Dog spay surgery: Should I worry about bloody cough or incision?

The site itself looks good. No swelling, redness or bruising and it appears closed. The slight discharge does not appear to be frank blood. It looks like it may be fluid from a seroma. Seromas can occur after surgery. Continue to monitor the site, If the discharge increases or has a bad odor then see your veterinarian. Monitor Delilah for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. These are symptoms that should also be addressed by your vet. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing of the site. You can use a diluted betadine or Hibiclens solution around the site to keep the area clean.

The image shows no drips or tracks of blood. This may be some normal post op discharge. If she will allow, you can use a plain, unscented baby wipe to gently clean around the incision. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her and restrict her activity to just leash walks for elimination. Avoid or prevent running, jumping, stairs or rough play as much as possible. If she has a crate, consider crating her for the night. Monitor for active bleeding, discharge, lethargy or pale gums. If any of these develop, she should be seen by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

Hi and thanks for getting in touch with us! The incision seems relatively healthy, with a small amount of dry discharge. Antibiotics will prevent any infection. She should be checked only if the discharge is increasing and she seems uncomfortable and lethargic. She should be absolutely kept indoors and rested as much as possible. A cone/buster collar should be kept on at all times.

Hi and thanks for your request. The wound seems fairly dry even though there is some discharge. The margins of it look healthy as well. I guess that the discharge is minimal but if not (from the pic I cannot assess it, then a check up would be required ). Her general status would be very important as well to decide whether she needs to be seen or not; if she is painful, lethargic, inappetent, if she has any vomiting, diarrhoea, then a check up would be ideal. Hope this could help. At the moment there is no need for a check up in my opinion. Licking should be discouraged with any possible means. plasters and soft inflatable collars (donut-like) may be useful.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos, it appears as though the area around the incision is slightly swollen with a small amount of blood evident. If Mia is otherwise normal and the color of her gums is nice and pink, I would suggest applying some pressure to the incision area and holding this for 10-15 minutes to see if the bleeding stops. With her being hyper, she certainly could have caused a blood vessel in her skin to begin bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop with pressure, I would get her examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. 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.

Congratulations on your new addition! When a dog is spayed, we put a tube down their throat to help them breathe under anesthesia which can sometimes cause irritation. That might be responsible for the mild snoring. But usually a cough that is associated with that tube will start right away (not 5 days later). You didn't mention where Juniper came from, but if she was recently adopted from a shelter, she certainly could have developed an upper respiratory infection from the shelter. Often these upper respiratory infections are viral, but they can develop secondary bacterial infections as well. If Juniper seems lethargic (more tired than normal), is developing discharge from her nose, does not want to eat, or her cough is getting worse, then I would definitely recommend having your veterinarian examine her. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Based on what I can see in these photos, the incisions appear to be healing. Occasionally there is dried blood from surgery, but sometimes it can bleed a little after surgery, especially if the dog is too active. I recommend monitoring for increasing bleeding, swelling, heat, or licking of the area and seek veterinary attention if you notice any changes. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.