Spaying/being in 'heat'

[Dawn F]

glad it went well, I'm sure she will be back to normal quickly

[Rosella moggy]

Our girls were spayed 3 years ago tomorrow. 

I've just checked through old posts and both were on heat at the time; Millie in particular was still in an interesting state for some days afterwards whilst the hormones calmed down.  They were both given AB jabs as they were in heat    Don't know how that helps but I'm not a vet.  2 weeks later on 16 May, stitches were removed and everything had healed just fine.  We let them outside for 1st time a few days after that and allowed them to play properly with Da Bird.  From the time of the op until removal of stitches we left them to it which basically involved the usual manic chasing and playing with each other but we didn't allow jumping play (Da Bird or any other fishing rod toys)

So glad Willow's op went well.  I would caution against too much jumping play for a wee while but can't see that chasing play would cause a problem.  You will of course be keeping an eye on the wound healing coz that's the kinda ma you are 

[Ebony]

Hello everyone, I thought I'd give you all a little update. Willow got spayed on thursday - 26/04/2012. I was a bag of nerves all day and nearly didn't leave when I dropped her off in the morning  . The op went really well and she's been recovering brilliantly ever since, she's not even that interested in her stitches.

My only question is when will it be okay for us to resume normal daily activities with her ? She's a housecat for the time being and myself and my partner spend a lot of time playing with her and she's usually a very energetic and curious cat, getting into everything and chasing all her toys. Up until yesterdayshe was still a little groggy and had been taking it easy, but yesterday and today she's started to want to play again and gets frustratd when we don't - which I know is a good sign and I'm so pleased she's recovering so quickly and feeling more like herself - but when I have started cautiously playing with her, I've noticed that she gets tired really quickly and she seems to watch how she moves.

The vet said we weren't to stop her doing anything, but that she ought to take it easy for a few days. I've also read conflicting opinions online, with some people stating that cats shouldn't be allowed to jump, run or climb for upto 2 weeks after the operation? I'm just a little unsure if I should I encourage her wanting to play, or try and discourage it for a few more days? What have you guys found after having your little ones spayed? 

[heather sullivan]

when my cat (who is now 18) was spayed the 1st time they took the womb out and left the ovaries. (She had got herself pregnant at 9 months old by the local tom ). Op went well, but she kept coming back into season, and yowling and walking around with her bum in the air, which was too much for my other cat, who was neutered, but he kept leaping on top of her and performing I ended up taking her back to the vets and they removed her ovaries and she turned back into a normal cat again If you are not happy with your vet I would definitely change and go to one you are happy with.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

the vets need to be able to handle a cat well or you will have a scared cat going to the vets.

Sounds like Gwynny was givem ketamine sp? Gillian cos thats how Lupin was and was so worried about him I rang the night vet and thats what the answer was.

Its gives loads of probs after the ops but they come round quicker, I dont think its a good idea puuuuursonally.

[Angiew]

£73 for  a spay! goodness!

The current prices in Coventry are £30 - £40.

[Gillian Harvey]

The only advantage i can see in opting for the  ovary only operation is that it's less invasive and they recover quicker, but saying that from what I've read online, if they leave any ovarian tissue in by mistake it can cause problems - the cat can go into heat again etc. I'm thinking a traditional spay,although maybe more painful and a longer recovery period will be better in the long run.

Most cats recover very quickly from a traditional spay these days anyway, they have pain relief and usually back to normal within a few days.  In fact, be prepared for a very 'hyper' cat for a few hours on return from surgery lol! This is what happened with my Gwynnie who was literally bouncing off the walls for a while as soon as she stepped out of the carrier at home  So much for being told to keep her quiet to recover lol! She did quieten down eventually, and was back to normal next day. 

[cazzer]

my vet goes more by weight of the kitten rather than just age.      Is she small for her age?    Perhaps she needed to be a bit heavier?

[Ebony]

Yeah, they said it was 103 pounds for the ovary only removal vs 73 for the traditional spay. To be fair to the veterinary nurse, she didn't try and influence me either way, just gave me all the relevant information. The only advantage i can see in opting for the  ovary only operation is that it's less invasive and they recover quicker, but saying that from what I've read online, if they leave any ovarian tissue in by mistake it can cause problems - the cat can go into heat again etc. I'm thinking a traditional spay,although maybe more painful and a longer recovery period will be better in the long run.

I'm not sure if it's a lack of trust, or more a lack of relationship and time to build confidence, because I've only been there twice and saw two different vets - one appointment was at the weekend. The only thing that I didn't like was that the second vet wasn't very good at handling Willow, she's not a particularly difficult cat, she's just squirmy... my last vet had cats of her own and was really good with her... maybe i'm just expecting too much? From what you're all saying here the advice they gave me was spot on. I just don't know why they want me to wait a month - it wasn't a waiting time for the appointment, it was more to do with her age - but i thought cats could be spayed from 5 months upwards?

[Angiew]

Most vets will book you in and give the cat a check up on the day of the operation.

