My dog was spayed 3 days ago I’m concerned some of her stitches may have opened, tomorrow is a holiday. Do you think this needs immediate attention?

Updated On May 30th, 2021

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 7 months and 29 days old | 30 lbs

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hi there, I can see that Dolly's incision looks red, a bit inflamed, and slightly opened. It's difficult to evaluate how deep the opening is from a picture, which obviously changes quite a bit though. It looks as if she has been licking the incision. This may cause an infection no matter what, but it may be able to granulate closed on its own if she strictly kept from licking at it. Cones and surgical onesies are my favorite lick deterrents. You can use a warm water washcloth to gently dab the area, but otherwise keep it dry and don't apply any ointments. Most of the time, simple incision infections can wait to be seen by your general practice vet during normal weekday hours. They may prescribe antibiotics, oral or topicals. If Dolly becomes severely painful, uninterested in food, or the incision dramatically changes appearance, those would be reasons to seek emergency veterinary care before your primary vet opens. I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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