6 month old getting spayed...scared Mama!

Hi!

I recently post this thread about my baby girl in heat: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/290473/kitten-in-heat-again

and now I am so happy to say she has an appointment to get spayed next Tuesday the 13th. My vet had two options: leave her overnight and get her the next morning at noon, or come get her in the evening (its an 8am drop off for her), and then bring her back at 9am the next day. I couldn't bare to leave her overnight so I am gonna take her home and then bring her back in the morning so they can check on her.

For some reason I am SO terrified of her having surgery, even though I KNOW its a minor procedure and low risk. Long story short, my baby is the runt, so small for her age, and she had some health problems her first month or two, and she is my entire world. The thought of her being 'put under' terrifies me She's gonna be wearing a cone when I pick her up and I will probably have to give her pain meds. I know I will be in tears when I drop her off. Ahhh I know, I'm one of 'those' crazy cat Mamas!! Haha.

Anyway, all I'm looking for is words of comfort/wisdom....any tips? I'm gonna cook her some fresh salmon for post-surgery.

Thank you everyone!!!

Xo Crystal

Hi Crystal!

I think we all have felt as though we are the "crazy cat mama". I certainly can relate to the way you are feeling now! My kitten, Pancake, had to undergo surgery last summer while she was in heat (they had to keep her overnight as well, without the option to take her home) and it broke my heart that she would be at the vet without me that night. I, of course, cried when I had to drop her off.

Cats really know how to steal our hearts!

Since these surgeries are so common I encourage you to not worry, and be excited for whenever you get to take her home that night after her surgery! She may act a bit odd, all of my cats behaved differently after surgery, but that is just from the procedure and pain medications. My kitten, Syrup, was walking backwards for a while (as funny as it sounds, it was so sad at the time )Just relax, take your mind off of the surgery, and prepare for your baby to come home! She's going to need lots of love!

I'm sure she is going to appreciate the salmon!

-Nicole

Oh my Goodness, @PancakeandSyrup... THANK YOU to the moon and back for your kind words..you honestly made me tear up a bit, just to know that someone out the cares as much as I do. <3

What kind of pain medication do they give them? My baby will not take pills no way, but I may be able to mix a tiny bit into her food. Lulu was the runt of the litter so she's maybe 4.5 - 5 lbs or so at this point. I don't want heavy pain meds for her BUT I also don't want her to be in pain. I am sure the doctor will prescribe whatever is best for her.

Thanks again a ton for your advice and words of wisdom...means a lot to Lulu and I!!

Xo Crystal

crystalnicole said:

 
For some reason I am SO terrified of her having surgery, even though I KNOW its a minor procedure and low risk.
 
Thank you everyone!!!

Xo Crystal

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If the vet is any decently skilled, its a low risk yes.  The surgery techniques  well known too. 

But In a way, you do have right.  Its not totally riskfree.  If you do have maximal unluck, so you have maximal unluck.  But still, the risks here, with any decently skilled vet, are lower than with all the alternatives.

Healthy cats may die when having kittens, its happens now and then,  even for breeders who do have good cooperation with vets and are ready to pay anything for the best care possible.

And being unspayed, she will want to sneak out when in heat and feeling a tom nearby.  This is how it comes so many "happen" to get out, when they unluckily happened to be in heat. Not, it didnt just "happen".  How do you think the great Houdini learned his tricks??  He of course observed his indoor only, female cats in heat.

Im not even mentioning the risks she takes when out and about, unused to be outside, and crazy with love...  THESE risks are clearly the greatest here.

And if you manage to keep her at home, her having empty heat time after another, year after year, isnt healthy either.  The risks for pyometra and cancer arises for every year.   Humans seems to fare better in this situation.

And if you wan to be sneaky and import the Pill from abroad.   The pill works nicely to buy you some time, but it too increases these risks - even accelerates them. 

So, true this operation not totally riskfree as such.  But the least dangerous of all the alternatives at hand.

