Cat's nipples became saggy after hysterectomy

[vinntis]

Please bear with me, I'm not a native speaker.

I foster cats. Currently, I have a sweet adult female cat who was diagnosed with pyometra and had a hysterectomy about 3 weeks ago. Her blood test results were pretty bad at the time of surgery, but a week after everything went back to normal.

Now her nipples and primordial sack became really saggy. It's almost as if she became really old (or lost a ton of fat) in a span of a week or two. When people pick her up they immediately notice and ask what is on her belly - it's her skin folds and saggy nipples! They are not red, I see no milk and I don't think they are the definition of 'enlarged nipples'. She was never fat; when she came to us she weighed 3.5kg and it seems like she's gaining weight. It's not noticeable when she's lying belly-up, only when she's standing.

Is that normal or is it a reason to panic?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I have not heard of anything like what you are reporting, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Can you call the Vet who performed the surgery and tell them what is happening. That's where I would start.

 

[vinntis]

Thanks, I'll do that tomorrow! I'm the person who takes their cats to the vet whenever they look at me in the wrong way. While most of the time it works, explaining my reasoning to the vet (basically a gut feeling) feels more embarrassing every single time. A saggy belly sounds so trivial...
If I get any answers, I'll try to update the post for future reference

I have not heard of anything like what you are reporting, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Can you call the Vet who performed the surgery and tell them what is happening. That's where I would start.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I think the issue here is the timing of the change - how quickly it came about. It likely isn't a panic situation, but one of 'better safe than sorry'. Never be embarrassed to ask a vet about anything. If they don't like it, that is just too bad!! And, if they do that to you often, you might consider looking for another, more tolerant, understanding vet!

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Please bear with me, I'm not a native speaker.

I foster cats. Currently, I have a sweet adult female cat who was diagnosed with pyometra and had a hysterectomy about 3 weeks ago. Her blood test results were pretty bad at the time of surgery, but a week after everything went back to normal.

Now her nipples and primordial sack became really saggy. It's almost as if she became really old (or lost a ton of fat) in a span of a week or two. When people pick her up they immediately notice and ask what is on her belly - it's her skin folds and saggy nipples! They are not red, I see no milk and I don't think they are the definition of 'enlarged nipples'. She was never fat; when she came to us she weighed 3.5kg and it seems like she's gaining weight. It's not noticeable when she's lying belly-up, only when she's standing.

Is that normal or is it a reason to panic?

Can you take a picture and share it? I'm asking because my cat was spayed in June and her pouch area has changed quite a bit. She has had xrays and had been checked over really well. I think my cat is from when she was spayed because her incision was really long.. Also do you have pictures of your cats spay incision?

 

[stephanietx]

Sounds like a spay sway, which is common after a spay. When the run, the primordial pouch will sway from side to side.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Sounds like a spay sway, which is common after a spay. When the run, the primordial pouch will sway from side to side.

With my girl it was due to her spay.. and she also had issues healing as well I had her pouch checked by the vet and xrays and exam confirmed it was just her primordial pouch which I thought but wanted to be sure because I had never seen one split like that.. with my girl it is split left and right by her hind legs and up farther by I guess her (**belly button area I don't know what to call it lol) it stops abruptly like a shelf hers doesn't sway though, it is just split in half like 2 lumps.. that's what made us get hers checked out. Its better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to my little lady.

 

[vinntis]

Sorry, she has quite a fluffy belly and it's not at all visible in pictures! You'd have to imagine a pregnant pig lol, that's how it feels. The incision was on her side though, healed well and now you can barely tell it was there.

As for the update:
My vet wasn't working yesterday, somebody else picked up and told me that unless I saw milk it was all perfectly normal. Today I took my cat there anyway, cause it felt wrong. The vet squeezed my girl's nipple and did in fact find milk.
We got some syrup for the kitty and I learned that I cannot milk cats. The vet told me to trust my gut and not to be embarrassed about it. It was a good day after all

Can you take a picture and share it? I'm asking because my cat was spayed in June and her pouch area has changed quite a bit. She has had xrays and had been checked over really well. I think my cat is from when she was spayed because her incision was really long.. Also do you have pictures of your cats spay incision?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm glad you took her in!