Surgical site infection following clean-contaminated abdominal surgery in dogs is associated with increased postoperative costs.

SSIs increase abdominal surgery costs 24% in dogs; reduce glycopyrrolate use when feasible.

This retrospective case-control study examined 63 dogs undergoing clean-contaminated abdominal surgery (gastrointestinal or urogenital procedures) between 2021-2024 at a university hospital to quantify financial impacts of surgical site infections (SSIs) and identify perioperative risk factors. Twenty-one dogs developed SSIs and were matched 1:2 with SSI-negative controls based on procedure type, age, sex, and weight. While initial surgical costs were equivalent between groups, total treatment costs were 24.1% higher in SSI-positive cases, primarily due to increased intervention intensity. Statistical analysis revealed intraoperative antihypotensive medication use was significantly more frequent in SSI cases (OR 4.68), with glycopyrrolate identified as a specific risk factor (OR 9.65). No other perioperative variables showed significant associations. The findings emphasize that SSIs substantially increase financial burden for owners and highlight a potentially modifiable risk factor through judicious selection of intraoperative vasopressors. Medical management of superficial infections may offer cost savings compared to surgical intervention.

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