Help! cat spay complication...

I live in China (I'm an expat). I had my seven month old cat spayed a little over 48 hours ago. Since then, she has only drank water twice, and very little each time, almost none. I am worried!

Sometimes she licks her lips, which she has never done before. She has not eaten anything at all since the night before the operation. She has urinated maybe three times since the operation, and defecated once (a few hours ago).

She can walk, but chooses to just lie there, with eyes open.

I had her spayed Wednesday morning, and, according to the vet's instructions, took her back on day 2 and day 3 for antibiotic injections. This morning (day 3), the vet took her temperature, which was normal, and noticed she has dry stool in her anus, so he applied some kind of liquid to her anus, and about an hour later she defecated.

The standard of vet practice here in China is probably much lower than in the US, where I'm from. I don't know if the vet is really qualified. He's a young man, maybe mid-twenties. But he seems to have a good heart.

Help! Why won't my cat drink water?

-Dan

Why would they give her antibiotics? Did she have an infection? Licking lips indicates nausea, it is possible that this cat has been through it right now, topped off her stress meter and she just wants to rest. Is she dehydrated? If you pinch the scruff of her neck and hold it for a few seconds, then release it, does it go back down within seconds or stay tented up?

Thanks for the quick reply. The gave her antibiotic injections to prevent infection. That is the routine that this vet practices. Actually, I'm not completely sure it's antibiotics, my Chinese is not 100% fluent, but I know he said it's to "prevent infection".

I just pinched the scruff of her neck, after releasing it went back down in a few seconds. Does that mean she's not dehydrated? It would seem that she is, since she's had almost nothing to drink or eat in the past 65 hours.

By the way, she vomitted three times within a few hours after the operation, I was told this is a normal reaction.

You can try to give her water with spoon, or water in hand or even on a finger for her to lick off. If it works, fine!

If not, You can fight against dehydration by forcefeeding her with water yourself.

A syringe of some sort (no needle of course!) or eyedropper. In the corner of the mouth, across the mouth, NOT straight down the neck!

If you dont have syringe or eyedropper I believe a straw or something empty inside will do. You then blew down the water - carefully, very easy.

Good you are in touch with the vet. Im sure he would approve my advices if you ask him.

Vomiting is not normal. No cat I have had has ever vomited after spaying. But some lethargy for a day or so is not unusual - it varies from cat to cat. I agree with Stefan - get water down her by any means you can, and I would also try her on some nutritious liquid - goats milk is good, or chicken broth (with no salt in it). If she really gets no nutrition for more than two or three days her liver will start to shut down, and that is very dangerous. Only give her a very little at a time, and monitor the reaction. If she vomits again take back to the 'vet'.

Keep kitty hydrated, my vet recommended honeyed water which will give energy as well as the water content. Hope your kitty recovers. Catsy never threw up after her spay. She was fine in less than 48 hours. I don't think it's normal, this throwing up business...

I've managed to make her drink a little water by using a straw. I tried to force feed her little bits of warm chicken and fish, but only managed to make her eat a tiny bit. I'm so frustrated, her body is starving (almost three days without food), but she refuses to eat fish?!

I can't really blame the vet, in China (third world country) spaying is rare for housecats. I sure hope my cat recovers from whatever is wrong with her now.

About the vomitting, she only threw up threw times, and it was all shortly after the operation.

I've managed to straw-feed her a water/honey mixture.

I feel better now that she's had at least SOME water and calories, but I'm still very worried about the fact that she's not eating and drinking on her own.

Thank you for all your replies. I'm not an experienced cat-owner.

DO you have any way of liquidising some chicken or fish and giving her some through a spoon or dropper or some way? She really needs some nourishment after three days - her system could be irreversibly damaged. Boil som chicken without salt in a little ater and give her the liquid. I am glad to know she is not vomiting any more.

I straw-fed her chicken broth. Ten "strawfuls"; the straw is this tiny straw that comes with a one-serving drink-box.

Now my cat has climbed from the floor all the way to the top of the computer monitor, which is where she likes to sit when I'm at the computer. I hope this means she's beginning to recover!

That is good news! Keep getting the liquid down her until she is ready to eat on her own. Can you not get bigger straws? Or may be a pharmacy has a syringe without a needle you can buy. I use 10ml syringes to feed my cats when they are sick.

I could go buy some bigger straws, but the thing is, she's a small cat (5.5 pounds before the operation), and it seems she can barely swallow the contents from the straw I'm using now. Sometimes liquid would drip down the side of her mouth. I guess I can just give her more strawfuls?

Here's a picture of my cat. Her name is Mimi, which in Chinese means "kitty".

She's about six months old in this picture.

Go here to see pic -

http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=25...I3851T8E094K4F

She is lovely, and looks like she has bags of personality. I just suggested bigger straws to make it easier for you. Just let a little at a time into her mouth, being careful not to let it go the wrong way into her lungs. You are obviously doing hte very best you can for her in difficult circumstances. I hope she picks up on eating soon.

Just tried to feed her a bit of moist cat food, she refused to eat it. Had it in her mouth and spit it out.

I'll keep trying to feed her chicken broth through the straw.

I wonder if her mouth or throat are sore. Do you know if hte vet put a tube down her throat to anaesthetise her? I would just keep giving her as much nutrition by liquid as you can, and if you can get a syringe it is much easier to get more down them that way, including liquidised food as opposed to straight liquid. Try her with an egg yolk beaten in milk or water - most cats love that.

There was no tube put down her throat, so I don't think her mouth/throat is sore.

I beat a raw egg yolk and a little whole (cow's) milk together, and managed to straw feed her several straw-fuls. Then she started growling; will try again later. Even though it was just a little bit, hopefully that was some quality nutrition for her.

Thanks again for your replies, I don't know what I'd do without you folks.

Good luck with your little girl - she looks like a really sweet little monkey!

Keep up the good work!

Kim

Your kitty is beautiful! I've had luck tempting those finicky appetites with Gerber baby food, the #2 stage, with meat. I think they have chicken, lamb, beef, and it's only meat, not a stew. It's pureed, and it must taste really good, they really go for it.

I had a kitten, years ago, who sat hunched up for a couple of days after her spay. But I'm really glad you're trying to get something down her. I hope she perks up! (I don't really know about cats, but antibiotics make the human nauseous a lot of times.)