Hi everyone, I had my 5-month-old kitten spayed yesterday and she came home the same evening.
The vet warned me that she should avoid moving around for two or three days. I told him that she's a young cat who only wants to play, so it would be difficult to keep her still.
I was told that normally everything would be fine.
However, this morning she wouldn't stop grooming her scar, to the point that she opened it back up.
On the way back to the vet, I've found out that normally medication is prescribed after this operation, sometimes along with a buster collar or a dressing. Also, in the photos of the procedure, the stitches are clearly visible, but I couldn't see any on my cat at all.
I rushed her straight to the vet and the first thing the receptionist said was: "Oh, didn't she have a cone?"
I was then told she would be operated on again during the day and that this time she would have a cone.
Then they handed me a form for about £85 for the anaesthesia. Is it normal to have to pay again when the vet has messed up?
And above all, can I really trust this vet who nearly killed my cat? (I was luckily at home today, but if I hadn't been, I'm certain my cat would be dead.)
Translated from French
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I’ve read your story... I reckon some precautions should’ve been taken regardless... and that’s the vet’s job... You mentioned a receptionist... is she just a receptionist or a vet nurse?...
Anyway... I’m not getting a good vibe from this vet... Well, based on what you’ve said... The scar has opened up and they’ve told you that you need to fork out another £85!... 😂 There’s a glitch in the matrix there... Lol (not)
Greylox
@Gigi, Hi. Not necessarily 6 months, it mainly depends on the cat's weight and size.
It’s still recommended to get it done sooner rather than later...
Hi there,
I had my cat spayed back in February, but she’s already back in heat. I’ve been back to the vet and they’re going to operate on her again—do I have to pay for another spay?
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to add that it’s definitely possible to manage without a cone, bandages, or any visible stitches after a spay! My girl is two now, but she was spayed at six months and came back without a bandage or a cone, as it just stresses them out more than anything. There weren't any meds to give her either since the vet had already given her everything she needed. She had a shaved patch and you could see where the incision was, but it was really clean because they’d used internal stitches and then glued the wound! It was all very neat.
Getting them spayed or neutered in Belgium also costs around £85 to £100, and that’s including the anaesthesia!!!
Was it definitely for the anaesthesia they charged you £85? Because if it's just for the stitches, they must be made of gold!!!!
He'll need to put the muscles back in place; make sure to ask for dissolvable stitches. That way, you won't have to worry. Ideally, he should have done that already. I hope you’ve already been to the vet in the time it’s taken for someone to reply?
Thanks for your replies. The thing is, it did seem really strange to me that they didn’t suggest a Buster collar or a bandage, so her scar was just left completely exposed. Regarding the vet, it’s the first time I’ve been there for surgery (I’d only ever used them for routine check-ups for my cat before). It was actually her who took the stitches out. It’s not just a case of stitching her back up, as the poor thing's wound really split open (the muscle was actually protruding).
Mind you, one thing: I have seen a scar left open, or with just a small dressing, but that was only for dissolvable stitches.
Was this for a spay, then? Why is he talking about another op? A risk she might die, but why? When my cats were spayed, they didn't have a cone or any tablets, just a dressing that stayed on for two days (but no stitches pulled out, phew!). As for the stitches, did your cat manage to pull them out? Or were they internal ones? (Apparently that’s possible).
The risk would have been if no one was around to notice the wound opening back up and do something. I spotted it almost straight away; if I hadn't, she probably would have bled out.
Thanks for your replies. The thing is, it did seem really strange to me that they didn't suggest a cone or a bandage (so her incision was just left exposed). Regarding the vet, it’s the first time I’ve been there for surgery (I’ve only seen them for routine check-ups for my cat before).
She was indeed the one who pulled the stitches out.
It’s not just a case of stitching her back up, because the poor thing has really opened herself up (the muscles were actually poking out).
Normally, neutering is done at 6 months.
@Gigi,
Hi. Not necessarily 6 months; it depends mostly on the cat's weight and size.
@Pipon
Hi,
Our two fur babies, a boy and a girl, were neutered at 5 months old and everything went pretty well. If I remember rightly, we had to give them some anti-inflammatories the evening of their op. We were given a cone but we didn't end up using it.
We had to go back to the vet twice to redo the little girl's bandage as she kept pulling it off (when her brother wasn't doing it for her...) and she had to keep the bandage on for a few extra days (so she wore it for about 20 days in total) because of some healing issues. From what I recall, the post-op follow-up was free, including having the stitches out. I’m not sure what the case would have been if they’d had to operate again, but a quote of £85 seems a bit steep if it’s "just" to redo the stitches. If I remember correctly, we paid around £100 for the female, including post-op care and stitch removal (and we live in quite a posh, upmarket area).
