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Why is my dog's incision bruising worse after cystotomy surgery?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 3 years and 10 months old | 14 lbs

My dog had a cystotomy on Wednesday (approx 72 hours ago). Overall she’s done well. But I’m a bit concerned about the severity of the bruising around the incision site. The incision itself looks great but the bruising seems to be getting worse - darker and more widespread. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do to help it heal? We’ve been doing everything to keep her activity at a minimum. She’s sleeping most of the day. She has been eating and drinking well.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on November 28th, 2020

That bruising is not unusual following a cystotomy. Bruising can change over time and should start to dissipate soon. As long as she's feeling as well as can be expected post surgery and keeping quiet there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

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