My dog's surgical wound won't close. What's the best healing plan?

This is a large and deep wound that should have been surgically closed. It is going to take a very long time to close on its own without surgery. You will have to keep it clean and prevent him from licking or rubbing it. Amoxicillin is not a very good antibiotic for preventing infection in a wound such as this. If it begins to have drainage, odor, etc. I would highly recommend getting a different and more appropriate antibiotic. I’m not sure how old the wound is, but it does look like you have kept it relatively clean. It would be a good idea to get the hair away from the wound edges if possible. This will probably require weeks of wound management in order for it to heal. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. If the incision has opened a bit, but is not a gaping wound, then healing naturally, or by second intention, will be just fine. Otherwise, sedation may be needed to reclose the area. Your veterinarian has prescribed a good plan with what you have listed above, so try to curtail Wilma's activity as much as possible so that the incision does not open more. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Usually these wounds are best managed with a "wet to dry" bandage method. This is a process where a sterile, moist dressing (usually using sterile saline) is applied directly against the wound, and then dry bandage material is placed over it, and the dressing is then secured in place often with a tie over bandage. This type of bandage should be changed daily. Once a good bed of what we call "granulation tissue" has developed (as in the second picture), and the skin edges are close enough to close, then the skin edges can be brought together and closed. Depending on the individual and on the size of the wound, this can take anywhere from a couple of days, to a week or more. I hope that is helpful for you, if you have any specific questions about Jack's case, feel free to request a consultation. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello. In general, yes. This is especially true if the incision is in an area where Traviesa can reach & lick the incision. But eventually, it will heal. In addition, incisions that are closed surgically & stay closed until the sutures are removed, will have less scarring, but this may not be a big deal on the underside or heavily haired areas of her body. As long as the incision does not get infected, it should eventually heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That wound looks deep. I don't know if oral antibiotics and topical medications will be enough to treat them. This wound may take weeks to heal but oral antibiotics will not be necessary the entire time. I recommend taking Cutie to a vet to explore the wound and see if surgical repair is a better treatment option. Also, not all oral antibiotics are treated the same so the ones you are using may not be beneficial for this wound. A vet can help determine the best treatment. Good luck and kisses to Cutie!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least based on these pictures, this looks almost healed. It just has a small area that appears to be close to healing but not quite. While neosporin is ok, I think the main thing to make it completely heal is making sure that he is unable to get to it and chew or lick at it. Please make sure to use an e-collar to try to prevent this. If you are able to keep him from getting to his incision, I think you should be able to get it to heal. You can continue to use the neosporin as that may speed up the healing process. However, make sure to not pick at any scabs as that will usually delay healing. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am afraid that this wound may take more local therapy for it to really heal. This means local cleaning, debridement and potentially closing it with stitches. At the same time, I think antibiotics at this point should be chosen based on a culture to be more specific in terms of what is being used specifically targeting the infectious organism. If treated appropriately, this is likely going to heal well. Good luck!