Bleeding after Pexy?

[JuJeeMD]

Okay...so here is my first issue. Capone was neutered/gastropexied yesterday morning. For those of you who have had their babies pexied, or even any surgery I guess...did they bleed? They told me if he's seeping from his incision then he's been too active. He is acting totally normal and wanting to run around, he isn't acting like he's in pain at all. He's been a cowboy, and it's hard to keep him quiet! But I've had him leashed today and he's not been able to walk around on his own outside at all. He has actually been laying down sleeping since around 12:30pm today, and he got up a little while ago and there is blood on the blanket he was laying on. Definitely more than spotting, but not a ton. I would say 5" diameter circle on a blanket. There was also blood on the blanket in the car that he was laying on, and on his bed. I'm sure it's normal, I'm just really paranoid and crazy. Thank you in advance!

[Tamara]

I would be a little nervous about this myself. Deuce never bled any and his was emergency surgery and a pexy. Then again he was at the vet for a full 24 hours after his surgery as well, so I'm not sure if there was any bleeding or seeping during that time. I would maybe give your vet's office a call and ask them. I know our vet was super good at answering any questions they could over the phone. If nothing else this would at least set your mind at ease. It sounds like you're doing the right thing by keeping your wild boy leashed for a while

[sarae]

Have you looked at the incision itself?? See if maybe some stiches might have pulled loose during the transition from the vet/car/house?? I'd call the vet and see what they say but I'd probably just keep an eye on it if he's just had the surgery today and make sure it stays clean.

[JuJeeMD]

Thanks for the replies! Well I live an hour and a half away from the vet, so we stayed in a hotel last night to be close just in case. This morning we noticed a bulge in his incision, for about 2 inches of it. When I touch it, it's obviously full of fluid. So this morning I called the vet and they had us bring him in for an incision check, and they said everything was fine it was just an accumulation of fluid causing the bulge and it will take care of itself, and once again to just keep him calm. They keep telling me that he's seeping because he's moving around too much but honestly last night when we brought him to the hotel he was totally stoned and barely moved but to go out and pee on leash 1 time. This morning he was a little bonkers, but we kept him on leash once we realized he was not worried about pain and he went to the vet around 9:30am then we drove home and from 12:30-now he's been laying around and only been outside once to pee and eat a little. I'm thinking that when he is laying down the fluid in that bulge is getting pushed out and that's why there is blood where he lays. I'm just wondering where the blood is coming from? He is stapled and the edges of the incision look well approximated, no staples missing or anything like that. His testicles are obviously full of fluid also. I wish I was a vet. I can always take him to my regular vet here if I need to though, but nobody seems to be concerned about it. I sure am! UGH! I can never have human children...I would need to be sedated to survive their childhood. Haha.

[LoMax]

I was a wreck when I had Murray done. I don't remember any bleeding at all, but the BUMP... holy cow. The bump will last awhile and people will ask you what you have done to your dog. Eventually it will go away. I can't even find Murray's scar anymore. My vet, maybe to reassure a worried mommy, said that the swelling/bump means that they got a really good connection and that it will be far less likely to ever tear.

Lori

[empm]

I understand how you feel. I burned up the phone lines when Annie was going through the surgeries on her front legs. The Vet was very patient with me, though. I was even emailing him pictures of her swollen foot, does the incision look okay, etc. etc. Her Vet was 275 miles away. We had her surgeries done in the beginning of the week so I could call with any concerns and didn't have to worry about no one being there because it was the weekend. Good luck. A hot buttered rum right before bed might help.

[humbug]

Wait a minute now...keep an eye on that bulge!! When Dakota got spayed we brought her home (she may have oozed a little but thats all) and the next day while I was at work the DP noticed a lot of blood on the bed. She ran to find her to take a look and a large protrusion (about 3 inches) was apparent. Vet said bring her back ASAP! Her omentum (sp?) was bulging through. She had to be reopened and thoroughly washed inside and resutured. He made the sutures a little tighter and a little closer together. On the way home from this through the next day she heavily leaked blood and clear saline solution. If you feel the need then have your vet look at this! I don't believe this happens alot but it happened to us.

[JuJeeMD]

Wait a minute now...keep an eye on that bulge!! When Dakota got spayed we brought her home (she may have oozed a little but thats all) and the next day while I was at work the DP noticed a lot of blood on the bed. She ran to find her to take a look and a large protrusion (about 3 inches) was apparent. Vet said bring her back ASAP! Her omentum (sp?) was bulging through. She had to be reopened and thoroughly washed inside and resutured. He made the sutures a little tighter and a little closer together. On the way home from this through the next day she heavily leaked blood and clear saline solution. If you feel the need then have your vet look at this! I don't believe this happens alot but it happened to us.

