Drain insertions

After surgery, your pet may need a special tube placed under the skin called a drain. The most common reason to need a drain is having an abscess (a pocket of pus), such as following bite wounds or other injuries. There are several different types of drains with some that just look like small rubber tubes or others that resemble small plastic grenades. Drains are very helpful to remove fluid from the surgical area to promote healing and recovery, and to reduce the chance of infection. Eventually, the amount of fluid produce by the wound should become small enough that the body can reabsorb it on its own, and the drain can be removed.