Please tell me whether you think Hero’s swelling is ok.
Hero’s swelling in his belly below the amputation is about a fist in size. There has been no discharge from the staples at all. He is in good spirits and is getting around pretty well. Do you see anything to worry about with the swelling? From what I’ve read on this site, it seems to be within normal range and will likely get absorbed back into his body once it figures out what to do with the extra fluids. Thanks very much in advance.
Hero’s swelling in his belly below the amputation is about a fist in size. There has been no discharge from the staples at all. He is in good spirits and is getting around pretty well. Do you see anything to worry about with the swelling? From what I’ve read on this site, it seems to be within normal range and will likely get absorbed back into his body once it figures out what to do with the extra fluids. Thanks very much in advance.
1-10-10 1:30 pm
Is this swelling normal?
Author: hero
I'm 40, a lawyer and I live in Los Angeles, CA. My wife's name is Yoojin. We have a 3 year old daughter Hannah and our two rotties, Hero and Hope both born in October 2004, round out our family.
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8 thoughts on “Please tell me whether you think Hero’s swelling is ok.”
Looks perfectly normal … you might want to review this post about post-amputation seromas or search the forums for advice from others. we only had to have Jerry’s seroma drained once, a simple procedure. Some vets even insert a drain that can be relieved at home. :p But usually the body will reabsorb the fluid in time.
Oh that looks totally normal, Nova had one of those. If I recall, the vet had me put warm compresses on it to help the fluid be reabsorbed quicker. I know it’s easy to panic when you see anything resembling a lump, but this should go away quickly, especially as your boy gets up and moves around.
Hero is so handsome! Looking forward to reading more updates.
Sue and Nova
What a sweetheart your Hero is!!
Normally after the amp surgery, there is alot of draining, but if there is no draining from the incision (some vets actually put in a drain) then there is nowhere for the fluid to drain, except into the surrounding area… But from everything I know… it’s not serious, is quite common, and will eventually be reabsorbed in the body…
But I always say… when in doubt, always check with your veterinarian. At least to ease your worries…
Angel Jake’s Mom
Hero is very fortunate to have such love and concern. Best wishes on a quick recovery!
As Hero gets up and moves around, you will notice the fluid shift. What we did for Caira Sue was use a heating pad (towel between heating pad and dog) and sat with her to continually monitor the temp. As she started walking more, we would also use the heating pad on the big muscle groups (other shoulder, hips) to help with the tiredness of learning a new way of moving. Not that she ever complained about it! We just wanted to get it ahead of time, I guess. So sometimes I would be on the floor with her for 30-40 minutes moving it every 10-15 minutes to a different place! We did this 4-5 times a day at first, then weaned down to AM and PM, then just in the evening. She wouldn’t want to lay down at first, but after it was on and we were sitting with her, she’d just melt!
We’re glad to hear Hero is in good spirits and is getting around well!
Holly didn’t have swelling, but in case you don’t have a heating pad I found that the heated seats in our car worked well for Holly, too. On one of the days she wasn’t feeling well we happened to go for a ride and I remembered what Caira Sue’s mom had said – and it helped Holly. She curled up and relaxed in the car, which was great. I did keep checking that the seat wasn’t getting too warm!
Our vet suggested icing the incision 3 times a day for 10 minutes – he had us use frozen peas wrapped in a towel. I’m not sure how (or if) that helped, but Holly’s incision healed up very nicely.
Hero looks great! We both wish him the best with his recovery! Please keep us posted on how he’s doing.
Holly and Holly’s mom
Hello and thank you very much for your input and kind words. You sparked a debate in our family about whether hot packs or cold packs are best for the swelling. The swelling seems to be going down or at least stabilized, and still no seepage. His eyes tell me he is scared but he is adjusting very well.
Hero really is a sweet guy. He’s never hurt anyone or any other dog. He’s even been bitten by never retaliated.
We all really truly thankful to you all. Sincerely yours,
My dog Maggie is set to have her back right leg amputated due to cancer in her foot. Her surgery is on January 21st. I am a little nervous about it. I will follow your posts to see how Hero does. Thanks for sharing.
Looks perfectly normal … you might want to review this post about post-amputation seromas or search the forums for advice from others. we only had to have Jerry’s seroma drained once, a simple procedure. Some vets even insert a drain that can be relieved at home. :p But usually the body will reabsorb the fluid in time.
Oh that looks totally normal, Nova had one of those. If I recall, the vet had me put warm compresses on it to help the fluid be reabsorbed quicker. I know it’s easy to panic when you see anything resembling a lump, but this should go away quickly, especially as your boy gets up and moves around.
Hero is so handsome! Looking forward to reading more updates.
Sue and Nova
What a sweetheart your Hero is!!
Normally after the amp surgery, there is alot of draining, but if there is no draining from the incision (some vets actually put in a drain) then there is nowhere for the fluid to drain, except into the surrounding area… But from everything I know… it’s not serious, is quite common, and will eventually be reabsorbed in the body…
But I always say… when in doubt, always check with your veterinarian. At least to ease your worries…
Angel Jake’s Mom
Hero is very fortunate to have such love and concern. Best wishes on a quick recovery!
As Hero gets up and moves around, you will notice the fluid shift. What we did for Caira Sue was use a heating pad (towel between heating pad and dog) and sat with her to continually monitor the temp. As she started walking more, we would also use the heating pad on the big muscle groups (other shoulder, hips) to help with the tiredness of learning a new way of moving. Not that she ever complained about it! We just wanted to get it ahead of time, I guess. So sometimes I would be on the floor with her for 30-40 minutes moving it every 10-15 minutes to a different place! We did this 4-5 times a day at first, then weaned down to AM and PM, then just in the evening. She wouldn’t want to lay down at first, but after it was on and we were sitting with her, she’d just melt!
We’re glad to hear Hero is in good spirits and is getting around well!
Holly didn’t have swelling, but in case you don’t have a heating pad I found that the heated seats in our car worked well for Holly, too. On one of the days she wasn’t feeling well we happened to go for a ride and I remembered what Caira Sue’s mom had said – and it helped Holly. She curled up and relaxed in the car, which was great. I did keep checking that the seat wasn’t getting too warm!
Our vet suggested icing the incision 3 times a day for 10 minutes – he had us use frozen peas wrapped in a towel. I’m not sure how (or if) that helped, but Holly’s incision healed up very nicely.
Hero looks great! We both wish him the best with his recovery! Please keep us posted on how he’s doing.
Holly and Holly’s mom
Hello and thank you very much for your input and kind words. You sparked a debate in our family about whether hot packs or cold packs are best for the swelling. The swelling seems to be going down or at least stabilized, and still no seepage. His eyes tell me he is scared but he is adjusting very well.
Hero really is a sweet guy. He’s never hurt anyone or any other dog. He’s even been bitten by never retaliated.
We all really truly thankful to you all. Sincerely yours,
My dog Maggie is set to have her back right leg amputated due to cancer in her foot. Her surgery is on January 21st. I am a little nervous about it. I will follow your posts to see how Hero does. Thanks for sharing.