Swollen cat stitches

oreocat123

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
17
Purraise
10
Location
america
Hello so i spayed my cat this last saturday but two days ago i saw that the area around her stitches is swollen?? But it doesn't hurt her when i touch it i also apply anti bacteria on her stitches three times a day, she eats and plays and runs and everything is fine but should i take her to the vet or is it not something i should worry about ??
 

tnrcatwoman

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
Messages
42
Purraise
10
Location
Pennsylvania
Just call the vet and ask, my girl had some swelling and redness for a week but it wasn't really noticeable. 
 

mackiemac

Slave in a cat house
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Messages
400
Purraise
521
Location
Best little cathouse in Texas
This is quite common. Sometimes, being too active too soon after spaying with the stitches still in place can cause some swelling. I know it's hard to keep a young active kitten or cat quiet for the 10-14 day period of having sutures, but doing so can help prevent or minimize swelling around the stitches. Some pets (and people) are also more sensitive to the suture material, and it acts as a little bit of an irritant. Cats will sometimes lick and chew the incision and sutures because they itch and pull a little bit, and this can also make the suture line swell up. A cat's tongue is really rough and it can really abrade sutures and skin if they keep working the area over. If that's the case, it might be necessary to resort to an Elizabethan collar (a Buster collar, the "Cone of Shame", the lampshade, the party hat, the satellite dish...) or a soft "clown collar" for the duration of her suture time to keep her from getting to the incision. You also should discourage her from running and jumping for the duration until the sutures are out. It's just a few more days, but I know it can still seem like an eternity! Gentle play is fine, but she should refrain from "high energy sports" for a little while longer.

How does the incision and belly look... is there any redness, heat, discharge, bleeding or odor from the incision? Does the incision look completely closed (edges together and not trying to separate)? Is her belly showing any general swelling?

Now, if I took this as a phone call at a clinic where I worked, I would also suggest having the incision double-checked just to be safe, and pick up a clown collar or E-collar just in case you need to use it to stop any chewing or licking at it. The vet may also suggest a topical "something" like a cream or antibiotic ointment to apply to the area. Sometimes even just a SMALL wipe of plain Vaseline on the area can help if the sutures are itching. But call your vet before doing anything like that, and ideally, have them take a peek at the incision to be sure she hasn't pulled out any sutures or done any sort of damage, either to the incision (that we can see easily) or internally, because there are internal sutures as well. The fact that she's acting normal and frisky is good-- but it's just best to play it safe.

~MackieMac
 
Top