Yet another spaying question

Sorry to keep bugging you guys but Im very nervous about my girls upcoming Spay appointment. It is on tuesday

Anyway I am wondering if its normal for the vet to keep them overnight. They want me to drop them off the night before spaying. Then pick them up the day after spaying. I guess I should be comforted that they will be looked after overnight after surgery but again this is not normal to what I am used to. Do many vets do this? I have already arranged to have bloodwork for Monkey because of her age to make sure its safe for her. Im still just a nervous wreck.

Thanks for any advice.

Psy

They get dropped off the night before and are not allowed to have any food or water. Some places allow you to pick up your cats the same day of the spay. When I picked up Abby at the shelter, she was just coming out of the anesthesia and it what a very pleasant experience for either of us. I wasn't told that she was still VERY groggy, not was I given any instructions. I was given a cat that had urinated all over herself, was vomiting and was so groggy, she couldn't walk. Her spay was not done at my vet, but was handled by the shelter. If your vet is going to have someone there keeping an eye on your girl overnight, then it is good idea to leave her there. My own vet does keep them overnight.

My last 3 kitties that have been spayed/neutered did stay overnight. While it was hard for me to be separated from them, I took comfort in knowing that they would be with people I trusted just in case they had any problems the first 24 hours after surgery. Imagine how stressful it would be for you or your kitty if you had to haul him back to the dr after getting him home. My most recent kitties just had their surgery in Dec and recovered very quickly. They didn't even seem to realize that they had been operated on. I think that the vets that want to keep them overnight are more conscientious and cautious.....and I think that is a good thing!

Different clinics have different policies. Some require you to bring them the night before, some don't want them until the morning of the procedure, and some let the owners decide.

The benefits to bringing the cat the night before include:
1. There is a guarantee that she has not been fed. At home many cats are clever enough to find food somewhere and there is always a chance that they may have eaten something which causes problems with the anesthetic.
2. You don't need to worry about rushing in the morning to find your cat and put her in the carrier, she is already at the clinic. This also helps a lot of people who have to go to work early in the morning.
3. The cat isn't as stressed in the morning of the surgery because they had the whole night to get used to being in the clinic. This tanslates into less sedation is needed to calm the kitty for induction. Since the sedation is the most risky drugs used out of the whole day, this is a major benefit.

Now for the disadvantages:
1. The cost may be higher because the animal will be charged for an extra day. Some clinics waiver this and just add in with other fees, some break it up.
2. You don't have your cat around the night before, causing you to miss it and possibly worry more.

I know it is hard, but your kitty is in good hands and she will be back home before you know it.

We always keep spays overnight. While there is no one to watch them through the night, we are there until late and someone is there first thing in the am. If there were any concerns about a particular cat someone WOULD stay overnight (I have done it before). Usually they are fairly awake by the time we leave but keeping them in the hospital assures us that they will be confined to a kennel for 24 hours post op and this helps to prevent internal bleeding. We are also able to asses them first thing in the am before they go home for pain and infection. Most cats and dogs sleep soundly through the night as they are still a little sleepy from the anaesthetic. Any dog or cat that is very stressed at being in a cage would be allowed to go home the same day at the doctors discretion.

Psy, I agree with catdvm...policies are different at each clinic. I don't believe either way is necessarily right (or wrong)...it's just different and depends on what individual clinics feel comfortable doing.

Anyway, most of our animals are brought in the morning of their surgery. However, if the owner prefers, we do allow them to drop off their animal the night before.

Our vets prefer to make the decision of whether they stay or go home based off of each individual animal and owner. If the kitty is really groggy, she stays at the clinic with us...we just kept a spay the other day as her surgery was preformed later than normal and she was still too groggy to leave the clinic.
Also, each owner is spoken to and given the pros and cons of both leaving and taking their animal home. If the kitty seems to be doing well and their incision looks great, we allow the owner to decide what they feel comfortable with once they have heard all of the information and the doctor's opinion.
When an animal goes home, we give the owners a care sheet and go over it (and the meds) with them.

The majority of our routine surgeries end up going home the same night without incident. However, there are some we most definitely keep over night as we feel it's safer for the kitty and the best option for both the cat and the owner.

I was a nervous wreck too. despite everyone's reassurances that all would go well you'd think I was sending a child into the OR. My husband brought her to the vet in the morning- i couldn't bare it. they did blood work right before surgery and at 11 am the vet called personally to tell me she was fine and awake and that I could pick her up at 4. By the next day the challenge was keeping her from leaping all over the place. This was two weeks ago and she has thin fine little scar, is jumping up five feet to bookshelves and is sweeter than ever.

Your baby is in the hands of people who love animals and they will take good care of her.

My last two spays were dropped off in the morning, and came home late the same afternoon. I was worried about catching Jazz, and about keeping them both off food overnight, so I actually put them each in a large carrier with a litterbox the night before. (I did make sure they had already eaten dinner!)

They came home, then slept until the next morning. So I don't see where it hurts to have them stay at the vets and sleep...but maybe if you ask they will let them come home sooner.

Of course you will worry, and of course they will both be just fine. And prone to many less illnesses, as well as pesky heats, and the possibility of kittens. You ARE doing the right thing!

Well I dropped them off about an hour ago. Im a nervous wreck and I miss them already. Monkey cried all the way to the vet and it made me want to cry with her This is the first time we have ever been apart since she came to live with me. I know they will be fine but I can't help worrying about them. Thanks everyone for all the reassurances.

Aw, I understand. When I dropped my baby off to get spayed, she was suposed to stay overnight. They called me right after she got out of surgery to tell me that she was ok, but less than 4 hours later they gave me another call, saying that i needed to come get my poor little kitty because she had bitten 2 techs and scratched another. Remember, you picked the vet that you're taking her to, and that he or she loves your kitty almost as much as you do

-Jade

Originally Posted by Psy

This is the first time we have ever been apart since she came to live with me. I know they will be fine but I can't help worrying about them. Thanks everyone for all the reassurances.

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she will be back in your arms again soon. try to distract yourself and get a good night's sleep. sometimes benadryl will knock you out completely. or watcha good tear jerker like beaches and cry it out til you feel better. Your baby will be home before you know it.

Well the girls are home now and doing well. Im so happy to have them back and I figured out the meds thing yay.