Drainage from incision ... what to do?

Hello - first, I've already called the emergency vet number and they say it's okay, but I'm looking to see if this happened to anyone else. My 6.5 month old puppy Lola got spayed on Tuesday. She is an INCREDIBALLY hyper dog (I've never seen such an active dog in my life). She runs around, chases her tail, and acts as if she didn't have any surgery done at all this week. Last night she began leaking liquid from her incision site. There was just a tiny hole at the top of the incision so she didn't tear her stitches or anything. The vet says it's due to her being so active. She leaked a lot of red watery liquid but didn't seem to be in any pain or uncomfortable. She is now beginning to leak again and her incision on her belly is swollen. It isn't red or overly sensitive to my touch. I've been putting a warm compress on (not so easy with little miss hyper dog) and the lump where her incision is is larger than an egg. Did any one have any problem similar to this? Is she going to be fine? My husband says that she'll be fine since the vet said she will, and that I'm going to drive him nuts when we have children. But Lola is my baby! Please ease this mother's mind!!!!

 

I would get the pup to the vet A.S.A.P.!!!!
I'm NOT a vet --- but I have heard of abdominal infections!
Keep us posted!
Good Luck.

 

Does she have external stitches?

I would have a vet check her out if your not sure about anything. The hot compresses are fine and its good that there is no redness and its not painful, it sounds like a seroma (a hard lump would indicate a suture reaction but it would be red and painful).

You need to restrict her activity, no running, jumping, playing etc, even walking up and down stairs is enough to cause a seroma, when she goes outside make sure she is on a leash, dont allow her to lick or chew the area, as well as making the seroma worse she can introduce bacteria into the surgery site from her mouth. The opening is a concern and could get bigger.

I know its not easy with some dogs to restrict them but this will most likely get worse if you dont.

 

When we had Molly spayed I took the painkiller option for her - a shot that lastest for 24 hours. Kept her down for 2 days - was a wonderful thing LOL first night I'd slept 8 hours since we had gotten her.
Good luck and let us know how she does

 

:lol:
Floob recently got knocked out for some stitiches and I was soo looking forward to a quiet night. Had it all planed. Alas, he came bouncing out of the surgery like nothing had happened and was himself straight away, I was gutted! lol.

Anyway, like others have said, I'd get a vet to look at it. If it is the onset of an infection and you leave it a few days it could prove fatal.
Hope she's well again soon.

Oh, not sure if this will help calm her down, but as soon as I put the elizabethan collar on Floob he's calm. He's probably depressed, and so doesn't move, but it helps for a little while.

 

Went to the vet today

Hey all - thanks for the concern and advice. Lola is doing a little better. I took her to the vet first thing this morning. They didn't tell me what was wrong with the incision, but have given me amoxocillian and I have to do cold water therapy (?) where I run cold water over the site twice a day. The vet basically laughed at me as she told me to do this and keep her activity down. At that point Lola and jumped up and kissed everyone in the office and had wrapped her leash around my legs three times. So cross your fingers for me keeping her quiet. I hope the swelling goes down soon, it still doesn't look very good. Thanks again for the advice!

 

Have you tried any of the pharamone therapy?
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 001+113757

It might help settle her a bit.

 

do you have an E-collar on her? I know they are uncomfortable looking and get stinky after 10-14 days but they really can save everyone a lot of problems.

One thing though ----- do not take the contraption off until the vet says it's O.K.! If you take it off even once --- that's it!
The cone shouldn't extend more than an inch or two past the nose which will allow the dog to eat and drink. If there seems to be a problem with getting to the food and water -- raise the bowl up by putting it on a brick or a thick paperback book.

P.S. I wouldn't ever use a vet that made me feel like I was being laughed at. I bet you didn't get much explaination because your dog probably has an infected incision which may have been cause by unclean hospital conditions. This is especially true if you had been using the E-collar. I am sure this vet would not ever admit any possible fault of the clinic!.

 

Could be the vet

The vet didn't give me the E-collar and never mentioned it. I was afraid to ask for one since Lola is in her crate while I'm at work. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable. She is starting to slow down a very tiny bit. Probably not noticable to anyone but my fiance and I, but hey, it's progress. It could be the vet too. I've thought of that. When I first picked her up there was crusted poop all around her rear end. She is a very clean dog (housetrained at 9 weeks!) and HATES to mess in her bed. I know that the drugs probably made her sick, but clean the poor thing up! So that could be a cause as well. As soon as this is cleared up we will definitely be going back to our normal vet! (We had to go to the vet the adoption agency uses for the spay). Thanks for everyone's help!

 

An e-collar isn't necessary unless she is licking the stitches. If she is, absolutely get one. That can cause huge problems.