Bleeding after my cat was spayed

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Hi everyone,

I’d like to get your thoughts following my last two visits to the vet. Maybe I’m being a bit overprotective, but I believe that when you have a pet, you have a duty to look after them properly.

I have a little 10-month-old female kitten called Vaïana. She’s very cuddly, lovely, playful... she’s my baby! After her first season, I decided to have her spayed on 23rd March 2018. In the fortnight following the op, I noticed little droplets of blood on the floor tiles. The blood was coming from her vulva. When I took her to the vet, he took a urine sample and tested it with a dipstick and under a microscope. He told me she had haemorrhagic cystitis (apparently very common in cats...), but that it had nothing to do with the operation. He gave her an antibiotic jab and I gave her antibiotic tablets for 15 days.

My problem is that Vaïana is still bleeding despite the treatment. It’s just a few drops that can last for two or three days. She isn’t cleaning herself properly down there. And when we pick her up or when she sleeps with us, we often end up with blood stains on us. That said, she’s eating and drinking well, has no issues using the litter tray, doesn't seem to be in any pain, and her behaviour hasn't changed. After a month of this bleeding, I’m really upset because she was in perfect health before the surgery.

So, I’ve just taken her back to the vet, but unfortunately, he couldn't send a urine sample to the lab because she wouldn't go. In his opinion, there are several possibilities:

- some kind of trauma related to the operation.

- a specific type of urinary tract infection (I can't remember the name).

- something like a *****’s season (again, I can't remember the name), like a hormone imbalance. However, since she’s been spayed, he thinks that’s impossible, especially as she’s a cat.

So that’s where things stand. No progress made, and I just have to wait again. Even though he’s assured me it’s not serious, I’m sceptical. What do you think? Have any of you dealt with this kind of thing before?

Translated from French
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31 answers
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    Hi there, First off, no, it’s definitely not normal for her to be bleeding, and your vet’s initial diagnosis was spot on. Cystitis is very common in cats (you should try giving her more wet food – tins or pouches – and make sure she always has fresh water available, changed at least once a day). The stress of the surgery could have easily triggered it. It’s good that your vet is looking into other possibilities (as well as admitting it could be linked to the operation he performed). I’m not surprised he couldn't get a sample at the clinic, but I hope he gave you a kit to do it yourself (plastic beads to put in the bottom of the litter tray, without any other litter, and a pipette to collect the urine). What is your vet suggesting now? Has he done a blood test or taken her temperature? I’m not a vet, so I won’t question his diagnoses, but that third point seems very strange to me as female cats don’t bleed when they’re in heat (though who knows, maybe in some cases linked to a hormonal issue? But as you said, the little one has been spayed, and if the womb was removed, where is she bleeding from?). The fact that she’s in good spirits makes me think there’s no need to panic just yet. If she had a major infection, she’d be completely wiped out. My advice for now: - If you still trust this vet, see what his diagnosis is (and take notes!) and what treatment he proposes. However, in the meantime, at the slightest sign of her struggling to pee (pain or a blockage, which usually shows as lots of trips back and forth to the litter tray and sometimes crying out in pain), any loss of appetite, or if she seems lethargic, get her straight back to the vet. - If you’ve lost confidence in your vet, book an appointment with a different one right away. (If it were me, I’d go and see a second vet for an impartial opinion, but I’ll leave that for you to decide! :) )
    Translated from French

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