Another dog licked my neutered dog's incision. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Dog neutered but other dog licked scab off
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 17th, 2019
Poor pup! That area is very inflamed and may be infected. Keep the dogs separated and make sure your dog wears his elizabethan collar at all times. Get him seen by his veterinarian within the next 24 hours as he may need antibiotics. Make sure to keep him from any activity as well such as running or jumping. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 29th, 2020
Hello. If you have a Petco or other animal supply store near you, take your pet in to see if they can fit him with a more suitable collar. He probably needs a longer one. Once you are sure he can no longer lick or bite the area, you can apply a very thin layer of antibiotic ointment (neosporin) to the area 2-3 times a day...but only if he cannot lick it.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Training & Behavior
Mini australian shep pup (8 mos) neutered almost 2 days ago is able to reach his neuter site despite the cone. Constantly licking and biting the site. Crying and whining too. No meds sent home from vet. Site is red, raw but not oozing...yet. Now it i
Hello. If you have a Petco or other animal supply store near you, take your pet in to see if they can fit him with a more suitable collar. He probably needs a longer one. Once you are sure he can no longer lick or bite the area, you can apply a very thin layer of antibiotic ointment (neosporin) to the area 2-3 times a day...but only if he cannot lick it.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Our male puppy was neutered 3 months ago, now he is constantly licking where the incision sight would be. The area is slightly swollen and peach. Any idea what could cause this?
Hello. It is possible that there is still some underlying suture material trying to breakdown & dissolve. This could be causing some local inflammation. I would place an Elizabethan cone on him to prevent licking until you can have your veterinarian examine the area. It may do fine if you can keep him from licking, but this might also benefit from some topical therapy. Your veterinarian will know what to do once he has a chance to evaluate things. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog was neutered 8 days ago, and I caught him licking yesterday even with his cone one. And now the incision looks red, little puss. Should I be worried
By licking the incision your dog licked bacteria into it and now there is an infection. You should take Bentley back to the vet for a recheck. He will likely need prescription antibiotics and a bigger e-collar.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog started licking his stomach and sometime between last night and this morning there is what looks like a blister or puss ball on it. What could this be and does he need to see a vet? I can't bathe him for another week or so because he was recen
I would recommend getting a larger ecollar and let your veterinarian know that this has occurred. He probably is trying to get to the sutures and this is the only area he can reach. This will get worse if he keeps licking. Your vet may just extend his antibiotics or just tell you to keep it clean. His incision looks great! Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hi my dog got neutered Monday and got his E collar off and was licking at it. It looks red and open. My vet said to take him in if he opens it or it looks red but the vet on call said to wait until morning. I don’t know what I should do.
It looks like the skin stitches broke, so it will be good to have him seen by your vet. This is not an emergency though, so he's fine to wait the night. It's best to leave the area alone for the night and keep him from getting any dirt in the wound. If the wound does get dirty, then you can flush it with normal water. Your vet will be able to advise you further in the morning. I hope that helps and all is well with Cain.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I recently had my 11 month old male Australian Shepard fixed. It has been 48 hrs since his surgery and he is now chewing at the incision. I plan to get him an e collar as soon as the pet store opens. I'm getting worried it may be getting infected
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! The incision is getting a little bit moist, but it likely isn't quite infected. The swelling and discharge is from him licking. Get the E-collar as soon as possible and see how it looks in 2 days once he is unable to lick at it. Gently use a damp wash cloth to blot the incision. If it is still wet and red by Monday it should be rechecked. Be sure to continue to exercise restrict him: no running, jumping, playing and leash walks only until the stitches are removed. Have a great weekend!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our dog was neutered on Tuesday. Today is day 5 post surgery. Our dog was left unattended for about 3 hours and he managed to get his e-collar off and has been licking it for hours. It is reddened and possibly a tad bit bleeding. It also didn’t help
It is just red from him licking it. It looks fine. Just be sure to get the cone on him so that he cannot remove it. Typically lacing it through the collar and putting the collar on tight enough that you can only get two fingers between it and the neck will prevent them from removing it. I suggest you get this wound spray gel to put on it until healed. This should keep it from getting infected. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets I would not be worry about him getting it wet, that will not dissolve the sutures.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 6 month old puppy was neutered 1 week ago. He's been wearing an e-collar, but he was still able to reach his incision and lick it while I was asleep this morning. I'm trying to contact the vet, but it's been hard to reach them due to the holiday.
Hello, thank you for your question about Pablo. Based on the photo that you have attached I am worried that Pablo may have caused a skin infection around his surgical incision. The area appears very red and inflamed and I can also appreciate some discharge. I would recommend having Pablo seen by a veterinarian so that they can further evaluate the area and discuss treatment options. If left untreated skin infections can sometimes compromise the healing of his incision. Hope this helps, good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has had his neutering procedure 2.5 weeks ago. He wore his cone for this entire time, and has healed quite well. He recently started licking the area and it has become more pink in colour and the bump from the scar tissue enlarges when he lick
That should be ideally checked by your veterinarian as the problem could be to either a tissue reaction from stitches or incomplete healing and small abdominal herniation. In case of abdominal/humbilical hernia, depending on the size, it should repaired surgically. In case of a reaction, anti-inflammatory meds are required. I would recommend to put the buster collar on to avoid further licking. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hello. My dog was neutered 3-4 weeks ago and the stitches were healing fine. No issues. Today he went to a groomer and tonite we found him licking it and it’s seems a small part of the stitches came out. 1/2 of an inch. He is fine. We are just distra
He should have been healed after about 2 weeks. If he never had an e-collar (cone) on, he was likely licking the area when you weren't around or during the night. This could have caused the delay in healing. Ideally, he should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as you can. An e-collar should be obtained and placed as soon as possible to prevent further licking. A small tee shirt or onesie may prevent licking until you get a proper e-collar. Antibiotics may be indicated to treat infection. A veterinarian can dispense them, if indicated, after an exam.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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