My puppy's umbilical hernia repair looks swollen. Is it reopened?

Coco may be having a suture reaction. A hernia repair has a three layer closure and the body must break down each layer of those sutures. Sometimes you can see swelling afterwards. Restricting Coco’s activity will help so that it does not pull so much on the tissue which causes additional inflammation. If you are noticing that it is still swelling and getting bigger, I recommend have Coco checked out again to make sure the hernia has not reoccurred. It never hurts to have the area palpated by the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I’m happy to help. Yes, I would call the veterinarian and ask about getting Minnie back in for an exam to check the site. This could be a suture reaction, a reoccurrence of the hernia or an infection. Gently press around on the sides of the incision. If it seems painful, you identify any discharge coming out of the incision, or if there are sutures missing from the incision, have Minnie examined today. If Minnie is acting normal, eating well and the incision seems ok, it’s probably fine to wait until Monday unless something worsens. Make sure Minnie is wearing an Elizabethan collar at all times to prevent any licking. Make sure to significantly restrictor activity. No running, jumping, walks or playtime. She needs to be as still as possible. If she moves excessively, she will cause the sutures to tear at the tissue and this will delay healing, cause more swelling and sometimes cause pain. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Theo. From your picture, it appears to be healing normally. That being said, pictures can be deceiving. I recommend taking him to your veterinarian for a quick peek. They will gently clean the incision site to ensure that it is healing normally and the tissue is healthy underneath the scab. In the meantime, do not allow him to lick the area. I hope this information helps!

Hi, with a hernia your vet would be able to feel discontinuation of the muscles. It would feel soft and you would be able to push it in. It might just be an inflammation to the inner sutures that has become harder with time. If Chutki seems well in herself, I would not worry about it. Hope she continues to do well!

This is most likely a seroma which is just a fluid pocket. But a seroma can inhibit healing if it is too big. I would have your vet look at it so they can drain it. Your vet will be able to confirm that it is a seroma and that there isn’t any pus or infection involved. After it is drained you can put a warm compress on it for 10 minutes twice a day to help prevent the fluid from coming back. Sometimes it will return and need to be drained again. Also make sure you are keeping her confined as too much activity can also cause these to form post-op. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is possible that he has developed a hernia again and the concern would be that it could be causing him pain and discomfort, especially if he did not like it touched. The other possibility is a seroma which is an accumulation of fluid at the incision site though that seems less likely. I recommend that you have Columbus evaluated by a veterinarian perhaps tomorrow when your veterinarian opens again. If at some point he develops loss of appetite, vomiting or lethargy, have him evaluated sooner. Good luck with your boy!

If a hernia is repaired surgically, there is always a small chance that it will herniate again at some point of time in the life of the dog, obviously more care needs to be taken up to 10 days after the surgery to prevent from the wound and sutures to open.