Your Vet Is There To Help You And Your Cat
You and your cat will likely have gone through a lot with their surgery both in terms of the costs and logistics for you, as well as the actual anesthesia and surgery for your cat. The way you care for and nurse your cat in their post-op period can have as big an impact on the success of their recovery as the skill of the surgeon who performed the procedure. So to help ensure the fastest, most complete, and least-stressful recovery for your cat, please do make sure to discuss their specific post-op recovery, recheck instructions with the veterinary team, and follow those instructions.
And if you have any questions or concerns, at any point, your vet or their staff will be happy to help you out. If necessary, your vet may even be able to provide you with certain medications to help reduce your cats cabin fever and make both of your lives that much easier.
When we vets say, dont hesitate to call if youve got problems or concerns we really mean it. Wed rather help you with your questions and concerns early on than tend to avoidable post-op complications later. When in doubt call. After all, you both have the same goals the quickest, smoothest, most trouble-free recovery for your cat.
How Does Spaying A Cat Work
âSpecifically, spaying is when a female cat has a ovariohysterectomy, when the entire uterus and ovaries are removed from the body,â explains Dr. Mar. âThey can also be considered spayed with just an ovariectomy, when solely the ovaries and uterine horns are removed, but the uterus itself remains. The latter is less commonly performed and not generally advised,â she says.
How Long Does It Take A Cat To Recover From Spaying/neutering
Dr. Mar points out that animals are incredibly resilient and cats are no different. âThe first 24-48 hours your cat may be a bit painful and tired, which is expected after any surgery,â she explains. âHowever, pets are given pain medications before or during surgery in order to ensure your pet is not in pain when they wake up.â The pain medicine is generally taken for three to five days after the surgery. Neutered cats will recover much faster because removing an external organ such as the testicles does not open up the abdominal cavity and require stitching the way itâs done with spaying.
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Why Spay Your Cat
Research indicate that spaying your kitten early on can prevent uterine disorders and breast cancer. To add, it avoids early pregnancy for your kitten, which can alter her tiny body. Kittens can become pregnant as young as 4 months old. And since cats are pregnant for 2 months, a cat can have up to 5 litters of kittens every year. To best care for the cats we already have and love, we need to make sure they dont overpopulate our ability to provide safe and loving homes for them. Spaying and neutering is one of the best tools to accomplish this goal.
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Will Neutering Make My Cat Fat
No, neutering your cat wont make them fat. However, afterwards, your cat may not need as many calories to maintain a healthy weight. Make sure your cat is fed an appropriate amount of a complete diet thats right for their life stage so they stay slim and healthy. In fact, you can buy special food for neutered cats, which have the correct balance of nutrients and calories for them. If youre concerned your cat is putting on weight after neutering, talk to your vet or vet nurse about the best ways to keep them an ideal body condition score.
How To Care For A Puppy Or Kitten After Spaying Surgery
Did you just have your puppy or kitten spayed ? If so, to make sure they have the best recovery period possible, paying attention to a few care tips is important for a safe and accident-free healing process.
If youre wondering how to care for a puppy or kitten after spaying surgery, these tips will give you a great roadmap for success. With these care tips, you will avoid dangerous side effects that arise from an improperly cared for incision site.
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Helping Your Dog Get The Rest She Needs
How To Care For Your Cats Wounds After Surgery
Looking after your cat after an operation involves paying attention to their wounds and monitoring for any unusual changes. For most procedures, vets use dissolvable stitches that dont require a second trip to the vet for removal. If they do need to be removed, your vet will let you know when you need to come back in.
One of the most important things you can do to ensure smooth healing is make sure your cat is not interfering with the wound. Its natural for your cat to want to groom the area or chew the stitches to soothe irritation, but this can lead to complications such as infection. Your cats protective collar should help, but you may need to watch out for your other pets trying to lend a helping hand and cleaning it for them!
During the healing period, keep an eye out for excessive swelling, bleeding, redness or discharge. If you notice anything unusual, speak to your vet as soon as possible.
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What Are The Reasons After For Neutering A Cat
Neutering cats became a new popular phenomenon in the last decades because having cats as a pet has increased more than before. For instance, nowadays there a lot of companies for cats food, shampoos, and medicament, it is undoubtedly getting to be like raising a child. Therefore, there are reasons why neutering is getting popular, mostly it refers to the owners desire not to have a lot of cats as pets.
I Have Unneutered Female And Male Cats In My Household What Should I Do To Avoid Unwanted Pregnancies
If you have an unneutered male and female in the same household, have them neutered as soon as they reach 4 months old. If this isnt possible, and your female cat comes on heat, its essential to keep your cats apart at all times to stop them from mating. Please remember that related cats will mate, including brothers, sisters, fathers and daughters.
