HELP! Large swelling after spay

[Comps83]

My cats were spayed on Tuesday with no problems, I have just realised one has a massive swelling, like the side of a large plum around the wound. It's under the skin and soft and I'm able to cup it in my hand and move it about. She doesn't seem in pain . It wasn't there last night,
It's bank holiday, my partner is out with the car. He is on way back now. Looks like emergency vets visit. Anyone had similar?

[Comps83]

Photo of lump

[Fluffycloudland77]

Ring the vets, they'll advise what to do.

[user1492080882]

Vets pronto. Never seen that after a spay, but did see smaller version when kitten had a hernia. Perhaps something gone wrong with internal stitching and she's now got a hernia? Sorry, I'm guessing here.

[Comps83]

Yeah it's a hernia. Very worried and its going to cost up to 1500. I'm feeling all range of emotion right now.

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's still the right thing to do, un-neutered females go psycho after a few years & if they get pyometra its life and death stuff.

Horrendously worrying for you though & frighteningly expensive. Do they have insurance?.

[Comps83]

Ironically I was waiting to get them spayed then insure them. But as this is directly related to spaying they wouldn't pay out anyway.

[user1492080882]

Is this Vets Now you've seen or your own vet's out of hours staff?

[Comps83]

It's not our vets it's a local emergency one

[user1492080882]

I totally feel for you. Our cats prefer out of hours consultations Recently had a massive Sunday vet bill. Certainly, when our kitten had a hernia it was deemed non-emergency. Didn't cost £1500 but could be more complicated because of spay surgery. Again, I'm sorry I don't have anything more helpful to say.

[Comps83]

I'm hoping we caught it early enough and there are no complications so will cost 600. But then I think the £122 out of hours consultation is also on top of that. This is of course presuming she is going to be ok, something about the vet did not set me at ease, she didn't even ask when the last time she ate was. I didn't think they could operate within twelve hours of them eating.

[user1492080882]

If they are doing it NOW they are obviously concerned. Fasting before surgery is to prevent aspiration, or regurgitating stomach contents into airways. If the risk of leaving the hernia outweighs the risk of aspiration I think they just do it. Same with human surgery. You are doing your absolute best by her, sending positive vibes your way.

[Comps83]

I feel like this is my fault. Think the vet thinks it my fault too because I only kept them in a cage post surgery for a couple of days. But they were going mental in there. I don't know how I was meant to keep them in there or stop them jumping and running about when I let them out.

[Fluffycloudland77]

We never caged any of our 3 females, the semi feral tortie squeezed under a fence panel the same day, I was convinced she'd come back with her insides hanging out but she was fine.

Caging is a very new thing.

[Comps83]

I didn't think many ppl did either, we just still had the cage from when they were tiny and I didn't want them roaming about getting into things on a night. But vet v much made me feel like I should have had them caged for the full 2 weeks, also suggested we got 2 cages to keep them apart.

[user1492080882]

I have never been told to cage a cat after a spay. Keep them quiet perhaps, but cats will be cats. This is not your fault.

[user1492080882]

Usually after the pre-med wore off they were swinging from the curtains again...

[Comps83]

Thanks x

[Comps83]

Should the vets who spayed her take any responsibility for this?

[Comps83]

I just can't help but think that if we'd taken her to our actual vets then they would have had to take some responsibility for this and I wouldn't be facing this massive bill .

[Maudlinmaud]

Comps I'm sorry this is happening, I've no advice. When mine where neutered I didn't cage either, she slunk off and hid under the bed or sofa for a few hours. I was advised to bring her back if she opened the wound etc, other than that it was just the post op check. Hope all goes ok for kitty and no it's not your fault

[user1492080882]

Any update OP?

I think it would definitely be worth mentioning to your own vet, she'll probably need seen again by them for routine aftercare anyway. However, there are a list of things that can potentially go wrong with surgery and are not necessarily anyone's fault. The consent form you signed might have outlined some risks? I would avoid 'blaming' anyone, but I'd certainly want to know the possible reasons it happened.

[Comps83]

Hopefully she's ok
She's been back to our vets twice today , she looks an absolute state, got a cone and she needs to be caged for 10 days

[user1492080882]

Glad to hear she's ok! Poor wee soul. She'll be back to normal in no time.