After spaying

[sheeplikessleep]

Hi, our two six month old kittens were spayed on Monday. Both healing fine, but only one of the two has pooed since. Vets have said to bring the other back in tomorrow if still no poo.

Any hints / tips? I keep encouraging water, wet food only, had some tuna spring water yesterday. They’re both still in their cones, so I’m going to take those off to see if that helps. The one who hasn’t pooed seems quite ‘depressed’, sitting there, odd walk around and that’s all (both kittens are eating and drinking normally).

We did take the non pooing one back in on Tuesday as her incision was slightly swollen. Vets said no temp so just reaction to op.

Any advice appreciated to encourage bowel movements!
Thanks

Just a suggestion, but if you have any liquid paraffin at home, put a little bit in her wet food and maybe that'll shift it. I had to do this with one of my cats who had problems. I'd take the cone off for a while to help her to relax.

Thanks Want2beme, that is helpful. I'm not sure we have liquid paraffin, but will ask DH! Yes we are going to take her cone off for a bit (bit worried about getting it back on, but fingers crossed!)

Take the cones off. I’m surprised they’ve kept them on!

I thought they were supposed to keep them on until the incision has healed to avoid infection or pulling the stitches (which both of them did after the operations)?

It’s four days later. The incision will have healed enough. The greater problem at the moment is the lack of pooing.
All the cats we’ve ever had have managed to ditch the collar or vet jacket within hours.

OK, I was going to do that this pm, so will try.

Thanks

Bargebill19 is right. I never keeps cones on them. Stray female cats are released without cones, after being neutered!

They're now cone free. They spent about half an hour cleaning themselves and each other all over (including the incision, but licking not tugging or pulling or biting). They've both now exhausted themselves and fallen asleep.

Really hope that is the end of the cones. Still no pooing, but hopefully that'll happen. I'm ringing vets tomorrow if nothing by then.

I'm slightly mindful they play fight quite a bit and leaving them overnight... and the risk of scratching or biting on incision? The incision still looks slightly 'shiny' at points, i.e., not scabbed over.

Oh and thank you for posting

Don’t worry. Just keep an eye on them. They are a lot tougher than you think.

As a vet nurse I would recommend putting the collars back on. You run the risk of the cats reopening up the spay wound or adding infection into the wound. 4 days is unfortunately not long enough to be without the cone. Feral cats are released without the cone because they could injure themeselves with the cone on and once they are wake they are too feral to catch again to take the cone off at the right time. As you've already planned to do please contact your vets again tomorrow if they still haven't pooed.

Should add it's ok to take them off for a bit when you can supervise them and you can let them clean themselves just don't let them lick the spay wound.

Thank you afternoonteaandicecream. They've woken up and going slightly mental, racing around the room fast and full of beans.

Still no poo as well. I'll put the collars back on, they've had some time today without and I'm not comfy leaving them overnight without supervision.

Another Vet Nurse here! You can take the cone off for when they are eating or drinking, or for a few minutes a day but only if you supervise them! The wound is not fully healed for 10-14 days so that's why it's recommended to keep them in, and for them to wear the cone. Don't let them lick the wound, please. It needs to stay clean.

You can get her a little jumper instead if she'd be more comfortable in that.

I've seen cats lick their wound open and find the dissolvable sutures and pull them out- therefore opening up the wound. It's not worth it. Keep the collar on.

One more thing, maybe she needs another dose of painkiller if she isn't still on them? She just might be feeling a bit to sore to push.

Hope she feels better soon.

Growingpain - thanks for posting. I'm hoping a bit of exercise and some food will make them sleepy and we put the cones back on then.

We've got a vet follow up appointment on Monday, so hopefully they can give advice then whether cone is needed from looking at them, a week after the op.

One has a slight swelling at the site. We took her in to the vets to check - told it happens to some cats and they gave her a dose of antibiotics as precaution. No temperature. But it is an odd swelling (the other cats site is totally flat). I attach a photo, but as I say, the vet said swelling sometimes happen, but it isn't an infection. Her surgery was a little more involved as they struggled to find the uterus. I'm hoping they will check again on Monday.

@sheeplikessleep Sometimes it can be a reaction to the dissolvable sutures- it does happen and will go away.
Does it feel firm or soft?

Is this the one who hasn't done a poo yet?

Not over hard, but the edges where it’s raised isn’t squidgy. So kind of neither 😬. She is the one who hasn’t pooed yes. We will ring vets in the morning as they said to call Friday if no movement by then.

This is my first experience with cats, so all new to me. She was v v active for the time her cone was off this afternoon, so I’m certain her current apathy to doing anything is the cone. The vets didn’t seem concerned by the lump as no temperature.

Thanks for reassurance on the lump.

@sheeplikessleep No problem :)

Try to make sure she mostly rests, as if she's running around / jumping on high surfaces too much it can affect wound healing, especially in her case i would try to keep her from doing too much (but I know, it's probably not that realistic!!)

See if she needs more pain killers as that might help as she had a more complicated surgery, and hopefully she will be back to normal very soon. Maybe see if they can give you a pet t shirt for her if she's miserable with the cone.

As long as she's eating and drinking that's a good sign too. Glad there's no temp etc!

Let us know how she gets on and give her some head rubs from me x

The cones are definitely stopping them running around, and they are sleeping a lot. The hour or two without them this pm showed how much - like they were on speed!

They’re both massively into head rubs as well at the moment. I think the lack of being able to rub themselves against things, they’re enjoying cheek rubs more. Thanks for best wishes x

[quote Groinpainruiningmylife]@sheeplikessleep No problem :)

Try to make sure she mostly rests, as if she's running around / jumping on high surfaces too much it can affect wound healing, especially in her case i would try to keep her from doing too much (but I know, it's probably not that realistic!!)

See if she needs more pain killers as that might help as she had a more complicated surgery, and hopefully she will be back to normal very soon. Maybe see if they can give you a pet t shirt for her if she's miserable with the cone.

As long as she's eating and drinking that's a good sign too. Glad there's no temp etc!

Let us know how she gets on and give her some head rubs from me x [/quote]
Just to say she was checked by the vet yesterday. The incision is healing well and they told us not to worry about the lump ... again :)

Given lactulose which she had the first dose last night and after some straining, she had her first poo, much to everyone's delight (like having newborns again!)

So hopefully over the worst and we are giving lactulose twice a day for a few days. They're both a bit more playful today, so think she is feeling a bit brighter.

Thanks all for advice.

I'm so pleased Sheep.
I was wondering how she was.Give her a few days, she will be having the zoomies as usual.😂

Thanks for the update :) I'm so glad she's had a poo and is doing well!

So glad she is doing well and had a poo 💩😊