Does Your Pet Have an Incision?

Symptom Definition

If your pet had a recent surgery or procedure, they may have an incision in their skin. Incisions can be closed with absorbable suture or stitches under the skin, suture or stitches at the level of the skin, skin staples, or even glue.

Incisions that re-open after closure can be a concern. This can happen because the incision was damaged (chewed, licked, or accidentally torn), because of natural but excessive inflammation following a procedure, or because of infection. Stitches should be left in place until the veterinarian has advised removal.

Seromas are a specific type of inflammation associated with a wound. This is when the body develops excessive fluid around the incision often associated with motion. It can feel like a “bubble” of fluid under the skin. Seromas can slow the healing process, but in general are self-resolving. If your pet has a seroma you can apply a warm compress to the site for 10-15 minutes, three times daily until it resolves. To make a warm compress at home you may run a washcloth or small towel under very hot water until it is warmed through. The cloth can then be placed into a Ziploc bag. Apply the compress to your own skin before applying it to your pet’s incision to ensure that it is not too hot. Please try to keep the incision as clean and dry as possible.

When to Act

Contact Emergency Care if:

The incision is opening up and exposing abdominal or thoracic cavity contents
Bleeding from the incision that doesn’t stop with 10 minutes of applied ice packs
Incision is draining pus (yellow, malodorus discharge) or your pet has a fever
Your pet is acting very sick

What to Do

Call your family veterinarian or Urgent Care within 24 hours if:

Suture or staple came out early but the wound is still closed
Suture or staple removal is overdue
Swelling of fluid is developing around the incision but your pet is acting totally normal
Multiple pets of the same species are having diarrhea

Home Care & Advice

Standard care for incisions can vary based on the cause for the wound/incision. Please reference your personalized discharge instructions from VRCCO if you have questions.

Incisions and wounds should always be kept dry and clean. Please do not bathe your pet or allow them to swim for at least two weeks following the surgery/procedure. If there is drainage from the wound or incision you can gently wipe this away using a baby wipe or dampened wash cloth.

Most stitches/staples are removed approximately 2 weeks after a procedure. This should be performed by a veterinarian unless specifically noted otherwise.

Cone or E-Collar:

A cone or e-collar may be advised to keep your pet from licking at the incision while it’s healing and often shortly after stitches are removed. If advised, please utilize a cone at all times. Self trauma to an incision can be detrimental to a pet’s path to healing.