Spaying a Cat (What route you took questions)

cococat

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How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?

How many had the spay done with a laser?

Did they stay over night?

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?

(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
 

krispie

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We just had my daughter's kitten spayed last week( she is 5 months old) so I will answer your questions from my recent and past experience

We did not have an antibiotic with any of our cats who were spayed including our most recent. I can't say that it is never necessary but we have never needed it.

The vet did give us pain meds but we did not use them as the cats moved around fine without hesitation, ate, pooped, peed and drank without a problem. I do like to have them on hand just in case the babies seem uncomfortable.

I have never had the pre-surgery blood work done but all my cats were kittens (4 to 6mos old) when they were spayed. I might have had it done if it was an older cat.

I don't think even our most recent was done with a laser but I am not positive.

All our female cats stayed overnight( the males always went home the same day). This may be why we never had the need for the pain meds.

None of our cats had any problem after the surgery except that they wouldn't stay still! Because they were kittens, keeping them "quiet" just wasn;t happening! They never bothered with the stitches. Good thing cuz the cone lasted about 3 minutes before they figured out how to get it off.

We did go back for the post op visit but after 14 days, Oso( our most recent kitten) only had one stitch left. The others had fallen out as the incision healed.

At our vet, the spay was $125 and that was including overnight stay, pain meds and follow up visit.

As I mentioned before, all my cats have always been spayed between 4 and 6 months, usually 4 to 5 months. I never had a cat go into heat.


So there is my two cents. Hope it helps!
 

catsallover

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Originally Posted by cococat

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?

Only when one stitch didn't dissolve properly, and started looking reddish

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?

None of my cats have had pain meds after a spay. I think they are less likely to injure themselves if they know where they hurt. I am also afraid of it masking any problems they may really have after the spay. IMHO


How many had pre-blood work before they went under?

The first 2, and my dog had it done because we knew of other health concerns she had beforehand

How many had the spay done with a laser? No, but the last one (a foster kitten) had a really small incision and had internal stitches. One cat I had had exterior stiches, and she chewed a couple out and had to go in and be stapled (after I had asked for internal stitches because I knew she would!
)


Did they stay over night?Some did, some didn't- it depended on how quickly they came out of the anesthisia and how early in the morning they did it (one vet I used did all theirs first thing on certain days
.


What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?It took about a week for them to start acting like their normal selves, a couple of days to perk up after the surgery. One cat bothered her incision (the one I mentioned earlier), but the rest were fine (out of 6 female cats I've had spayed over 12 yrs
)


Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves? The ones who had to have them out, the vet did it.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live? About $125-$200 usually, but the last one only cost me $35 with a certificate from a local animal group!


How old was the cat when spayed?
Anywhere from 5 to 10 months (because the vets around here don't want to do it before 6 months, but at my vet now, they'll do it sooner if they come into heat early
.

Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
5 were, one still just gets sappy and sweet and goofy around mating season, so I suspect that something like that is going on, but she doesn't mate (or go looking for one, she just rubs the fur off the dog
), so we leave her alone- it's the only time she comes and sits in our laps!


(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
Whew! Good job on the homework- you sound like me!LOL! I hope that helps, too!
 

sar

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I'm in the UK and things are done slightly differently, but I thought it could be of interest anyway!


ow many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
Molly had to have a jab of antibiotics as a precautionary measure as she had removed one stitch the day after her spay

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
No pain meds were administered (besides the initial pain meds after the op) and I don't feel they were necessary as it wasn't an invasive procedure

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
Yes, we had per-op bloodwork as Molly came from a colony and I wanted to ensure her health

How many had the spay done with a laser?
Not laser, but keyhole surgery

Did they stay over night?
It is generally not the case to keep a cat over night - here in the UK - after a spay. They usually come home that afternoon

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
Recovery was very quick with Molly!
She bothered the wound primarily as she was trying to remove her own stitches
Once we put the collar on her, she healed very quickly and was back to normal in no time!


Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
Molly had a follow up visit, but by the time we went, she had removed her stitches, so it was just as a check up.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
In the UK, the price varies quite a lot. Molly's spay - in 2003 - was £42 (very approx $84

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
Molly was 4 months when she was spayed and it was very successful
 

beandip

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I had 3 of my girls spayed last month, I'll base my answers on that.

Originally Posted by cococat

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion? Not generally needed, IMO. 2 of my 3 came down with cold like symptoms afterwards, so we made a follow up visit (free) and got antibiotics for them (also free
). They recovered from that fine. To be fair, they had been somewhat sickly as babies - probably lacking some immunity. They're thriving now, though.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion? No pain meds here. Not necessary IMO. They may have been given something at the clinic prior to leaving, though.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under? I generally don't do this w/ healthy kittens. If I only had one (or a bigger budget), I would probably do it.

How many had the spay done with a laser? No laser.

Did they stay over night? No, they went home that afternoon. I did keep them confined for about 24 hours, though. At that point, they were knocking things over and feeling much better


What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
I brought mine home just hours after the op, so they were pretty drunk. They were sobered up by the next morning. They didn't bother the wound and didn't have to wear a collar. They were at 80% within 48 hrs and back to normal within 3-4 days. No problems.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves? Mine had internal "buried" stitches that dissolve.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live? We're in midwest USA, and it was $95 each. The price was recently raised to $110. That's at a "cat only" clinic.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards? Mine were done a little late, at about 7 months. It was successful.

(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
 

alleygirl

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My Alley was almost a year old when she was spayed. She had never come into heat, being a late bloomer (didn't reach full size until age 4 or so).

The vet (a small country vet in Oklahoma) did not do any pre-op blood work, unless it was part of the procedure after I dropped her off but they didn't mention it.

She stayed overnight and did not have any meds or antibiotics sent home with her.

She had dissolving stitches and did not have to have a follow up visit to the vet.

She had no problems with her surgery and was very active afterward, eating normal, etc.

It cost me about $45 to have her done, about 8 years ago.
 

kittenkiya

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I have had 5 feral females spayed and two insiders spayed.

No antibiotics, no pain meds, no over night stays, on the ferals don't know about the stitches, on the insiders, dissolvable.

The insiders were kept in the carrier for a few hours until they felt like drinking, then kept in my room over night to get some rest.

The ferals were raring to go the minute they got home. A funny point: the vet gave me a "new" type carrier to bring MotherCat (feral) home in. She said it was the latest thing. I carried it up to the porch, put it down by the window, opened the door and walked in the house....looked out the window and MotherCat was on TOP of the carrier, jumping down to the porch. So much for "have them rest a bit before you let them go."

Personally, I feel my vet is very meticulous about her surgeries. In all the cats I have brough to her, I have NEVER had an infection.

Her fees were $53 per female up until I got Tammy-Timmy (insider). Then her fees were raised to $85 per female. I love my vet.
 

aussie_dog

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I can't remember with Buffy and Willow (we never got the invoice for Buffy, and I lost Willow's), so here's Molly's:

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
I don't think Molly got antibiotics. I don't think it is needed unless there's an actual infection.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
I don't know how much, but Molly was given pain meds after her surgery, before we picked her up. I'm still not sure if it's needed or not; I think that if cats can feel their pain, they'll naturally take it easy, but I hate seeing them in pain anyways. As it was, Molly had to go into my dog's crate because she wouldn't sit still. Buffy and Willow didn't get pain meds, and they just slept and looked depressed for a couple of days (Buffy shed a massive load of hair and skin, too, the poor baby)

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
I think Molly did, but I can't tell you about Buffy and Willow.

How many had the spay done with a laser?
All three of them had the incision type, though Molly's incision was the smallest of the three (as far as I can remember anyway, lol)

Did they stay over night?
Yes, all three stayed overnight for observation. Those were lonely nights


What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?

