Hello Everyone!!

This is my first post to the forums, but I have visited many times and usually get a lot of my questions answered from everyone's experience! (So Thank you everyone in advance!) I just took my 7 month old Sora for her Spay on Thursday, we are on day 3 of her recovery and to me her incision area looks Horrible! She is my first female furr kid so I have zero experience as to what the incisions are supposed to look like. I have tried to search google images to see likeness, but from what i've found, it looks like Sora's incision is just messy and uncleaned prior to her release. In addition, her wound does not look like it was glued properly? The Vet (who ive gone to for many years with our other husky, boy) was not the one who did the operation due to being out for a family emergency. So his other associate had done the procedure in his stead. Your Opinions and experiences would be greatly appreciated wether  I need to contact our Original Dr. or another vet to check standards of this kind of incision. https://i.servimg.com/u/f57/18/81/36/34/sora_c11.jpg

From what I can see from the photo, nothing looks horrible to me. It looks like the incision was made in a zig-zag pattern but hair will regrow over it and you will never see it. As far as dirty, yes the wound has wept some, gently clean it with a damp wash cloth and it should be fine. If it starts to become red or feels hot then it is infected and needs treatment, but from your picture I do not see this at this time.

Thank you Hughie! Your input truly calmed my nerves. I tried to dab it with a warm wash cloth and notice there was a little wetness seeping in a 3 centimeter area. Before I tried cleaning I felt around the incision and it didnt feel warm to the touch. I know she dose not favor it at all. I guess I'm just a worry wart and it seems the incision could have been a little more prettier? >.< The zigzags are what worries me. I just hope it goes smoothly.

That incision looks fine to me, too. A little weeping this early in the game is normal. You want to watch for increased redness, puffiness, cloudy (as in purulent) liquid and heat - then you would call the vet. Good to be watchful.

I think it looks good for day 3! I know what your going through, Anya had her spay 7 days ago and I've been such a worry wort. The vet used a laser instead of a scalpel to make all the cuts so I was expecting her to heal faster. I was freaking out yesterday because it looked a little more puffy. I've been informed that its healing normally by a bunch of people on a raw feeding facebook group. Heres a photo of her incision 6 days post-op:

It looks okay- just as everyone else said, keep it clean. Just looks like a lot of dried blood.

Keep an eye on their skin in all the areas it was shaved as well. Dizzy developed a hot spot near his scrotum, but not near an incision, about a month post-neuter and I think it was because he was itching due to the hair growing back.

Jen what did you do about the hot spot? Anya is getting a bunch of pimple looking bumps that are most likely in grown hair from the shave..

eddycaaa wrote:

Jen what did you do about the hot spot? Anya is getting a bunch of pimple looking bumps that are most likely in grown hair from the shave..

As someone who chronically suffers from ingrown hairs (thanks Irish background for the fair skin), I'd recommend using a warm washcloth on them to help open up the follicles.

Thank you everyone! I took Sora to the vet yesterday as she started to have soft stools and vomited a few times. They assured me that the incision is as what you all have told me. Looks Good! They dont believe the vomiting is a reaction to the inner stitches but maybe due to the pain meds so we took her off them. This is day 5 now and even though her incision still looks nasty to me, she is doing a lot better. Thankfully she only has to go through this once!

wpskier222 wrote:

Keep an eye on their skin in all the areas it was shaved as well. Dizzy developed a hot spot near his scrotum, but not near an incision, about a month post-neuter and I think it was because he was itching due to the hair growing back.

I did not even think about hot spots or how bothersome the hair growing back could be... ::sigh:: lol

lynneski wrote:

This is day 5 now and even though her incision still looks nasty to me, she is doing a lot better. Thankfully she only has to go through this once!

Glad to hear she the vet says shes doing good! The healy process is so ugly. Anya is on day 8 and its uglier than ever!

eddycaaa wrote:

Jen what did you do about the hot spot? Anya is getting a bunch of pimple looking bumps that are most likely in grown hair from the shave..

Well I tried a bunch of stuff (including an ointment the vet gave me), but all of that seemed to make it worse. The best thing I found was making sure to keep it clean and dried out. So I would just wash it with dilute mild soap and water, dry it with a cool blow dryer and then put gold bond powder on it to keep it from itching. Then of course, the cone when I couldn't watch him. With that remedy, it healed up in just a few days after a couple weeks of trying other things. If you are opposed to the gold bond powder, you could try just plain cornsilk as well.