Good luck to you and your little girl!

crystalnicole said:

 
Oh my Goodness, @PancakeandSyrup... THANK YOU to the moon and back for your kind words..you honestly made me tear up a bit, just to know that someone out the cares as much as I do. <3

What kind of pain medication do they give them? My baby will not take pills no way, but I may be able to mix a tiny bit into her food. Lulu was the runt of the litter so she's maybe 4.5 - 5 lbs or so at this point. I don't want heavy pain meds for her BUT I also don't want her to be in pain. I am sure the doctor will prescribe whatever is best for her.

Thanks again a ton for your advice and words of wisdom...means a lot to Lulu and I!!

Xo Crystal

Click to expand...

dont give her any extras painkillers unless coordinated with the vet!   So it doesnt collide with the painkillers and anesthesia the vet gives her.

But you probably mean afterwards?   Still, best you talk with your vet.  He may even give you some of his recommended pills.   Many / most cats manage without, they are happy if they have a cozy place to be in peace, to be and rest there.

Home girls may want their Ma to talk sweetly to them and pet them a little...

I have had so many kitties get spayed (over 100) (I'm a foster home, not that crazy of a cat lady!).... 90% of them don't get cones, they don't make cones small enough for kittens! I'd say I get about one to two a year that I get complications from and usually it's just a cone and round of antibiotics. In 6 years I've only had one that had further complications. I think in 6 years I've only had one kitten... maybe two... under a year old who need a cone and antibiotics. I can't even really think of any that showed signs of pain 24 hours past surgery. None for sure in the 48 hours after. In our organization I can only think of one kitty that I know that had severe complications from a spay surgery and we fix 100+ girls a year. So yah, it's really low risk.

I always get told keep them calm and reduce activity for 48-72 hours after surgery. HA. Like you can do that with a kitten!

I've learned that they do a pretty good job of keeping in their limits on their own.

I do recommend keeping her in a bedroom by herself and keeping her as calm as possible the first 24 hours. Then for the week after no intense playing session but I wouldn't worry about keeping her from doing her regular activities. (Unless she's a serious jumper then I'd try to keep her from jumping far or high) No baths for 10 days!

If you do have other kitties keep her separated accept when you can monitor her. The one female I had serious complications with her kittens and/or sisters licked her spay site for her and ripped it open causing the infection. I'd only do this for the first 72 hours. Usually by this time they've healed enough that a lick here or there won't hurt the spay incision. 

Check the incision every 12 hours or so. You don't want to irritated her or it by constantly messing with her to check it but you want to keep an eye on it. 

In regards to pain pills the vet should give her something that last 24 hours. I have never dosed a cat for pain after a spay/neuter surgery and I can't recall a kitty that I though needed it. The only time I've gone home with pain pills is when my blind cat had her eyes removed, and her follow up surgery to find out why one of the eye sockets kept getting infected. She never needed it then either, she was eating, playing, and acting just fine.

So tl;dnr version, she'll be fine.

Awww, its natural to worry.    I had my 2 kitties spayed this yr and I was all prepared for them to come home and act very different.      I did them at different times and the thing is they each came out of their carrier acting the same exact way I had brought them in. lol.   Running around and playing.  I was so worried each was going to hurt themselves that tried my best to slow them down for awhile. 

They both did sleep A LOT the next day but I was happy to see there was no change in their behavior at all.    Mine weren't giving a cone but they were given pain killers for the following 2 days.  They also didn't stay the night.  I drop them off at 9am and I picked them each up late afternoon.    

It'll be okay!  When I picked my cat up she seemed a big groggy/ scared.  She's the kind of cat that really appreciates her alone time, so I just set the carrier in my room, (where she sleeps and where all her stuff are) opened the door, and let her calm down.  It also helps to give them their favorite food/treats. Idk if it's recommended but I isolated my cat in that room for a few days just to give her some security and rest.  She didn't have any pain meds or a cone and she healed right up.  Try not to worry too much!  Don't forget to update. :]

I know it's scary, but I've had many feral kitties spayed/neutered and there has never been a problem.  And in that situation there isn't really even any recovery time at the vet.  They're in, they're out, you take them home.  Try not to worry, it'll be fine!