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Is my newly adopted dog's neuter incision healing properly?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 18 lbs

We adopted a dog last week and he was neutered on 9/24. Is his incision healing properly?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 1st, 2020

There are pictures this time, thank you! The incision doesn't look infected, but it does look a bit open along the top of the incision. I think to be safe, it would be a good idea to get this checked out by a vet. I hope this helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My puppy got neutered recently and he’s very active! We’ve noticed that his incision seems to be open but it seems to have a scab and there’s no dripping or swelling. We’re not sure if it’s healing well or not. Here’s an image of his incision.
Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm not overly concerned by the appearance of the small opening in the photo, as I don't see any obvious signs of redness, swelling, or discharge. However, that's a bit more open than I'd like to see an incision, so I think it's worth having your vet take a quick peek as it's much easier to evaluate a wound in person. And while Max is healing, make sure you're keeping him quiet/confined, and keeping him from licking his incision area with an E-collar or similar product. Hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hi. My dog was neutered 5 days ago but it doesn't look to be healing as well as it should after 5 days. One part of the incision looks to not be closing and is red and moist but not weeping
Hi there. It looks like a small part of the skin incision may be open a bit, but I don’t see any swelling or drainage, which are the most common signs of infection. This will probably heal over just fine - but to be safe, I would recommend having your regular veterinarian take a quick look. He/she may want to prescribe an antibiotic to prevent the open area of incision from becoming infected as it heals.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My boxer/corgi 10 month old was neutered on Tuesday, December 19th and since has become very clingy and after looking at the area I am curious if it is normal to look how it does since it has been 5 days.
Hi there and thank you for using Boop by Petco to address your concern. From your pictures you have provided, I would strongly suggest taking Buddy in to have the neuter incision rechecked. It looks infected and looks as though the wound will open up further. The sooner this is seen the better. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. This likely needs to be cleaned up and Buddy needs to be on an oral antibiotic.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hi , I have a puppy that’s 8.5 months old , he had Surgery on June 26th to be neutered. Surgery went well , Got pain meds for him first 3 days at home and he’s eating and pooping fine , but On his balls where I’m Assuming was the incision .... it see
The surgical incision should have healed by now. This sounds like the incision isn’t fully healed. I do recommend a recheck with your veterinarian to make sure this is normal. There may be a mild infection causing this not to heal as quickly as expected. I don’t think this is a serious problem but would get it checked out. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Acton.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog was neutered 2 months ago on May 1st, we adopted him on May 20th. We took him to the vet 4 days after we got him on the 24th due to sores on his neck and the incision site from neutering would not heal. They suggested using neosporin and bitte
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! 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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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He got his surgery Tuesday Jan 8 and I can’t tell if this looks normal or not, he’s had a cone on since the surgery and has been crated. I can’t tell if its open at the bottom of the incision or not but he will only let me touch the top part not the
From the picture, it looks like it's healing well, but without seeing Frisco in person, I can't say for certain. If you are concerned about the incision, have him seen by the vet just to make sure everything is ok. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I want to be sure my dog’s incision is healing. He was neutered exactly one week ago. There is a slight amount of draining in the middle of the incision.
It doesn't look a 100%, i would expect it to look a little better after a week but no need to panic either, it doesn't look infected and it will heal eventually, it just may take a little longer than usual.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hi we are about 7 days post neuter and i was laying with my dog and it looks like his incision has opened. It’s not bleeding or oozing but i was wondering what to do. The doctor said she left a little open so that any infection but I was wondering if
Hello. I have never heard of leaving a dog neuter incision open like this. We do it in cats & horses, but not dogs. If this is your veterinarians practice, then he should have sent home a Elizabethan cone to prevent Cutty from getting to & licking the incision. Personally, I do not like the way it looks & really think it needs to be cleaned up & sutured closed. Until you can see your vet, please purchase a protective collar to keep him from licking & clean the area 2-3 times daily with a povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine skin cleanser. Thanks for contacting Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Is my dog's neuter incision infected? If so, is it okay to wait until tomorrow to take him to the vet?
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From your photo I can tell you that this looks seriously infected and does not look very good post-neuter. I would get him in as soon as you can for treatment before this affects healthy surrounding tissue. He will likely need to be sedated and have the dead tissue removed for treatment and placed on a course of oral antibiotics and pain medications to reduce inflammation. If he has been chewing at the area, he must wear a plastic cone at all times to prevent him from getting to the incision. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog was neutered 12 days ago and was able to get to his stitches today. Our vet who administered the neuter is closed today and tomorrow. He completely removed the top suture and appears to have opened the bottom of the incision. He has an appoint
Thank you for the picture of his incision, it's very helpful. After 12 days, the incision should be fully healed, and in the picture, it doesn't look red, swollen, or infected. There is an area in the middle that looks a little open, and that may be from him pulling at the stitches, but it doesn't look fully open. I would put a cone back on him to keep him from pulling at the stitches more, and take him to a regular vet if you can on Monday to get the rest of them removed. There isn't a need for an emergency vet at this point in time. If you cannot get him into another vet on Monday, you can wait until Tuesday to see his normal vet as long his incision doesn't become infected or open up more. Again, keep a cone on him to keep him for getting at the stitches. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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