Is this normal?

ruthyb

ruthyb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
5,314
Purraise
16
Location
Derbyshire UK.
Hi all

gosh I've had a busy night tonight, it never ends
Harvey was nuetured last thursday, it was a more complex operation as one of his testicles they discovered hadn't dropped so they had to operate on his abdomen to try and find the other testicle which they didn't! Up until now he has been doing very well. I have been keeping a close eye to make sure the wound is ok but its quite difficult as he isn't the friendliest of boys when you want to look at him and he is rather a large cat and he hurts
Well tonight I noticed when he lay down the wound area looked a bit swollen around the outside of the scar, so I did try and get a closer look with alot of effort and 20 scratches and bites later
Joking aside, it looks very swollen, not red or leaking anything just very raised and swollen. He is back at the vets on saturday for a check up and stitches removed, do you think this sounds infected?I expected the scar to be flat but this is extremely raised.If anyone thinks its not normal I will ring the vets and get him in tomorrow. Thanks in advance.x
 
S

seattleeco

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
23
Purraise
0
Location
Chicago, IL
I couldn't say for sure either way, but my instinct would be to ring the vet with a description -- they'll probably know straight off if it's something that needs their attention.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
ruthyb

ruthyb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
5,314
Purraise
16
Location
Derbyshire UK.
Thanks for your reply, I phoned the vets and they said as long as it isn't weeping or red then it should be fine and they will see him tomorrow morning. It looks alot less swollen today.x
 
M

marsch21

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
307
Purraise
16
Location
Orange Co. CA
This is most likly a reaction to internal stitches. I think it is called edema. Very common with abdomen incisions
 
alicatjoy

alicatjoy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
1,662
Purraise
66
Location
Northeast Ohio
I'm glad you called the vet as that would have been my initial response. But, since you've done that already, I did want to talk briefly about my experience with spay incisions (I understand it was a neuter, but, for all intents and purposes, the abdominal surgery would have made the incision more similar to a spay than a neuter).

When my cats and dogs were spayed, they all had a slight reaction to the sutures that were used. My cats' reactions were less than my dog's reaction, but there were some extenuating circumstances there. I, like you, thought that the incision should be flush with the skin, but it wasn't like that. In fact, the reactions I saw were very similar to what you described with your Harvey. I called my vet and had each animal brought in almost immediately after I noticed that the area was swollen. And, each time, I felt like a fool as I walked out of the office for something that was absolutely normal.

My vet's take on this, especially where cats are concerned, is that many cats who have abdominal surgery have a reaction to the sutures. All of my animals have had the stitches that dissolve on their own and I have been informed that a reaction to these stitches is not uncommon. Though the regular stitches can also still cause a reaction. In some cases, my cats had a reaction that looked as though an abscess was forming underneath the skin surrounding incision (I was later told it was a reaction to where the sutures were tied). But, my vet assured me that it's not usually an emergency so long as there is no blood or fluid seeping or the area is not red or warm to the touch. But, still, seeing a swollen area is quite concerning and it's something I would still have checked out since there is a very real possibility of infection or abscess following surgery.

Either way, I would continue to keep an eye on Harvey's incision site and call your vet if you have any continued concerns or questions. It's stressful when our babies have surgery -- even when it's something as routine as a spay or neuter. It sounds like Harvey's on the mend and will continue to heal well and I send you and your kitty loads of vibes for a short recovery time and a positive visit with the vet tomorrow. Good luck and keep us posted!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6
ruthyb

ruthyb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
5,314
Purraise
16
Location
Derbyshire UK.
Originally Posted by Alison Joy

I'm glad you called the vet as that would have been my initial response. But, since you've done that already, I did want to talk briefly about my experience with spay incisions (I understand it was a neuter, but, for all intents and purposes, the abdominal surgery would have made the incision more similar to a spay than a neuter).

When my cats and dogs were spayed, they all had a slight reaction to the sutures that were used. My cats' reactions were less than my dog's reaction, but there were some extenuating circumstances there. I, like you, thought that the incision should be flush with the skin, but it wasn't like that. In fact, the reactions I saw were very similar to what you described with your Harvey. I called my vet and had each animal brought in almost immediately after I noticed that the area was swollen. And, each time, I felt like a fool as I walked out of the office for something that was absolutely normal.

My vet's take on this, especially where cats are concerned, is that many cats who have abdominal surgery have a reaction to the sutures. All of my animals have had the stitches that dissolve on their own and I have been informed that a reaction to these stitches is not uncommon. Though the regular stitches can also still cause a reaction. In some cases, my cats had a reaction that looked as though an abscess was forming underneath the skin surrounding incision (I was later told it was a reaction to where the sutures were tied). But, my vet assured me that it's not usually an emergency so long as there is no blood or fluid seeping or the area is not red or warm to the touch. But, still, seeing a swollen area is quite concerning and it's something I would still have checked out since there is a very real possibility of infection or abscess following surgery.

Either way, I would continue to keep an eye on Harvey's incision site and call your vet if you have any continued concerns or questions. It's stressful when our babies have surgery -- even when it's something as routine as a spay or neuter. It sounds like Harvey's on the mend and will continue to heal well and I send you and your kitty loads of vibes for a short recovery time and a positive visit with the vet tomorrow. Good luck and keep us posted!
Click to expand...
Thankyou for telling me this, he has got internal stitches, he is back tomorrow at 9.30am for a check up anyway so I'm hopin all goes well.xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top