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Red bumps on dog's spay incision 11 months later: Should I worry?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 5 months old | 27 lbs

A few days ago I noticed some red bumps on my dog where her spay incision was. It’s been about 11 months now since she was spayed. They are red and kind of hard but don’t seem to be causing her pain. What is this and does it warrant a trip to the vet?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 3rd, 2019

The vet most likely used a suture material for the spay that takes a very long time to dissolve (like PDS) and she is having a reaction to that suture material that is still left there. I would not be worried about this unless it abscesses and opens. For now, just monitor it.

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 19th, 2016

    No worries. The internal sutures that are used during a pet spay can take as long as 2-3 months to completely dissolve. So the bumps you are feeling are likely a minor suture reaction occurring just underneath the skin. As long as there is no opening of the skin, redness or oozing at the site, Dixie is likely just fine. Just continue to monitor the area for any changes and report them to your vet if seen, but in most cases the bumpy area will resolve on its own over time.

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I can certainly understand being worried about Addy, and we are here to help! This bump could be scar tissue from the spay or it could be a retained internal suture that hasn't dissolved fully. There are three layers of sutures used to close the spay incision, two of which are internal, and it can take longer for them to fully dissolve. It's good that the bump doesn't appear to cause her any pain or discomfort, nor is it red and warm to the touch. Given that she isn't having any abnormal symptoms, I would be more inclined to think it's scar tissue or an undissolved suture. I do think it's a good idea to have Addy checked out by the vet to be safe, but I certainly hope I've put your mind at ease tonight :-)
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