Question
Parker is a nine-month-old German shorthair that I recently had spayed. The surgery went great and she came home the same day. The doctor told me to have her "take it easy," which if you have either owned or been around a GSP -- especially a pup -- you know is a pretty big joke.

Nevertheless, I did my best to get her not to jump or run around. I forgot to mention he sent her home without antibiotics or a cone. She had full access to the incision. I asked when I was leaving if I should wrap it with an ACE bandage to keep her from licking it, but he said it would be fine. I was told to come back in 5 days to have the staples removed and for a recheck.

Obviously I should have gone with my better judgment. Over the next five days the area of the incision became swollen and hard. Also, around the staples it was pink and hot to the touch. I took her to her appointment and he said, "Yes, it's infected. Here are some antibiotics and I'll give her an injection."

Now, when I say swollen I am talking about tennis ball-sized, which I would think would be cause for alarm. I also had him give me a sedative (or tranquilizer) called Acepromazine, which he prescribed one 25mg pill every 12 hours. The sedative didn't do anything. No change in her demeanor at all. Two days later I took her back and he told me it was cellulitis. He drained 30 CCs and decided that it was time to bandage her. Took her back again two days later and he drained 20 more CCs. The area was still swollen and hard.

Finally they opened her back up and the vet said it was a seroma. He installed drains so the fluid could come out freely, but by then I had had it with this vet.

On Monday (five days after the drains were installed), I took her to a vet referred to me by my girlfriend's parents. At this point my shorthair was draining fluid out of the top of her incision. I gave them the rundown and the doctor examined her.

He thought she might be having a reaction to the suture the original vet put in and that was why it was not healing. He removed the drains and did a pretty good job bandaging her, plus sent her home with a cone.

Now the million dollar question. If she has a seroma, which by definition is a "pocket of clear serous fluid," then why is it still swollen with no more fluid is draining?

She was put on an anti-inflammatory and I was told to apply hot compresses to the area three to four times a day. It looks a little better, but it's still a big lump. She currently is still on Cephalexin, 500mg one every 12 hours.

And what about long term effects? Could these cause problems with her digestive system? Also, she has had staples in her stomach for three weeks now, and that can't be good, right?