My Pomeranian has dark bruising after spay surgery. Is it normal?

Yes, bruising can be very normal as long as it is not severe or progressive. This amount of bruising is normal and usually caused by little vessels in the skin that bleed during surgery. I would monitor the area closely and the bruising should start to improve over the next few days. Contact your veterinarian if it is progressive or if your dog has any heat, swelling, or discharge from the incision.

These bruises happen when blood seeps into the tissue surrounding the surgical site. This usually happens when a dog has a coagulation disorder, or the dog bled a lot during the surgery (for example when spayed during her heat) and then the blood cannot be absorbed quickly enough and seeps into the tissue. If the bruises expand more and should your dog develop white gums or pale gums, then she needs to be seen by your vet who should do a packed cell volume blood test and a coagulation panel. Dogs can easily bleed to death when there is a coagulation problem or continuous bleeding.

That appears to be a small scab and likely no cause for concern. The post op swelling is minimal and the bruising should be decreasing as well. Keep the e-collar (cone) on him and monitor for redness, swelling, bleeding or lethargy.

Hello, thank you for your question about Harley. Based on the photo that you’ve attached it appears that small area is a blood blister or forming bruise. If Harley recently had surgery it is possible that she is having a mild reaction to the surgical antiseptic used or that area is where one of the surgical instruments rested. As long as Harley does not super painful around the area I would recommend continuing to monitor the area. If it does not fade or go away in the next few days I would recommend having Harley evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The incision looks like it is healing well so I would not be concerned about those dark spots. Those could be normal pigmentation changes. As long as the incision continues to look like it is healing, there is no need to recheck her. Good luck and best wishes!

It's difficult to tell from just a picture. The skin is definitely discolored, but this could be from the surgical prep (iodine), or from dried blood. If the skin is not stained, then this would be abnormal and would indicate bruising or an infection. You can test for stained skin by gently wiping the skin with a little hydrogen peroxide. Avoid wiping the incision (the middle) and just wipe the edges. If it's staining, then the redness will start to be lifted with just a couple of wipes. If the wiping is unsuccessful at removing the discoloration, then it's likely bruising or infection and I'd recommend he get checked by the vet in the next 24 hours. I hope that helps and all is well with your dog.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Yes, this would be expected as the surgical site is likely oozing a small amount of blood causing the stool to become tarry black. If this does not resolve or worsens, I would recommend having the veterinarian recheck her. I would also recommend checking her gum color and ensuring it is nice and pink. If it is pale, you need to have her seen immediately. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.