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My dog's spay incision looks open 6 days later. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 8 months and 2 days old | 44 lbs

My girl dog was spayed 6 days ago. She is in good spirits, eating/drinking normally, peeing/pooping normally, and isn’t bothered by the incision, but it looks like it opened a little. It feels dry to the touch. Should I be worried?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 3rd, 2023

Thank you for providing a picture of Honey's incision, it's very helpful. Yes, I agree it does appear to have opened up, and I'm worried it could get infected since it has opened. She needs to see a vet asap to get this closed, and the vet may likely close it with surgical glue after examining it and cleaning it. The vet may also prescribe antibiotics. Please take her into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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I'm watching my mom's dog who was recently spayed. I checked her incision this evening and it looks like she's managed to open her stitches... She doesn't have a fever, and there isn't any pus around the wound. Is there anything I can do to keep the
Hello. Gently clean the area using a skin disinfectant like Hibiclens, available at all pharmacies. Do this about twice a day. If your dog is licking her incision, you may need to place an Elizabethan Collar on her. All pet retailers carry these. You could also put a wrap around her abdomen to protect the area. Use a non stick pad like a Telfa pad against the incision to protect it. If she does not bother the incision, it may look much better by Monday. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
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My dog got spayed last Monday the 19th and her outer incision was glued together. It now seems to be a little red, oozy, and starting to open. Do I need to take her in ASAP or will it still heal okay just need to wait longer?
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My dog got spayed today and they had to repair a hernia. She was going through a false pregnancy. They said that they stitched inside and glued outside but I’m afraid the outside is open. The vet is closed until Tuesday but I want to see if I need to
I received the picture that you forwarded to customer service. I presume the area that you are concerned about is the area outlined in red. When we close the skin with surgical glue, there can be a small amount of tissue that looks like it does in the picture. I don't see anything that is particularly concerning in that picture. Make sure to keep Mia rested and use an e-collar so she cannot lick at the incision. The area that you outlined should not look any larger and should not ooze any discharge. If there are any other concerns, please feel free to post another question with another picture and one of us will be happy to try to help you. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
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