After surgery you may notice your pet licking at its wound. Although this may appear harmless, this should not be allowed as very quickly the wound can become red and moist, potentially leading to an infection of the area and breakdown of the healing wound.

To avoid the possibility of prolonged wound healing, repeat surgery in extreme cases or even your pet becoming ill, if you notice your pet paying attention to the surgery site, please call us as soon as possible. We will arrange a time for you and your pet to come in to the clinic and will assess what we can do to help. Options may range from physically stopping your pet from reaching the wound with an Elizabethan collar around the head or bandaging the wound, to using a bitter deterrent around the surgical area. In some cases antibiotics and antiinflammatories may be required to further help with the recovery process. Treatment is usually continued until the stitches are removed, usually between 10-14 days after the surgery.