# Complications from neuter



## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I haven't personally dealt with the complication, but sometimes if the scrotum is very large, vets will do a scrotal ablation at the time of neuter to prevent it from happening. I have seen what you described in dogs other than my own.

I have never heard of putting him under again just to take the scrotum off. Maybe someone else will post about it. I hope Oscar can recover soon.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

We usually just let the scrotum heal. Sometimes, I put them on antibiotics if they are oozy.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I have heard of this, especially in dogs who are neutered at older ages. We just had a boy go through it at 25 months, and it was rough. They can get hematomas( blood filling) or seromas( fluid) either from too much activity, from licking, or from iffy surgical technique. In our dog's case, it was all our fault. We kept him very quiet until day ten, he looked so great we let him do zoomies and go free, then he got a hematoma. It went down after three more days of quiet and now he is perfect and back to normal. The removal of the whole sac I think is something that is done for a seroma sometimes? I would not be happy about that either! I did not know removable stitches were still used?


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies. Now I'm nervous!  he is generally a calm dog anyway, so for the first 5 days or so he didn't really do much of anything. Since then it's been gentle, short walks and the occassional jump on someone at the door. 

Should we get a second opinion on the surgery?

Any additional thoughts would be helpful!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Sally'sMom is going to know best, but I am curious why they did the removable stitches instead of the inside ones. This is a bit personal, poor doggy lol, but how big is the swelling now( lemon, grapefruit)?? How many days past surgery are you?


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> Sally'sMom is going to know best, but I am curious why they did the removable stitches instead of the inside ones. This is a bit personal, poor doggy lol, but how big is the swelling now( lemon, grapefruit)?? How many days past surgery are you?


I didn't think it was an option to not have physical stitches - they didn't mention it. The swelling isn't massive -it looks like he just has testicles...maybe the size of a lemon? He had surgery one week ago!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Jeez, I am not a vet, but I have just been through the wars with this. Copley was not better until day 14, and then he was totally better. The healing from surgery 2 is going to be rougher. I do not think you have to do this second surgery unless there is a factor I am just missing like something that happened in the surgery itself. The seroma should be reabsorbed into his body slowly over the next 7 days if he is very quiet and does not lick. Copley had tramadol and Rimadyl for both weeks. I think he could benefit from antibiotics to make sure. My vet told me 7 days for 6 month old puppies, but 14 for older dogs. Copley had that size swelling at day 7. Sally'sMom was kind, and checked it for me, which is how I know it was a hematoma. by then, it was really swollen, but it reabsorbed really nicely and was perfect by day 14. How does the incision itself look? Is there any infection? I'd be inclined to get pain meds and antibiotics, and wait it out.


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> Jeez, I am not a vet, but I have just been through the wars with this. Copley was not better until day 14, and then he was totally better. The healing from surgery 2 is going to be rougher. I do not think you have to do this second surgery unless there is a factor I am just missing like something that happened in the surgery itself. The seroma should be reabsorbed into his body slowly over the next 7 days if he is very quiet and does not lick. Copley had tramadol and Rimadyl for both weeks. I think he could benefit from antibiotics to make sure. My vet told me 7 days for 6 month old puppies, but 14 for older dogs. Copley had that size swelling at day 7. Sally'smom was kin


Thank you so much. I will call the vet tomorrow and see if
this is 100% necessary to do immediately or if we can seek alternate treatment before surgery.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

If your vet will let you wait, you can put warm moist compresses on his scrotum three or four times a day and it will help the swelling reduce. I have had a couple of foster dogs with this problem and it did take up to four weeks for it to resolve but all of them did without additional surgery. I even had one that spontaneously opened the incision, it drained the fluid out and then went on to heal in about two weeks. I would hesitate to do another surgery unless your vet says it really has to be done.


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Just an update...I talked to the vet and he said we could wait until Monday or Tuesday to see if it goes down, but he doesn't want to wait to much longer.

I will do my best to keep him still and quiet, as well as trying the warm compress a few times a day! Cross your fingers that it goes down and he can avoid the surgery!


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I am hoping you can avoid another surgery! Please let us know how he is doing.


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Well unfortunately it doesn't look like the swelling is going down  its still about the same size & still black and blue. Yesterday was very quiet - slept most of the day with two short walks for the potty. While he does seem to love the warm compress, I think I'll have to call tomorrow and schedule the second surgery


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Copley took the full 14 days. He did not have the seroma though( fluid).


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Poor baby!!! maybe get a 2nd opinion?
Sasha who was just neutered at 17 months was on Tramadol for two days and a safe anti inflammatory for ten I think. We only made him wear a cone for a few days because he hated it so much. He didn't have to have any stitches removed...? He had laser surgery.. don't know if that was the difference. He was fine on Day 2!!!!
Sending prayers for your baby!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

cfrenia said:


> Well unfortunately it doesn't look like the swelling is going down  its still about the same size & still black and blue. Yesterday was very quiet - slept most of the day with two short walks for the potty. While he does seem to love the warm compress, I think I'll have to call tomorrow and schedule the second surgery


One day of compresses is really not enough to see any reduction in swelling. If you could wait until at least Wed you might see improvement. 

Obviously, you need to do what your vet feels is best though.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

How is he doing?


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## sameli102 (Aug 23, 2009)

I had problems with Parkers neuter and he did have to go back for the 2nd surgery. He was in a great deal of pain though with oozing, and it looked horrible. Here is the post http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...reed-standard/83261-worried-about-parker.html


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I just read Parker's whole thread, and was on the edge of my seat. What an experience! Is he just fine now- no lingering issues?


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

In twenty five plus years, we have never albated a scrotum and I have seen some big ones!
Sometimes people still use skin sutures (which male dogs adore having removed) because they want to see the dog back.


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## sameli102 (Aug 23, 2009)

Ljilly28 said:


> I just read Parker's whole thread, and was on the edge of my seat. What an experience! Is he just fine now- no lingering issues?


He is perfectly normal now, it did not take long to re-heal after the 2nd surgery. He rips and tears around the yard with the rest, you'd never know he had such an ordeal. 
I'm not sure if it has anything to do with his surgery or not but when you pet him he just slowly falls to the floor and onto his back for the belly rubs he became so accustomed to. I think he liked that part and doesn't want me to forget 

He is the first dog I had neutered as an adult and I may not have realized that he needed to be kept a little quieter than when they are 7-8 months. I'll always wonder if I allowed him to over do it too soon, he is such an intense dog and does not do anything gently. In the future I plan to force rest after neutering!


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## cfrenia (Oct 27, 2008)

Thank you for your concerns about Oscar - sorry I fell off the face of the earth! He had his surgery yesterday and is resting up now - last night and this morning he was in quite a bit of pain - he would walk a few feet and lay back down...that was fun trying to peel him off the parking lot this morning!

My husband is with him today and said hes doing better, but is trying to get to his stitches when no one is looking! For the neuter, we had an inflatable e-collar and that seemed to work one - no we will get him a larger, plastic one.

I will have to read Parker's thread as well.


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