3 Weeks Post Surgery - Incision Site Red

[fieldsn83]

Hi y’all,
My kitten, Pickles, was spayed on July 28th.
Then, she had to go to ER vet for an infection at the site and they reopened her and cleaned it/clipped it; that was August 1st.
Here we are almost 3 weeks later and I’ve taken her out of her recovery onesie but the incision site worries me. It’s a dark red line, after she licked the scab off/part of it fell off.
Are there any vets or experienced folks on here who can weigh in on this? Should I put her back in the onesie or will she be okay if she continues without it?

 

[Jcatbird]

I am not a vet but have had a lot of spays. Including a couple that had issues. Is there any drainage? Any odor? Is she tucking her tail under her belly? Is she eating, drinking, urinating and pooping okay? Does the site feel hot to your touch? Redness spreading? All answers are clues. The advice I always trust is your instinct since you know her best. That means that if you are concerned, trust yourself and check with your vet! The vet who did the surgery is the expert. Call them, send them the photos and get their opinion. If it still does not ease your mind, push for them to examine her. I know that none of us like using a e collar or cone but she may need one for a little while. It can be removed while you are watching her. It is possible that the onsie might be rubbing the site and just keeping it a little red. Check with your vet. Keep her from licking, don’t let her jump around a lot until you get her checked. Please do let us know how she is doing. I’m very glad she has you watching over her. The love and care you are giving her is the very best!

 

[fieldsn83]

I am not a vet but have had a lot of spays. Including a couple that had issues. Is there any drainage? Any odor? Is she tucking her tail under her belly? Is she eating, drinking, urinating and pooping okay? Does the site feel hot to your touch? Redness spreading? All answers are clues. The advice I always trust is your instinct since you know her best. That means that if you are concerned, trust yourself and check with your vet! The vet who did the surgery is the expert. Call them, send them the photos and get their opinion. If it still does not ease your mind, push for them to examine her. I know that none of us like using a e collar or cone but she may need one for a little while. It can be removed while you are watching her. It is possible that the onsie might be rubbing the site and just keeping it a little red. Check with your vet. Keep her from licking, don’t let her jump around a lot until you get her checked. Please do let us know how she is doing. I’m very glad she has you watching over her. The love and care you are giving her is the very best!

Hi! Thanks for your input - No draining or odor, not hot to touch, and she doesn’t seem to be bothered by it (not tucking the tail). Eating, drinking, pooping and peeing as usual so that’s good.
I just sent a note to the vet and awaiting them to get back to me. It’s probably okay and I’m probably just a paranoid cat momma LOL!

 

[Jcatbird]

Being a paranoid cat mom is a good thing! That just means you really care and are aware of her every need. I wish every cat guardian would be so observant! It probably is okay but it is always better to err on the side of caution. No harm done with that. The flip side is that if something was going on and you didn’t check, you would feel bad later. This way, you will catch anything early and if nothing is wrong, you can rest easy after hearing from the vet. Paranoid cat moms are some of my most favorite people!

 

[fieldsn83]

Aww thanks! You’re right - if I hadn’t spotted her initial infection as quickly as I did, she would have gotten SO so sick. My poor little princess! But she’s doing so much better now thank goodness.

 

[Jcatbird]

Oh my! She is so beautiful! She looks like velvet and has the sweetest face. Definitely a princess! I’m glad so is recovering. That was so important for you to notice. She is very lucky to have you as her mom.
You are fairly new to the site? I think you will find that this is a great place to be. I hope you will explore the site and make lots of new human and cat friends. I love the photo threads. Some of them are hilarious! Welcome to you and Pickles!