I think about 2 days for Buffy and Willow. They slept and looked miserable the first day, looked a little better the 2nd day, and by the third day they were involving themselves back in our lives. Molly had pain meds, so she was completely normal the second she was back in our arms, lol. None of the cats bothered their wounds, though I think we had to stop Buffy from touching hers every now and then (just simply touching her or tsking to get her attention would make her stop)

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
We never got them taken out, so they must have been dissolvable stitches. For Molly in particular, I couldn't see the stitches themselves, so I think they might have been the glue kind of stitches, but the incision was in zig-zags like with regular stitches, so I'm not sure... lol, shows how much I question the vet, eh?

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
I can't remember what Buffy's cost (we didn't ask for the invoice), but Willow's totalled about $164 and Molly's was $390, thanks to the extra things I had added (IV and pain meds). This is in Alberta, Canada, and we only used one vet for ALL our pets in the past and present, lol (well, except for that ACL surgery for my dog)

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
All of them were later than I'd have liked. We used to think we should spay after their first heat, so with Willow, that was 10 months of age, for Buffy it was about 9 months (not sure anymore), and with Molly it was about 9 months as well (not sure, since when we got her in late November 2005, her age was estimated at about 5 months, and I waited until the $400 Alberta bonus check arrived, so she got spayed in the following March).
 

salemwitchchild

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My cat came to me already neutored. However I had my dog spayed so I'll answer Q's for her.

Originally Posted by cococat

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? Yes I did give an antibiotic.
It is needed in your opinion? sometimes.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? I did not
It is needed in your opinion? Only if they act like they are in severe pain.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under? I did not. But I do encourage it.

How many had the spay done with a laser? Nope. Old fashioned way.

Did they stay over night? no. she was able to come home the same day.

What was the average recovery time? 2 weeks. But she developed an infection which is why she had to be put on antibiotics.

Did the cat bother the wound? She licked it.
Any problems? If so, what? Infection. Had to have them clean it and put her on antibiotics.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves? Post op visit.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live? Cost me about $150 for Ky.

How old was the cat when spayed? My dog was 1 yr old.
Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards? Successful

(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
 

jen

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How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion? No, none needed in most cases, I have never given antibiotics.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
It is needed in your opinion? No, none needed in most cases, I have never given pain meds.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
Nope, not unless they are a senior cat or a cat with problems, again, I have never done blood work before hand.

How many had the spay done with a laser?
Nope, probably costs more I would think.

Did they stay over night?
Never, I want my cats back home with me in the comfort of their home, or if it is a stray, in my house instead of a cold steel cage. I would never let my cats stay at the vet over night when many times there is not even a vet there.

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
The younger they are spayed, the quicker recovery. A few hours until the anesthesia wears off and almost immediately for kittens. Older cats may be groggy the following day.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
Usually they use glue and dissolvable stitches. Otherwise I would just take them out myself. Esp if the vet charges you to come back to get the stitches out

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
Eeesh, $435? For a spay? Where do you live and what is that vet doing so miraculously that warrents a $400+ charge? Here it is anywhere from $20-$45 for a spay and $15-$45 for a neuter. One place charges $45 and does spay, vaccinations, deworming, exam and everything just for $45. At a regular full priced vet clinic it would be over $100-200. I would never go there for a spay. Way too much money when there are so many cheaper options.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
I spayed and neutered my youngest when they were 8 weeks. The important thing is to do it before the cat matures or goes into heat (ex. well before 6 months) Sadly some vets won't do it until 6 months so you have to be extra careful. Some cats can get prego at 5 months!

No I have never had a vet miss anything.


(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
 

ryanjay

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How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?

The clinic I have taken my 10 girls(all done within last couple years) gives every cat a shot of antibiotic but only give you antibitotics to take home if it looks necessary-never had to take any home.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?

The clinic offers it to cats if you feel its needed-but they all went young and all but one was never pregnant or in heat. sore but imo a little pain means they stay quiet and all were up running withing 24 hours.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
None. I did years ago with first two neuters. but I have taken about 25 to be spayed/neutered and no major issues yet. the clinic doesn't offer it either and I need to use them as prices are GREAT(100 for girls and 81 for boys).

