Is this neuter infected?

8 month old Shichon. Neutered today. Has worn his E collar since he was picked up.

Hello there - I have no reason to think so.  Infection specifically implies that bacteria have got into the wound and are multiplying there.  A few hours post-op, its very difficult to say whether this might be the case.  There may, however be mild signs of bruising on the picture (I cant see it particularly well on my screen), whereby blood vessels in the skin have burst durung surgery (the same as if a person falls on a knee on a hard surface).  This is very common and in mild cases tends to resolve on its own.  However, animals that bruise considerably may have a blood-clotting problem, or a bleeding vessel big enough that it would have been better tied off. The other problem that you might see is superficial (surface) licking, which can remove the epithelial (top) layer of skin cells.  This can be extremely sore and is likely to lead to continued licking, so if that was the case it would be important to speak to your vet and review pain releif and wound protection.

Most vets will be happy to quickly check their own surgical cases and decide whether or not they need to act, if they have any concerns.  We would therefore reccommend giving them a call.