My dog's umbilical scar is oozing, vet closed. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This warrants a veterinary examination as soon as possible. While this cannot be sutured back in place for now as it is infected and inflamed, the ultimate goal would be to treat this wound aggressively and it can improve. This is not something that can be treated at home. This will require surgical debridement, cleaning and antibiotics. This is also painful and pain control medications need to be considered as well. Best of luck!

Hello, thank you for your question about Roofus. Depending on the location of the hole in regards to the rest of his stitches I would be concerned that his incision may not heal properly. Since his surgery was so recent and there has been very limited time for any healing so far it is possible that Roofus could develop a build of of fluid (seroma) or blood (hematoma) which could prevent healing of his full incision. It is also possible that he could develop a surgical site infection due to this opening, although this is less likely since he is on antibiotics. I would recommend having Roofus evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can examine the surgical incision and determine the need for additional closure. If this opening is at the bottom of the incision they may elect to allow this to act as a drainage site and perform no further closure. However, if the hole is at the top or middle portion of the incision they may elect to place an additional stitch or staple to close the incision. Hope this helps, good luck!

I am sorry to hear about Ollie! I would recommend following up with your veterinarian, as if the wound has some discharge they may need to prescribe antibiotics or may want to examine the area again. If the incision is coming open, depending on how the large the incision is they may try to close it with tissue glue, or may leave it open depending on the appearance.

Hi you can clean the area gently with some cotton water and some saline or lukewarm boiled water. I think the lump could be a benign skin tumour that has now released ome keratin and cause inflammation. However, you should get a more precise diagnosis where the fine needle aspirate results are back. Make an appointment with your vet tomorrow, unless worried in the meantime. Hope this helps !

Hello. I have never heard of leaving a dog neuter incision open like this. We do it in cats & horses, but not dogs. If this is your veterinarians practice, then he should have sent home a Elizabethan cone to prevent Cutty from getting to & licking the incision. Personally, I do not like the way it looks & really think it needs to be cleaned up & sutured closed. Until you can see your vet, please purchase a protective collar to keep him from licking & clean the area 2-3 times daily with a povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine skin cleanser. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. There is probably a small piece of suture material that was used to close the tissue under the skin, trying to poke out. Oft times, this will eventually close up on its own, & there is no danger that Max will totally open things up, but it is probably a good idea to show this to the vet that did the surgery just in case an antibiotic is called for. No emergency, just have this looked at in the next few days. Until then, just clean the area gently with a skin antiseptic containing chlorhexidine ( we have Hibiclens here in the US ) 2-3 times a day. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If at all possible I recommend a vet visit to see if this wound could be closed. Suturing it closed may allow much faster healing than leaving it open. Otherwise be sure to keep it clean and dry. You can use an antiseptic like betadine or chlorhexidine once to clean it. Be sure to dilute cleaner then rinse well. Use just today or if the wound gets extremely dirty. Using daily can actually slow healing. Keep the area clean and dry. I recommend Ares stay primarily indoors until it is closed as he could get a maggot infestation of flies lay eggs on the wound. Using hydrotherapy or gentle water from a hose is a good way to keep it clean. If there is swelling, discharge or pain, Ares needs to see a vet for medications. I hope he heals quickly.