How many had the spay done with a laser?

Not offered and I wouldn't use it anyway-I was doing a trial day at a vet asst job and she was using the cat to basically learn how to use teh laser and it took her an hour to do a declaw...After that I would only have a laser used if there was no alternative and the vet had ALOT of experience with it.

Did they stay over night?
Clinic requires ALL animals to stay overnight.

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?

My ex stray who had a litter took a good few days to get up to her normal but all the others were max of a day...then were fine. they all cleaned it a bit but had dissovable stitches so didn't do any damage.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?

Dissovable stitches(extra 9 dollars) but saves me a return trip thats about 5 miles each way and stressful for them. If you get the regular stitches they return(don't know how long) but removal is free at place I use.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
Spay with a distemper 3-1 and rabies, penacillian shot and dissovable stiches is 100 in central NJ.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?

Youngest was 5 months oldest was a 2 yo ex stray who came pregnant-had her kittens and got fixed 3 months later. All went fine with no major issues. One was in heat and tehy charged 15 more, and one needed a extra penacillian shot.
 

xxtashaxx

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How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion? No, I have never given antibiotics. but they have never needed them either.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
never had to give pain meds , all have always been fine and bouncy lol.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
only on the strays we have had done.

How many had the spay done with a laser?
no

Did they stay over night?
one of my males stayed over night as i didnt know otherwise. all my cats have been done as soon as they come in to live with me lol(last one before i knew different was about 5 years ago) but after the male was done and i had to get the kitten done and the strays i learned that i could have them give the cat an injection to help recover quicker to take them home that day. which was much better.

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
i have never had any problems with mine , maybe for the first few hours of being home they will sleep most of it . but after that i have sometimes had to put them in a quiet room as they want to play fight with the other cats lol.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
mine have always been disolveable ones so never needed a check up unless something was worrying me. and i wouldnt attempt to take sticths out myself as i wouldnt know what i was doing.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
im in the uk . priviate vets will charge anything from £35-60 pounds. and a low income one will charge anything from £5-25. they are for spays , the neutering are cheeper.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
over here they will not spay/neuter untill 51/2 months to 6 months old. my kitten went into heat a few days before she was 5 months old. they spayed her while she was in heat 4 weeks ago. and so far no problems, and have never had a spayed female go back in to heat or had any missed after being spayed. touch wood. lol
 

lisasha3

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Long summarization of my 5
Originally Posted by cococat

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
Only one of mine needed it. The incision became very swollen (the size of a softball almost) and discolored underneath. We spent the day in the kitty ER and got some antibiotics

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
none of them

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
none of them

How many had the spay done with a laser?
I don't know what type of surgery it was

Did they stay over night?
None of them

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?None seemed to bother with their wounds. Toughest thing was keeping them quiet - no jumping, running, etc. Keeping a cat down is near impossble! Especially a kitten.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves? I think all 5 of mine were self disolving since I don't remember a follow up visit required

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
I've paid anywhere from $40, to $140 (which included everything - vaccines, adoption fee, and spay - great price!) to $200-$300 charged by a local vet I don't go to anymore just because of that ridiculous price. If it was something different fine - but it's the same darn surgery!

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards? All of my cats were successful (although I wonder about Pebbles mood swings
). Mine were all done around 5-6 months with the exception of Snickers. The local shelter in town here spays and neuters at 2 months old!! I was shocked but at the time didn't know enough to argue. Peanut and Snickers were adopted at the same time, but Peanut was underweight (she was the runt) and they wouldn't do the surgery until she hit 2lbs (she was 1.2lbs I think when we adopted her). I'm not sure what to think of the 2month old spay/neuter. I've heard it's way too young, but I'll tell ya what - it was a hell of a lot easier on me getting the cat spayed right off the bat before I got attached to her rather than have them live in your home for 5-6 months then go and bring them in. I get a little over concerned with these things because I know 2 people that have lost dogs during routine spay/neuters and I just freak out thinking somethings going to go wrong. Snickers I wasn't worried because I really didn't know her yet. She hadn't been in my home at all. I wasn't attached. Peanut and Pebbles I cried all freakin day - I just lost it. Called the vet like 12 times during the day. It was an awful feeling


