Spaying a Cat (What route you took questions)

[commonoddity042]

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
None for any of the girls I've had spayed. None needed it.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
None here either. I believe it keeps them in "at ease healing mode". Of course, Typhus was still shimmying up the cat tree the day after surgery (

), but she was careful otherwise.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
None.


How many had the spay done with a laser?
None because none of the others offered it, but my new main vet offers it. I may take them up on that next time now that I have the option.

Did they stay over night?
Pudge did. My vet at the time had that as the only option. 8 am on 2 consecutive days. D:

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
With Pudge, the stitches came out on their own in 3 months, long after the incision had obviously healed.

This completely freaked me out and caused a chain of conversation which ultimately caused me to change vets ASAP.

The girl who handed her to me told me they'd fall out in 2 weeks. I was told "She's new and thought it was a dog." when I brought that up in later converstion.


Typh's stitch (vet stitched her with a single zigzag) fell out in 3 days. The incision itself was very tiny and I was told to keep an eye on it. No swelling, etc and she healed wonderfully.

This was the 2nd time this happened (had a previous foster spayed there too), and due to some previous shady practices (adding unmentioned things to the bill/cat), I switched vets again and now have a great one.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
Dissolving stiches

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
$45 avg where I live in ky. I paid $35 for pudge, $60 for the other 2 girls I had spayed.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?

Pudge was a month or so shy of a year (vet wouldnt fix until 8 months of age. Was new pet owner at the time. :/ ). Typh was 5 months (vet said six...I lied a little and they never bothered checking teeth, etc)

 

[laureen227]

all 3 of my girls were spayed between 4-7 months of age.
2 had dissolving stitches, 1 had them removed by the vet's office, but the follow-up visit was free.
Cable's spay was $47, Java's was supposed to be $60, they surcharged me $15 because she was in heat.
all of them were running around the next day like nothing had happened.
i did not get antibiotics or extra pain meds.
none of them bothered their incisions.
none of them stayed overnight - they were spayed in the morning & i picked them up that afternoon, still pretty groggy.
none had bloodwork pre-op.

oops - forgot! i don't think any were done with a laser...

 

[epona]

I've not had a female cat ever, but when Radar had to have his umbilical hernia repaired there were 5 stitches in his abdomen, with 2 layers of dissolving stitches under that, 5 in each layer. He also had his neuter at the same time which was sealed with glue.

The vet gave a long acting painkiller/sedative (16-24 hours) but we didn't have any further medical intervention at all until the stitches came out - no painkillers, no antibiotics, no collar... basically the vet said that cats are not like dogs, and while they may lick at their stitches, they rarely pull at them enought for it to cause a problem. Radar did a bit of licking, lots of leaping around, and he healed up just fine, and as the vet predicted, none of his innards spilt out as he was leaping from the bookcase to the top of the door

 

[cococat]

Thank you everyone for your responses!

 

[javannalynn]

My Angel was fixed about 2 weeks ago and Squeak (male) on Tuesday. So I will give you my best answers.


How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
I did not give them to them. The vet may have but I don't think it was needed.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
I didn't give them pain meds and they both recoved Quickly.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
No blood work I was informed of. If I would have gone to the other vet they would have done it but they were almost $200 because they also had someone sit with you cat the WHOLE time. I thought that wasn't need as she was out of it anyways.


How many had the spay done with a laser?
I doubt it, they were taken to a small town farm vet so I wouldn't think so.

Did they stay over night?
I dropped them both off at 8am and picked them up any time after 2pm. they were awake, alittle drunk looking but came home and slept in a comfortable spot til they felt better.


What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, why?
Both of mine were fine by the next day. Squeak is still licking his nutts (can I say that??) I think he is trying to figure out why they are half the size they were before.

Angel did wonderful. She did manage to pull out most of her sitches before her return vist. But it still healed great.




Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?

Squeak didn't get stiches so I imagine they will dissolve. and Angel had to return to get the few that were left out.



