Opinions on cat's scar from spaying (photo included)

Umm...it's my first day and I've started a lot of threads...I just overthink things a lot and I have a lot of questions...

Anyway my seven month old kitten got spayed on Saturday. She spent the night at the vet and I got her back on Sunday. Sunday night she spent licking and biting her stitches so I took Monday off work and got her a collar. She's used to it and I think maybe she can even lick the bottom of her scar now, but she hasn't seem that bothered by it.

The vet gave me an antibiotic to give her over four days (last day tomorrow), and told me to clean it with methiolate once a day. Lucia hasn't been thrilled about me trying to clean it, but at least I got the methiolate in a spray bottle so at the very minimum it gets sprayed, even if I can't clean it thoroughly :/

Honestly...I don't think the vet did a great job. I live in a fancy expensive neighbourhood where the vets charge an arm and a leg to spay, so my friend took me to her cousin's aunt (who is a vet, this isn't just some random aunt haha) on the outskirts of the city in a poorer neighbourhood where it's a lot less. I think the incision looks too long and kind of jagged. I can see a little bit of red - not like blood, more like raw skin, But maybe Lucia pulled out some stitches on Sunday and I didn't realize?

She's taking her antibiotics well, she's been increasingly playful. I'm pretty sure her wound isn't leaking anything, it doesn't feel hot. She's not jumping around yet, and when she jumps onto the bed or a chair she does it on two steps, one back leg after the other.


Opinions? Even if the vet did a bad job (in my oh-so-professional opinion), if it's not hot and not leaking, and she physically seems to be improving, it's okay, right? Any tips on how I can get her to let me clean it properly? Also, how do I clean it properly? I don't want to press so hard I hurt her (and cause her to wriggle out of my arms and hide), but I don't want to do it so gently I don't do anything...

Her vet is sooooo far away it's really hard to get to without a car, and vets in this neighbourhood charge so much just for a consultation. I know you guys aren't vets but other peoples' opinions before I have to live on ramen for the next month because I have no money left haha would be useful.

It doesn't look too bad to me.  Keep an eye on it and if it gets an angry red or starts oozing pus, then she needs to get to the vet immediately.

Alright, good to have someone else's opinion Thanks.

Welcome to the site!!!

I think it looks perfectly normal and is not infected. I would not recommend you doing anything to keep it clean, you may aggravate the incision! Leave it alone to heal on it's own. Follow your vets instructions. Congrats on your new kitten and hope you enjoy TCS!

It looks pretty normal, like they said above if it gets hot to the touch or oozes anything not clear, call the vet. Also, if she has a 'lump' under the incision, do not be alarmed. There are stitches on the inside too, and the area may develop a lump from swelling. It will eventually go away. Good luck!

Thanks guys ^_^

I live by myself so I don't have anyone at home I can ask for opinions, I've just been reading online about recovery and scaring myself because she's not bouncing back six hours later like some cats, hah. But she started jumping on top of the wardrobe again last night so I'm trying to relax!

Also can anyone tell if those stitches are the kind that need to be removed or not? I was told they would just fall out but they look like they'll need to be cut out to me :/ But maybe I need to stop questioning my vet's instructions, she's the one with the veterinary degree, not me :/

Hmmm...not sure about the stitches falling out on their own, but I'd wait and see.  If in about 10 - 14 days post spay they've not fallen out, I'd call the vet and ask what to do.  How is she doing today?  Is she leaving the incision alone?

She's doing a lot better, thanks. Sleeping only a little bit more than normal but playing and jumping around a lot. She has an e-collar so she can't really reach the incision. She doesn't seem to mind the collar, but I can tell her ears have been really itchy because she can't scratch or clean them herself, so now wondering what to do about that. I've been scratching them for her but it hasn't helped much.

luciafernanda said:

She's doing a lot better, thanks. Sleeping only a little bit more than normal but playing and jumping around a lot. She has an e-collar so she can't really reach the incision. She doesn't seem to mind the collar, but I can tell her ears have been really itchy because she can't scratch or clean them herself, so now wondering what to do about that. I've been scratching them for her but it hasn't helped much.

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Good to know that your kitty is recovery well from her spay. The stitches are probably the dissolving type, most are, and if that is what the vet told you, then it is true! For the ear itching, it may be that the collar is irritating or rubbing the back of her ears. IF her incision looks to be healing well, then you should be able to take the collar off when you are home and able to watch her. Make sure that she doesn't lick at the incision too much. A little licking is to be expected and will not cause a problem. If her ears become more intensely itchy and you are seeing brown stuff in the inner ear, then she may have ear mites that need to be treated. Although, I would assume that the vet already checked her our from top to bottom before the surgery. The itching is probably from the collar and her wanting it off.

Looks fine to me. I think, perhaps, the reason you think it looks bad is because you were expecting to see a different stitch pattern. Surgery stitches are not looped around like shoe laces. They're kind of ugly-looking as a rule. Even my 2 stitches from keyhole surgery looked bad, and they were done by the best of the best.

Surgery's just an ugly business. I'd say that looks perfectly fine. Since it is not hot or weeping and your cat is gaining back energy, no worries.

Thanks everyone!

Lilin - yeah, I was definitely expecting a nice, neat wound with neat, easily countable stitches. I can't really count how many she has and I think it kind of looks like she was cut open with a jagged knife.

