My dog's incision looks scabby after surgery. Is this normal?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Hi there! My dog had surgery done on her right patella 12 days ago. Sutures are coming out Monday. I noticed today it looked scabby. Is this normal?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 11th, 2019
That bit of scabbing is normal and no cause for concern. There is no redness, major swelling, bleeding or discharge. She will still need to be restricted in activity for another 4-6 weeks after suture removal.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 21st, 2019
I think the incision looks OK. A bit irritated but OK. I wouldn't be overly worried at this time. I suggest you put a THIN layer of Neosporin over the incision 2-3 times per day for the next few days. If you are worried at any time how it is healing you are better off having the vet that did the surgery check the incision for you. They usually do this at no cost. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
She's 11 days post stomach-op, she's been fine, but yesterday she had a little incident and hurt herself (she was bleeding). However the bleeding stopped quickly, but now she has a scab in her sutures. Is this normal? Should I be worried? She is a lo
It is inflamed on that back portion with the scab but the rest looks great. It is not uncommon to have a scab on the incision but the redness can be a problem. I would soak trbscab in warm water or with a cloth to get the scabciff and make sure ours is not underneath it. After that you can apply neosporin to the area to prevent it from scanning back. Keep your appointment for Tuesday so they can check it and take the stitches out
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our dog is 3 days post-surgery. She had growths removed from the top of her head and the side of her face. The top of her head is healing nicely but the side of her face is red and splotchy. She has a yellow scab forming above the incision. The area
You can see some scabbing around an incision as it heals, and there can be some redness as well. It's good that the area on Lola's face isn't warm to the touch and isn't swollen, and I would keep an eye on it for now as long as she is eating and drinking normally, and behaving normally. Should the redness still be present in another 24-48 hours, I would have her seen by a vet just to be safe.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hey there, my post never went through so I’m re-submitting. My 6 month old white German Shepherd got neutered six days ago. Not exactly sure what an incision site is supposed to look like, but I attached a picture. Is this healing normally? Also, h
There appears to be a small amount of scabbing and redness associated with the incision and that is normal at this stage. I think his incision looks great! Continue monitoring the site for another week. 2 weeks post surgery he should be good to return to normal activity and bathing. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I’m worried about the black spot in the middle of my dogs incision. Should this be of concern? he was neutered monday
That appears to be a small scab and likely no cause for concern. The post op swelling is minimal and the bruising should be decreasing as well. Keep the e-collar (cone) on him and monitor for redness, swelling, bleeding or lethargy.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can I take E-collar off after at 10 day mark? I have included a picture. I just want to know if this is appropriately healing or if I need to take him in for a recheck. Also area looks scabby and tattoo is too. Idk if that’s normal
Thank you for the picture. The incision looks like it has healed really well. Yes it is normal to see some scabbing and from the picture, I don't see any obvious signs of infection (redness, swelling, pus). It takes 10-14 days to fully heal an incision so to be safe, I would keep it on for 14 days, then you can remove it. Frequently, vets who do the surgery like a recheck to be safe, so I'd give his vet a call just to check if you need to bring him in or not. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Just wondering if my pets incision is healing normally. It seems to be scabbing over but I can’t discerne what color the discharge she is having is. It isn’t a vast amount and I don’t smell a odor and she isn’t in pain
I think the incision looks OK. A bit irritated but OK. I wouldn't be overly worried at this time. I suggest you put a THIN layer of Neosporin over the incision 2-3 times per day for the next few days. If you are worried at any time how it is healing you are better off having the vet that did the surgery check the incision for you. They usually do this at no cost. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Does my dog’s spay incision look okay? The small red spot on the left side of the wound is worrying me
It looks to be healing just fine. The red dot is nothing to worry about - it just a scab. There is a swelling under the skin at the top of the incision and that is normal as well. It is a knot from the stitches under the skin.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog was spayed 15 days ago. The incision healed well but at the bottom there is a very small raised scab that seems to bother her. Can I attach pic
It is only possible to attach picture via private consults, which you can have with any of our online vets. from your description it's probably the knot underneath the skin (where the scab is) that is bothering her. these knots take a little longer to dissolve- it might take up to 4-5 weeks to dissolve completely, nut as long as the incision is closed i wouldn't worry too much.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog had surgery 10 days ago and she still had the stitches in. I've noticed the wound is starting to scab over. But near the middle of the wound there is a slightly yellowish mound of something. What is this? It's soft to touch and appears to be a
Scab formation as surgical incisions heal is quite normal. As for the yellowish tissue that you are seeing from the middle of the incision, this could be fibrin-rich tissue as a part of normal healing, or could be purulent (pus-like) discharge associated with infection. If an incisional infection is present, I would also expect Ellie's incision to be red and/or inflamed. If you do see signs that could be consistent with infection, try to find a vet to take Ellie to this weekend since antibiotics may be necessary. If there is no redness or inflammation, and Ellie is otherwise eating, drinking, and acting normally, you can continue to monitor this incision closely at home through the weekend. If you are not already doing so, be sure to keep an e-collar (cone) on Ellie at all times until her sutures are removed so that she cannot lick the incision, introducing infection or even inadvertently removing her sutures. I hope this helps and that all goes well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Lina had a spay/gastropexy one week ago. The incision today looks more red/scabby. Just making sure this is normal. The photos are in order of earliest to present
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lina. Unfortunately only one picture is attached, and I think it may be the earliest picture given your description in the question. If the incision looks more red and scabby, that suggests infection. I would have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning to get it checked out to be safe. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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