A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
Angel was $105 the other vet wanted over
$200 but like I said they have someone sit with your pet the entire time. Squeak was $47. (over $100 at the other vet)


How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
Angel is about 10-11 months. She would have been fixed MUCH sooner but I acutally didn't realize she was that old until just the other day. Squeak is anywhere from 6-9 months. He was a stray kitten some people I know found so I don't know exactly how old. Angel did go into heat twice before she was fixed. Those were some LONG nights with her locked in the bathroom and him sitting on the other side both CRYING. Hope I was of some help!

 

[cococat]

Thank you everyone.
I recently had mine spayed and all went very well. I worry anytime a cat has to go under, no matter how common it is, it is still surgery.

 

[gingersmom]

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion? None given for spay or neuter, I do NOT think it is needed.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion? None given for spay or neuter, I think it is only needed if the cat appears to be in real pain after the surgery.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under? Both my kitties did, I think it has to do with preparing anesthesia, but not sure.

How many had the spay done with a laser? I have no idea how the surgery was performed, but I think there have been great advances in laser technology.

Did they stay over night? No, neither one did.

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what? Three days to get over the spay (she had a hernia fixed at the same time, very large incision as a result) but two weeks in a cone for Ginger, as she did go after her stitches. Almost no recovery time for Ferris, he was playing when he got home.

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves? Vet visit to get Ginger's stiches out, dissolvable ones used on Ferris.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live? $85 for Ferris' neuter (he got a discount for being a feral rescue) and I think Ginger's bill was around $300 USD.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards? 4 months old for Ginger, totally successful, 5 months old for Ferris and an almost immediate improvement in temperment.

I hope this helps you and others!

 

[arlyn]

I've only had two cats fixed (many, many years ago), the rest came already altered.
B.C. (RB kitty) was cryptorchid, so yes, he stayed overnight and I gave him prophylactic antibiotics. He was done at 6months, recovery was about a week.

Spaz had a normal spay, disolving stitches came home that night.
She received a 48hr pain shot before leaving as well as a single dose antibiotic shot before leaving the clinic. She was done at 4 months, recovery was around 12 hours.

Both had blood work done prior.
B.C.'s surgery was around $200 in 1988, but a cryptorchid neuter is hardly a normal neuter surgery.
Spaz's was $45 in 1994 at a low cost clinic.

 

[abigail]

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
doctor didn't prescribe any

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
no pain med either. she got a shot before leaving

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
if the doc did it I dont know.

How many had the spay done with a laser?
regular way

Did they stay over night?
no, she came home late afternoon

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
by that evening she was moving around and trying to jump on things. I kept her in "her room" for a day and a half after. within three days she was doing almost everything she did before surgery

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
stitches dissolved

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US. What about where you live?
I had a $50 certificate fromthe animal shelter and the doc I went to accepted that as full payment.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
she was under six months old. had never gone into heat, and never has since.
quote]

hope this helps

 

[cococat]

How many people gave antibiotics to their cat when spayed? It is needed in your opinion?
The vet gave antibiotics to my female when spayed. Not sure if it is needed, seems many don't have problems without it.

How many gave pain meds after the spay? It is needed in your opinion?
She was given pain meds by the staff, but not sure if it is needed, seems many don't have problems without it. She was very frisky right afterwards and didn't seem bothered one bit.

How many had pre-blood work before they went under?
Yes, everything came back just fine

How many had the spay done with a laser?
No

Did they stay over night?
yes

What was the average recovery time? Did the cat bother the wound?
Any problems? If so, what?
No problems, she seemed fine right away. But they suggested limiting activity for a week

Did you take stitches out yourself, or do a post opt visit, or did the stitches dissolve themselves?
The stitches were internal.

A spay in my area at a vet clinic costs anywhere from $55-$435 dollars in the US.

How old was the cat when spayed? Was the spay successful, or did they miss some and did the cat still go into heat afterwards?
No longer a kitten but it was very successful. No heat so far