How to care for my cat after mammary cancer and spay surgery?

The cat should be kept indoors in a small room the first night as she will probably be tired and wobbly on her feet after surgery. In a small room it is best so that way she won't injury herself. It is best to continue to keep her indoors for at least 10 days. Look at the incision daily to make it sure it is not red, swollen or having any discharge coming from it. If you notice any abnormalities call your vet. She should not be allowed to lick the incision. If she does, you will need to get her a cone collar to wear for 10 days or so. If your vet dispenses any medications for after the surgery you will also need to give her those. If you any further questions please feel free to post again. Best wishes!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Tashi's loss of appetite can be related to her cancer, similarly to humans who have cancer, animals can lose their appetite and not feel well. However, it can be caused by something else such as a toxin, intestinal parasites, or a number of underlying medical conditions. I recommend keeping a close eye on Tashi, and having her seen by a vet prior to her appointment if she does not eat for a full 24 hours, has loss of energy, or vomits/has diarrhea. I hope all is well and that everything goes well for Tashi during surgery!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your Billy should be able to get up and walk a few hours after the surgery. She may be slow and quiet on the day of the surgery, but on the following day she should be active and playful. You do not have to change her diet but you do need to put a head cone on her. She should not be allowed to go out until the wound is fully healed. Depending on the suturing technique, you may have to take her back to your vets in about 10 days time to remove the stitches.

Poor girl. She may have an infection still present, it really is unsure until the vet examines her. There really isn't much you can do besides get her on antibiotics once she see's your vet. You should just offer her some yummy food, preferably canned tuna and white rice or some other canned food to try and entice her to eat tonight and make sure she's comfortable. Hopefully her condition improves soon! Best of luck and take care.

Great to hear you are choosing to spay and neuter your kitties! Some cats definitely do recover more quickly than others. This could depend on the choice of anesthetic, recovery time, other health issues, and nutrition. 15 hours is definitely a pretty long time and I would have expected a almost full recovery from any anesthetic at that point. Extremely lethargy and unsteadiness could be an indication of a post-op complication, infection, or something different entirely. If Tortilla appears to be stable to you, this isn't necessarily an emergency. However, if you think she is deteriorating, you may want to go ahead and get the emergency hospital on alert to tell them you might be coming in at some point. I would go ahead and check her gums for good color (pinkish and moist) and try to obtain a rectal temperature (over 102.5-103.0 would be considered a fever). If any of these are troubling to you, get her checked out some time soon. Also, I would flip her over and take a good look at her incision to see if it looks inflammed, red, or painful. Hope this helps!

Cats are little stinkers! You may have to try a longer than normal rigid e-collar, or you can look for the bowl style that are used in cats. You could try a large tube sock as a dress (cut holes for head and arms). You could attach string or elastic to make "stirrups" that pull the shirt down. As for cleaning, a warm wet washcloth is all that is needed. Though, since it appears red and swollen, I would recommend taking her to the vet for evaluation and possibly to start antibiotics.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Artemis. Most of the time, stitches are removed at 10-14 days post-surgery. By this point, she will be completely healed. The goal is no running, jumping or playing until this time. This is difficult with young kittens however. So do your best to limit her activities. It is fine if she sleeps with you at night if this is what she usually does. I would keep the bedroom door closed so that if she jumps off the bed, she is at least confined to the room. The surgery can make her slightly more prone to weight gain so watch her calorie intake. This is a greater problem in adult cats though. The surgery should not cause any behavioral changes. I hope this information helps!