About to blow a fuse - never going to this vet or shelter again. Need help on what to look for.

I am almost speechless at this point, so I apologies in advance if this comes off ranty. I adopted Ares from this same shelter, and when I brought him home I was faced with a number of issues. URI, coccidia, lung worm, and then 4-6 weeks of medication combined. The vet, at one point, told me to go to another vet as he didn't want to 'deal' with all of my cats problems. I, taking that as a great opportunity to  find a better vet, left.

After Ares was better my boyfriend and I decided to adopt another cat from the same shelter - we figured that Ares having so many issues was just a fluke. We picked a little black kitten, Corvo, and brought him home 2 weeks later. Not 24 hours into his stay we noticed something was wrong. His skin was flaking, he was super itchy and his eye kept watering. Horrified of getting Ares sick again, we sent Corvo back to the shelter to figure out what was up. Not a week later I noticed Ares starting to itch, along with my boyfriend and I. I did some research and noticed our symptoms seemed a lot like ring worm - low and behold, I get a call from the shelter saying Corvo had had a ringworm infestation and it was going to take close to a month to get rid of it. As we had already fell in love with the cat, we agreed to wait for him to get better.

Fast-forward to today. I get a call from the shelter saying I can come pick him up at 7pm, but there had been an issue. They sent him into the vet on Monday to finish up his shots (rabies, last distemper) and the vet in all of his infinite wisdom took the rookie volunteer on her word that Corvo needed to be neutered - which he had had done a month ago!! My poor, sick kitten not only got ALL of his shots done at one time, but they opened his abdomen up thinking his balls hadn't dropped!!! The shelter director was furious with them, but I was beyond livid. He has his tummy all stitched up and has to get them out on the 4th.

My question comes down to, how do I help keep the stitches in till he needs them out? What do signs of an infection look like? Is he going to be alright after getting all of his shots AND going through surgery?

Oh boy, they must really be overwhelmed for this to happen.  Poor kitty!  I would definitely keep an eye on him.  If he bothers the stitches, go to PetSmart and get a cone.  He won't be happy but it will help him heal faster.

Do you know anyone in the area who can recommend a vet?  He's going to need follow-up care, no matter what.

I can't blame you for being upset.  I would have a hard time trusting that shelter again too.

When you calm down, I would speak to the clinic and the shelter and systematically explain your grievances.  If you don't get some answers, I would definitely consider going to higher authorities and lodging complaints.

As for looking for a new vet, this is a great article on what to look for:  http://consciouscat.net/2010/09/27/adventures-in-veterinary-medicine-finding-a-new-vet/   The author worked in a vet clinic for many years and has some great advice.

Now then, for your little guy's incision.  Do you know if they used dissolvable stitches or can you see the sutures?  If you notice his licking the incision way too much or gnawing at it, then keep an eye on it.  The incision will get fiery red and warm to the touch if it's infected.  If he won't leave it alone, you can use the top of an old men's tube sock to prevent him from licking it.  Just cut off the foot part and save that for something else.  With the tube part of the sock, slip it over either end and wiggle it up into position so that it covers most of his tummy, especially over his abdomen where the incision is.

I'm really sorry for you and your little guy!  I hope this helps and I hope you'll keep us updated on both kitties and your search for a new vet.
 

Thanks for the info about what to look for if there is an infection - I'll keep an eye out when I get him tonight. They are not dissolvable, and I need to get them removed on the 4th.
 

I spoke to the shelter lady again, and she told me it was all just a mistake with the surgery thing - but it still makes me angry. They plan on letting the person go who made the mistake and was supposed to tell the vet he was already done - they even had WRITTEN instructions on what she needed to tell the vet and she ignored them. I just hope he pulls through alright. I'll let you guys know how he looks when I get him tonight..

Just terrible it really irks me that vets seem to get away with things that human doctors never would. Here is a good site that has ratings for different vets (http://www.vetratingz.com).