max will totally open things up, but it is probably a good idea to show this to the vet that did the surgery just in case an antibiotic is called for. No emergency, just have this looked at in the next few days. Until then, just clean the area gently with a skin antiseptic containing chlorhexidine ( we have Hibiclens here in the US ) 2-3 times a day. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

The image shows no drips or tracks of blood. This may be some normal post op discharge. If she will allow, you can use a plain, unscented baby wipe to gently clean around the incision. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her and restrict her activity to just leash walks for elimination. Avoid or prevent running, jumping, stairs or rough play as much as possible. If she has a crate, consider crating her for the night. Monitor for active bleeding, discharge, lethargy or pale gums. If any of these develop, she should be seen by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

First of all--coming from an emergency veterinarian-- kudos for doing a pexy!! Walter, as well as ER vets everywhere, appreciate it. You really, really need to keep him from being active. It does not appear that there's a major issue here, as its only been 2 days, but the more he is active the longer its going to take the incision to heal and the more its going to ooze. Of higher concern is that being active puts him at risk for the body wall dehiscing which is a major complication that could become life threatening. Keep him on a leash when he goes out, and take him out only to go to urinate or defecate. No running, playing, jumping, etc, and keep him in a kennel or enclosed in a small room when he is not directly supervised. Call your vet and request a sedative such as trazadone or acepromazine if you need to, but take measures to further decrease his activity for at least the next week. Also, be sure to use an E-collar (cone of shame) to keep him from licking it. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!