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Got spayed (what a nightmare)

Xtine

Savannah Super Cat
Malia was spayed last Thursday and by the next day she was back for an emergency hernia surgery.
Thursday: the surgery went well and we picked her up at the end of the day at 6. They said keep the cone on for 10 days. They said to give her pain meds , antibiotics and a sedative. Well, she fought the effects of the sedative and in the night she chewed through the gauze that held her cone in place. She hurt herself in this process and I noticed it at 530am that her stomach was very swollen she tore her internal stitches. I wish I had researched about spaying a Savannah beforehand. Bad Savannah mommy!
Friday: Bought dog cage, aluminum cake pans (for litter) AND Bitter Orange to put around her incision to keep her from licking and pulling out her stitches. Now the hard part is having her in the cage. We let her out for love and cuddles and a cage cleaning several times a day. Our poor baby girl. Now we know better and our little Rose will have it much better when it is her turn. "sigh"
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
I'm so sorry for that awful experience, and hope that Malia heals well now.

So maybe you'd like to share what you would do better for Rose? It's always good to share what you learn so that others can avoid the same issues.

Would you just add the bitter orange to the wound area from the start?
Pay extra for the laprascopic spay?
Find a vet that would finish the incision with only internal sutures so that there is nothing to pull on?
 

Xtine

Savannah Super Cat
These are very good questions Brigitte. I just learned about laprascopic, I did not know this was an option. Yes it is worth the extra cost.

How we will do it for Rose is, 1. laprascopic 2. bitter orange around incision 3. in cage, no cone 4. internal stitches and external are ok as long as we have bitter orange 5. cage info. water by a syringe (no bowl it becomes a toy), food bowl attached to cage with the swivel lock-in bowl (very important), aluminum cake pan for pine pellet litter (easier to clean up), stack of blankets for replacing ones that have been pooped on in protest (also, very important), patience, patience, patience and lots of love
 

Kristine

Moderator
Malia was spayed last Thursday and by the next day she was back for an emergency hernia surgery.
Thursday: the surgery went well and we picked her up at the end of the day at 6. They said keep the cone on for 10 days. They said to give her pain meds , antibiotics and a sedative. Well, she fought the effects of the sedative and in the night she chewed through the gauze that held her cone in place. She hurt herself in this process and I noticed it at 530am that her stomach was very swollen she tore her internal stitches. I wish I had researched about spaying a Savannah beforehand. Bad Savannah mommy!
Friday: Bought dog cage, aluminum cake pans (for litter) AND Bitter Orange to put around her incision to keep her from licking and pulling out her stitches. Now the hard part is having her in the cage. We let her out for love and cuddles and a cage cleaning several times a day. Our poor baby girl. Now we know better and our little Rose will have it much better when it is her turn. "sigh"
Oh goodness. What an ordeal, it's very hard to keep them in a cage when they are recovering from any surgery. Prayers for a quick recovery.
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
I've never needed to cage a cat after a spay, but then mine haven't pulled out stitches as there are never any external ones for them to be able to do this. Poor Malia, how long is she going to have to be caged now?
 

nickandkristi

Savannah Super Cat
Xtina- so incredibly sorry to hear about Malia's spaying experience :( My heart hurts for your little baby.

Nick and I had Lyra spayed on 12/14/2012 and I have to say it was one of the most stressful days of our lives. We had done some research on Savannah spaying and were concerned about anesthia, so we paid extra for the vet to do blood work prior to her surgery. Once all was a go, I had the vet call me before she went into surgery and after her surgery was completed and we knew everything went well with her. As much as we didn't want it, the vet actually required that Lyra stay the night there.

When we picked her up the next morning, they advised us basically the same as Malia- wear the cone for 10-14 days. They told us that we needed to keep her in a kennel the whole time she heals. Yeah, that lasted all of the 35 minute drive home from the vet! She cried so bad and jumped around more in her kennel than she would if she was left to roam the house, under a watchful eye. As completely crazy as this sounds, Nick and I slept out in the living room for 2 weeks to make sure we could both watch her and that she wouldn't try to jump up on our bed at night! The things you do for your baby :p

Lyra's stiches were internal, however, just a few weeks ago, I picked her up and noticed something poking from her fuzzy belly. It was about a 2 inch long stitch that was attached to her belly! Talk about freak out! We trimmed it, of course, but when I called the vet, they said although her stitches were interal and supposed to all dissolve, it was not something unheard of for her stitches to come out externally.

So, from this long story (and I even left out how she could still lick her incision with he cone on because she is so long), I would most definitely recommend internal stitches. Maybe even have Rose stay the night at the vet's? Not having Lyra home was horrible, but we at least knew she as getting the medicine and care she needed.

Good luck to Malia and a speedy recovery!!!

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Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
I think that , although hard to leave them there, if your vet keeps a 24 hour vet tech there then it can be a good choice to allow them to keep the kitty overnight. I'm glad Lyra's spay went so well, it really is nerve-wracking when they are in having this done, it's major surgery!
 

Lori Greer

Cahaba Cats
Even out low cost clinic keeps females over night and often times the males as well. We have NEVER used a cone and never had to cage them. We do confine them to their own space, with the spare bathroom being the preferred quarantine place. Sorry this went so badly...
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
Malia was spayed last Thursday and by the next day she was back for an emergency hernia surgery.
Thursday: the surgery went well and we picked her up at the end of the day at 6. They said keep the cone on for 10 days. They said to give her pain meds , antibiotics and a sedative. Well, she fought the effects of the sedative and in the night she chewed through the gauze that held her cone in place. She hurt herself in this process and I noticed it at 530am that her stomach was very swollen she tore her internal stitches. I wish I had researched about spaying a Savannah beforehand. Bad Savannah mommy!
Friday: Bought dog cage, aluminum cake pans (for litter) AND Bitter Orange to put around her incision to keep her from licking and pulling out her stitches. Now the hard part is having her in the cage. We let her out for love and cuddles and a cage cleaning several times a day. Our poor baby girl. Now we know better and our little Rose will have it much better when it is her turn. "sigh"

I am so sorry to hear about Malia's issues...I'm hoping Malia recovers quickly!
 
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