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My dog licked her paw after surgery. Is pink incision normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund miniature | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 8 months old | 12.5 lbs

My dog had a tumor removed from her paw 10 days ago. Despite our constant supervision she has managed to lick it a couple times and now we're not sure if we should take her to the vet before her scheduled appointment to get them taken out. She has an appointment start of next week. There is no blood or discharge, it just got really pink. She's energetic and eats normally.

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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 the picture of Malina's paw, I see what you mean about the incision being pink. This is likely due to irritation from her licking it. Stitches can be removed between 10-14 days after being placed, and since they are bothering her, I would take her into the vet to have this checked out and see if they can be removed. It's really hard to constantly supervise a dog, so I would urge you to keep an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking this further. You can buy one at a pet store or make one at home. I hope this helps!

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