(an old roomate of mine had her cat spayed but for over a year afterwards it was clear they missed something and she had to take her cat back for another spay)
 

jen

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lisasha3- Kittens recover a LOT faster when they are younger rather then waiting until they are 6 months old and had possibly already gone into heat. Definately want to spay before the first heat to avoid the risk of cancers and everything when the cats are older. If you are worried, I think it is a lot safer to do it when they are younger. That is AWESOME that your shelter does it when they are 2 months old. I wish all shelters would do that, I think it would help on a lot of problems of accidental pregnancies.
 
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cococat

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Thanks for all of the information, this has been an interesting thread.
 

missymotus

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How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
No antibiotics, don't think it's needed

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
They were given a pain shot before coming home, I think they need something.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
No


How many had the spay done with a laser?
No but if I got another female I would probably go with laser

Did they stay over night?
No

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?

Kittens were racing around from the minute they got home, Missy was older and took about 1/2 a day to get back to normal.
They all wore e-collars, it protected their own wound well but they could still lick each other so needed to be separated. Betsy got Spritzers stiches out at around 7 days.


Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
Dissolving stiches

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
Where I live in Canada, $170 is average. Low cost clinic is $70

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
Kittens were 12 weeks, Missy was 15 months. IMO the earlier the better, they have a smaller wound and recover faster.
No problems with incomplete spays.
 

carolpetunia

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Just a couple of thoughts:

As you know, it's a much bigger operation for girls than for boys. Our boys have all bounced back in no time with no sign of pain, but a girl kitty will definitely be uncomfortable for a few days, and my girls have all had pain meds for two or three days afterward. Not too much, though -- if you eliminate ALL pain, they may feel so good that they move around too freely and put stress on their stitches.

We ALWAYS have bloodwork done before anesthesia, because a bad reaction is always possible -- even with the quick, simple surgery a boy cat gets. We were at our vet's office one day when someone's little dachshund nearly died from such a reaction, and it took about an hour of heroic effort to save the little fella. Everyone in the waiting room was on pins and needles, hoping he'd pull through!

My Pearl had just been spayed by the SPCA when I adopted her, and a few days later when the swelling receded, I felt something sharp on her tummy. I gently investigated and found a leftover stitch sticking out! I took her straight to the vet and got that removed, and they gave her a little antibiotic to be sure no infection took hold.

Hope all goes well with your babies!
 

semiferal

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Originally Posted by cococat

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
It can't hurt. One clinic I've worked at gives everyone a shot of penicillin, others don't. I have had one kitten whose incision got infected after surgery. By the time I found it (she was in another foster home), the infection was systemic and she had to go to the emergency hospital and spend the night at a cost of over $700 (not to mention that she could have died). So IMO it's a wise thing to do if you have the option - better $25 for antibiotics and a healthy cat than to skip that and risk something going really wrong.

Originally Posted by cococat

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
No pain meds unless they are hospitalized - and all of mine have come home a few hours after surgery. If they're in the hospital then IMO they should be as pain free as possible but if they're at home then they need to know they've just had surgery. Otherwise they'll be too active and will risk complications. If they can feel pain from the surgery then that will tell them what activity level is safe. Pain is no fun but it's a very important tool for all of us.

Generally, they should be comfortable enough to sleep and to eat a little bit of a favorite food the night of surgery. Usually medication is not necessary to bring them to this level.