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Should My Cat Have A Litter Before I Neuter Her
No, there is no evidence to show that having a litter of kittens benefits cats. Pregnancy/giving birth can come with complications and looking after a litter of kittens is hard work, expensive, and time-consuming – certainly not something to enter into without a great deal of thought and planning. If you want to breed from your cat, its best speak to your vet for advice to find out how you can do it responsibly and safely.
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How Do I Prepare My Cat For Neutering
Preparing your cat for neutering is not a difficult task, you usually have to follow the instructions of veterinaries. Most of them recommend giving it food before a certain hour a day. You can avoid giving her water the night of the neutering. Cats with bad behavior can be locked for two or three days before the neutering to calm down. Some vets advise also to avoid mating periods for the cat to be neutered.
What To Expect After Your Pet Is Spayed Or Neutered
Spaying and neutering are common surgical procedures that prevent pregnancies in cats and dogs. Spaying is the surgical removal of the ovaries of female cats and dogs, while neutering is the surgical removal of the testicles of male cats and dogs. These procedures can also help reduce a pet’s risk for some medical conditions, behavioral problems, and even certain emergencies.
Post-op care at home following your cat or dog’s spay or neuter is critical to promote recovery and to help prevent complications like pain, infection, bleeding, or other issues that can land them back at the vet for emergency evaluation . Proper aftercare helps to ensure the smoothest recovery for your pets following their spay or neuter surgery.
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Your Cats Mouth After Dental Work
As your cat gets older, they might require dental work to keep their teeth healthy. Procedures such as teeth cleaning or extraction will usually require anaesthesia.
Your cat might struggle to eat their usual foods such as dry biscuits after their dental procedure. Soaking their usual dry food in water can help to soften it up and make eating more comfortable. You should continue to pay attention to your cats behaviour after the procedure. If your cat is reluctant to eat after a few days or seems unwell, contact your vet.
Keep An Eye On Their Litter Box Habits And The Type Of Litter You Use
As your cat is going to be confined in a limited space after surgery, its easy to monitor how often theyre using the litter box. If your cat hasnt peed or pooped within the first 72 hours after their surgery, you should call your veterinarian. Likewise, if they seem to be straining to go but not producing anything, give your vet a call.
There may be a small amount of blood in both male and female cats urine for the first 24 hours after surgery. If you see any after this time, speak to your veterinarian and let them know.
Depending on which cat litter you usually use, you might want to switch out to a different brand as your cat recovers. Dust from clay-based cat litters can enter the surgery site and cause infections. So if you normally use clumping clay litters or any other type, like pine, its best to switch to a dust-free brand. Cat litters made from newspaper or crystal litters are a good choice.
You might want to make a gradual switch to this new litter a couple of weeks before your cats scheduled surgery, so they have a chance to get used to it.
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Using The Litter Box After Spay Surgery
If you have noticed that your cat has not urinated in 24 hours, that is considered a medical emergency. Contact your vet or an emergency clinic immediately.;
Monitor your cat during recovery to ensure normal pee and poop. A possible complication of ovariohysterectomy is trauma to the urinary tract, so monitoring urination for the first 24 hours after surgery is particularly important.;;
As long as your cat passes urine within the first 24 hours, then you can stop watching their urination habits so closely.
Constipation may occur, but most cats should have normal bowel movements after surgery.; Anesthesia can cause soft stool or constipation, depending on an individual cats reaction.;;
If you are noticing diarrhea for longer than 24 hours or constipation that lasts longer than 2 days, reach out to your veterinarian to determine the next steps in your cats care.;
Please do not use over-the-counter medications or human food products to help your cat with these conditions, as many products can have toxins and dangerous side effects.;
Monitor Behavior & Appetite
If your pet remains lethargic for more than 12 hours, or if it does not regain its appetite within a day or two, let your vet know. Signs of pain include unusual meowing, a hunched back, and bleeding from the surgical site. While your cat may move more slowly post surgery, pain and a loss of appetite shouldnt be a part of the recovery process.
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When You First Get Your Cat Home
Most vet practices like to perform this type of surgery in the morning so they can reunite anxious owners with their precious cats that same evening. When you do pick your cat up, someone at the surgery will discuss everything they did and how the operation went with you. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have about the all important after care.
The majority of cats don’t really like travelling in cars so you need to minimise the amount of time they are in the vehicle, which means taking them straight back home as soon as you pick them up. Once safely back in the house, it’s best to let them out of their carriers and then leave them in peace. Most cats have a favourite quiet corner in a home and this is the best place for them to be. If you have any other animals in the house, you should keep them away. If you have any children the same applies.
The reason you need to keep kids and other animals away from your cat is because they may show a little bit of aggression. This behaviour is simply because they will be feeling disorientated due to the anaesthetic they were given. The other reason being in the wild and injured animal’s typical reaction is to show aggression as a means of self-defence. As your cat starts to feel better, they will soon be back to their old, friendly selves.