I have heard of the ovary only thing and am curious as o ho much it costs vs the usual total hysterectomy.
Did they give you costs? I think a lot of vets like to push new (and oftem more expensive) things at their customers.

Can't really see the point in leaving the womb in. Its not as if she will need it at all and it will be there with the possiblilty of infections and tumours in later life.

A month seems a long time to have to prebook though I know we sometimes have to wait a couple of weeks.
A wait won't matter as long as she is still being kept in.

It is very important that you trust your vet so if you are not happy you must shop around, and as Gill says you should also ask about what the out of hours cover is like - do their vets cover it, is is outsourced and if so who to and where the emergency surgery is.

[cazzer]

Kaisa and Karlo didn't go in for a pre op check either.    That said vets give them a throrough check over on the day of op.        Both weren't done on the first date I had.      Kaisa had started calling so we decided to wait for when she wasn't calling.     [She was 5 months] Karlo was sent home without the op being done on the first occasion as his eye's were a bit weepy and they wanted to see how things developed.      We then booked them in for a date when we thought Kaisa wouldn't be calling.      In the event she was!        The op went ahead though.       I think she given extra pain relief for a few days after op  [and we had to do get go get more as she still wasn't right after first course finished].       

you should be able to trust your vet though, and would get another if you don't!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

not happy or comfortable with the vet...............get another! you must be able to talk to the vet without a problem, they must be able to talk to you and answer questions and most of this is done when you are stressed.

one thing you need to check out with any vet is the 24/7 cover,,,,,,,,,,,do they have it and if not where would you need to go.

obviously dont know where you live but a 60 mile round trip is a long way to go in an emergency.

i have a 30 mile round trip and last year i did this every day for a month but i know they are good. i can talk with them and they have there own 24/7 cover and were very happy for me to visit my sick cat every day.

sorry cant help on the spaying  but this is something that you should be able to speak with over the phone to the vet.

[Dawn F]

Tilly didn't go in for a pre op check either - as it turned out she was in season when they opened her up, she is a bengal and pretty loud so I had no idea and she was only 5 1/2 months the op went fine and she was home by 3pm

[Rosella moggy]

Mmmmmm ... never heard of this before but just found this on the website of a local specialist vet surgery.  It mentions carrying out the procedure 2 to 3 months after a season but the whole article covers both cats and dogs and perhaps this amount of time is more aimed at dogs, I can't tell.

http://www.willows.uk.net/specialist-services/pet-health-information/soft-tissue/rigid-endoscopy
 
Hopefully someone will comment who has had some experience.  Have you spoken to the vet or a VN/receptionist?  The vet should be able to spare you 5 mins to allay any concerns you have.  Neither of our girls went in for pre op check ups and I think it was me who raised concerns about carrying out the op whilst Millie was in season but vet surgery were pretty relaxed over it so we went ahead.

The thing is though that you need to be able to trust your vet and you say you were not impressed with them on 2 earlier visits.  Think you need to examine why that was 

[Ebony]

Hello,

I was hoping I could maybe get some advice on having my 6 1/2 month old kitten spayed. In January myself and my partner had to relocate as I got a new job and we've ended up moving around an hour and a half away from where we used to live. As a result of this the vet that I went to with Willow since we first got her is no longer easy to get to and with Willow not being the most happy of car travellers, i feel it's too cruel and unsettling to drag her all the way back there for vet checks up etc..

I got her registered with a local vet, but after visiting it two times - once for the initial registration and dewormer and then a second time because she was teething and had gone off her food, I'm really not that impressed with them. The unfamiliarity that I have with this new surgery and the fact that Willow needs to be spayed is stressing me out. When I phoned up to talk about the spaying process I was told that she would just come in in the morning of the op because she was an existing patient, but shouldn't there be a preliminary appointment a few days before this to check her over? Also, they never mentioned anything about checking if she was in heat before the operation - something else that is ringing alarm bells. I was also given the option of two spaying procedures - the normal spaying process, where they remove everything and another one, which was referred to as a laparoscopy, where they just remove the ovaries. If i wanted the traditional spay I was told I'd have to wait a month - until she's around 7 months old - but that the laparoscopy could be preformed whenever...

Is this normally the process with spaying?

I was discussing all of this with my friend who lives nearby, she has a dog and 4 guinea pigs and the vet she goes to is around a 30 minute drive away, but she really recommends that I go there and tbh after seeing the miracles he's performed on her pigs I'm thinking about registering and having Willow spayed there. The only problem I have is that once again I'll be starting from scratch with a new vet...

I'm also unsure about how to know when Willow is going to go back into heat again, she started showing all the typical behaviours on the 8th march and these peaked on 10th - she was yowling and 'in position' constantly that day -, the 11th she slept all day and on the 12th she was pretty much her happy self again, although she still yowled occasionally. Do any of you know how to monitor the heat cycle as I want to be absolutely sure she's not in season when I have her spayed.

Sorry this post is a bit of a mish mash! All advice is welcome