Originally Posted by cococat

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
Only for one of my boys, who had been very ill as a kitten so I wanted to make 100% sure he was healthy enough for surgery. But in general bloodwork is always a wise thing to do. Think of it this way - if something happened that could have been prevented if you'd done the bloodwork and known that surgery was risky due to a health condition, that would be a very hard thing to live with. Better safe than sorry.


Originally Posted by cococat

How many had the spay done with a laser?
Honestly, I've never even heard of a laser spay! I can't imagine it would be much different for the cat than a standard spay. Personally I'd rather have the vet's actual hands touching everything because you can know what you're doing better if you actually feel it.

Originally Posted by cococat

Did they stay over night?
Nope, I don't feel it's necessary unless there are complications. Besides, most vet hospitals are not staffed overnight and in the unlikely event that something went wrong, I'd rather have her with me so I can see it and take appropriate action. My general opinion is that if they need to be hospitalized, it should be where there is someone present around the clock and most veterinary hospitals do not offer this.

Originally Posted by cococat

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
Kittens under 5 months old are generally back to their normal activity level within about 6 hours or as soon as they are fully awake from anesthesia. Adults and kittens 5 months and over are pretty uncomfortable for about 24 hours but generally perk up significantly - almost to normal activity level - pretty much exactly 24 hours after surgery.

Out of literally a few hundred of my cats and foster cats, only two have ever had problems. Both were infections. In general, keep an eye on the cat's behavior and the incision. What you should look for is steady improvement. If the cat doesn't start acting pretty much normal within 36-48 hours or if she ever seems to be getting worse, this requires immediate veterinary attention.

Originally Posted by cococat

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
I've actually done all of the above, though most have had dissolvable sutures. Taking them out yourself is definitely a two-person job and the person holding the cat has to be very skilled at doing so - I wouldn't recommend it unless you have experience as a vet assistant/technician, shelter worker, or something similar. For the average cat parent it's not recommended!


Originally Posted by cococat

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
About the same.


Originally Posted by cococat

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
Anywhere from 8 weeks on up, maybe even a tiny bit younger. In general I always try to have the girls fixed by their 5 month birthday because they tend to recover much faster and seem to have a lot less pain, plus you pretty much eliminate the risk of their going into heat. Usually I fix the girls between 10 and 18 weeks of age. I've never had an experience of ovarian remnant syndrome (when they have heat cycles even after being spayed).
 

lisasha3

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Originally Posted by Jen

lisasha3- Kittens recover a LOT faster when they are younger rather then waiting until they are 6 months old and had possibly already gone into heat. Definately want to spay before the first heat to avoid the risk of cancers and everything when the cats are older. If you are worried, I think it is a lot safer to do it when they are younger. That is AWESOME that your shelter does it when they are 2 months old. I wish all shelters would do that, I think it would help on a lot of problems of accidental pregnancies.
Jen,
Thanks so much for your thoughts and info. I don't know a darn thing about whether it's better younger or a little later on. All I can tell you is the one kitty that was done at 2 months old I've had 2 vets absolutely floored and appalled that they were operated on so young. That's the only reason why I started questioning it. Both vets say definitely try before their first heat (as do most vets), but they recommend around 5 months old.
As I said - I don't know either way. It's just what I've been told.
 

van gogh

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I can hopefully answer some of your questions. I worked at a vet's office for about a year and we did spays twice a week. We never gave antibiotics with our spays UNLESS the cat was in heat at the time of the surgery, we never had any problems in the time that I was there with infection. The spay should not be done before 6 mos. of age. Most cats don't require a pain med, believe it or not most animals have a pain tolerance much higher than that of humans. The only time we ever kept kitties overnight was if there was a problem with the spay. We never did laser surgery, I've never even spoke with anyone having it done. Our spays for feamles usually cost an average of $80-$130 depending on rather or not you got bloodwork and about $20 less for a neuter. If you feel that your cat is healthy and you don't have any problems with him/her I wouldn't personally pay $50 for bloodwork (that was our price). If you ever feel like there may be a problem with anesthetic I would get the bloodwork. Good luck with your spay!
 
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