See, now I'm freaking out. His bulge is still there, and what's coming out is still red blood with clear fluid. It's not a lot today at all, just spotting where he lays down. His bump is squishy and feels full of fluid, what did Dakota's bump feel like? The vet saw the bump and they said it's just a seroma, and will correct itself but I'm worried about it. His surgery was Friday morning, and it's Sunday morning and still having red blood. I'm just going to call the vet again. I'm wondering if it would be better to drive the hour and a half to the vet who did his surgery, or run him to his regular vet just to check the bump out and tell me if they think it's something to worry about? He also still hasn't had a BM, but there is definitely activity in there. I can hear his stomach rumbling. Sorry about my crazy ramblings...

[humbug]

Hi Jules. I just talked to DP again and she said she thought that her intestines wiggled through. It looked fatty but she thought her guts were popping through.

If Capone's bulge feels soft and "fluidy" then that's what it might be (puffy with fluid) so don't panik too bad. Also, we cannot see what you see. After what we've been through I didn't want anyone to take a bulge lightly.

ETA: Don't know what it felt like, when noticed it was protruding pretty bad and off to the vet they went. (Trust me, it was better I was at work.) LOL, here is how I found out: I was finishing up a client's haircut and I notice that DP came in for a visit, only she's talking to my best friend at work. My best bud Lou has this serious, serious look on his face. I'm thinking, okay, what the heck is going on. I get the events of the last few hours just as the vet is calling me to tell me the surgery is over and everything went well. WTH?

Daisy's incision was a little puffy and she leaked a little fluid but it eventually dried and puffiness went away.

[JuJeeMD]

Well, yesterday evening Capone was just dripping red blood from the bulge in his incision. I freaked, naturally, and called the vet. The vet tech I spoke with on the phone scared the daylights out of me...she said word for word, "There should not be any red blood coming through the incision, you need to bring him in right away." She also said if they thought he was bleeding internally they would have to open him back up to fix the bleed. I told her that he was not pale or lethargic, so I didn't think he was bleeding internally. So anyway... I get there and we are covered in blood...Capone is bleeding all over the blankets in the car, all over my pants, it's all over him... The vet says, "Oh, it's not as bad as I thought." He tells me that because danes are so deep chested and thin skinned any little movement will put stress on that incision, and that the bulge is from all the blood and fluids pooling at the lowest spot. Then the incision is strained and irritated, pulled apart and leaking. MY main concern is, WHERE is the blood coming from? Why is there still bright red blood? And this MUCH of it? It looks like a massacre at my house... But they do not seem to be concerned about why or where he's bleeding from. The best answer I got was that after surgery there is a "dead space" and "sometimes there is blood" and it's leaking out because the blood pooling, the bulge, the stress on the incision... So, I don't know... They said he did need more staples, and that they would try some glue and hopefully it will keep the blood from seeping out. Well...He's all stapled up and glued up and now the blood is seeping out another spot of the incision...path of least resistance I guess. But nobody seems to be worried about the bleeding, so I guess I'm just going to keep monitoring him and keep him calm and if anything changes off we go again. I'm SURE they know more than I do...but I just don't understand why there is still NEW blood...and that much of it. UGH! I am so ready for this to be over. Poor Capone...my baby is a pitiful sight right now.

At least everything else is normal...he's eating/drinking and eliminating well...

[JuJeeMD]

A hot buttered rum right before bed might help.

For Capone or for me? LOL!

[JuJeeMD]

I get the events of the last few hours just as the vet is calling me to tell me the surgery is over and everything went well. WTH?

Holy cow! That is crazy... I'm glad everything went well! It probably was better that you missed the action!

[empm]

Maybe take him to a different Vet for a second opinion?

[humbug]

Maybe take him to a different Vet for a second opinion?

It's been 4 days post? I'm wondering how long you should wait until getting another vet to look at it with leaking red blood?? (not asking you, rather thinking out loud...hmm...)

You know, it's probably good that there is an area for allowed for drainage but why is a very good question. Since the vet's reasoning could have been a little improv rather than reassuring I wish others that have had theirs pexy'd would share experiences.

Have other people experienced gastropexy blood leakage?? I think the OP would appreciate it! Thanks!

[empm]

How is Capone doing?