Feralvr - I think she is scratching a lot because she can't reach behind her ears to scratch properly. Yesterday she was playing on my lap and pulled the collar off (right under my nose! The cheek of it...) and I decided to leave it off for a while as I was home, to see what she did, but she immediately set about trying to bite them out. She was operated on last Saturday, the 2nd, so eight days ago.

How long after the surgery until her maybe pulling the stitches out won't do her any harm?

Is there a way to tell if they're dissolvable or not? I've never had stitches myself and I always thought dissolvable stitches looked like butterfly stitches (steri-strips) hah. But I've just learnt from google that's something else!

And she's completely back to normal now...literally bouncing off the walls.

 The most important thing within the first 8-10 days after surgery is to keep them from running and especially jumping as well as giving them their prescribed meds. I would call your vet about any questions you may have, especially to ask if she has to have stitches removed or if they are dissolving. 

   It is important to keep an eye on her  for  the next few weeks  A spay is actually a hysterectomy and is much more difficult recovery then a neuter for males.

luciafernanda said:

Feralvr - I think she is scratching a lot because she can't reach behind her ears to scratch properly. Yesterday she was playing on my lap and pulled the collar off (right under my nose! The cheek of it...) and I decided to leave it off for a while as I was home, to see what she did, but she immediately set about trying to bite them out. She was operated on last Saturday, the 2nd, so eight days ago.

How long after the surgery until her maybe pulling the stitches out won't do her any harm?

Is there a way to tell if they're dissolvable or not? I've never had stitches myself and I always thought dissolvable stitches looked like butterfly stitches (steri-strips) hah. But I've just learnt from google that's something else!

And she's completely back to normal now...literally bouncing off the walls.

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Great to hear that she is recovered and feeling so good!! Why not just give the vet's office a call and ask about dissolving stitches. I can assure you that it takes longer than 10 days for them to fall out. If it has been 8 - 9 days, then I would think leaving the collar off is fine. The stitches are dissolving inside and if she pulls one out - no worries at this point. I have never used a collar after spays nor do the shelter spays and the cats all heal up just fine. Sometimes, I think keeping them away from the incision makes them want to bother it all the more. Anyway, give the vet a call with these questions!

I've left the collar off all evening and she's been good about not picking them! I think I'll put it back on her before I go to work tomorrow just for peace of mind though...parts of her scar look mostly healed over, just lacking fur, but a couple of points, especially the ends, still look slightly open and have some old dried blood on. I haven't really had a look at it since I've let her run around without the collar and clean herself properly though.

I only have the personal cell of the vet because it's a relative of a friend so I feel bad just calling up because she doesn't really know me, but my friend who went with me and spoke more to the vet than me assures me they're dissolvable - I'd forgotten to ask and we had to drive around the block to go back so she went in, not me. I'm going to stop doubting the things medical professionals tell me so much (this goes for my own medical problems too haha).

I can only go by how my Nala's scar looked, but it doesn't look like hers did. Nala has no scabbing aside from a quarter inch long scab in the middle from her stretching a bit too far before she was mended. I doubt it's infected because the skin around the scar/scab is not bright red. Maybe it's just dry. It actually looks a lot like the scabs I got from all the surgical scars I got as they were healing. Sutured skin tends to get dry and flaky like your cat's appears to be.

Come to think of it, I think our cats' were stitched up differently, because I couldn't see any of Nala's stitches.

Yeah I took her to the cheap vet in the poorer neighbourhood because vets in my neighbourhood are soooo expensive and it's made me realize I'm being kind of a snob :/ I don't think the vet I took her to was bad, I just think that because it's a one-woman operation in a more working class area, she probably never gets to go on training courses or to conferences to modernize her practice. But vets in this neighbourhood charge almost my rent ($3000 Mx pesos...like US$300).

I didn't put the collar on her before going to work :S Hope I don't get home to cat guts on the floor hehe. I think she'll be fine...parts of the scar have definitely completely healed over.

luciafernanda said:

I didn't put the collar on her before going to work :S Hope I don't get home to cat guts on the floor hehe. I think she'll be fine...parts of the scar have definitely completely healed over.

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I don't think you need to worry about that! She should, by now, be past the point of any incision problems. Those stitches will fall out very soon. They dissolve inside and the knots on the outside just fall out OR kitty assists in that process.

The only thing that comes to mind when looking at the photo is that the scar seems rather long, but not bad. Of course, how long it is depends on the vet's skill, I guess. My two girls had a 1 cm (0.39 inch) scar and 4 stitches each.

Sophie pulled out the first stitch first day after the surgery, the second a few days later and the third in the 8th day. On the 10th day after the surgery she has 1 stitch left. Of course I panicked and went to the vet every single time, but everything was fine. My vet is totally against collars as he feels it is only stressing the cats.

Amelie did not realize she had undergone major surgery and was shaved on her belly and had a scar. I mean really, she didn't seem to notice. She was climbing the drapes less than 48 hours after the surgery.

As there have been 6 days since the surgery, I guess it is starting to heal and she is back to her old self. I think she is a calico, isn't she? I would love to see a photo of her.

It's been 11 days now

My little calico princess:



Couldn't choose just one heh.