My cat's spay incision is swollen with discharge. ER or morning?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Millie. I see what you mean about the swelling, and while it’s concerning, I don’t think it requires an ER visit. As long as it doesn’t open up, bother her, her incision stays closed, and/or there’s no infection, it can wait until Monday. I hope this helps.

Thank you for proving a picture. I do not like the look of Cali's incision, I'm concerned about the discharge and opening. There should not be this amount of discharge, and the fact that it's smelly indicates infection. I would take her into a vet immediately. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Hello. It does look like the incision is opening a bit, but just the skin. The underlying muscle looks intact. You may have to put an E-collar ( cone of shame ) on her to prevent her from licking the incision open more. Most of the big pet retailers have them & one of the soft ones made for kitties should not be too stressful for her. I would also pick up some betadine at any pharmacy & gently clean the skin twice daily. No need to scrub. It is not necessary, but it would not hurt to put a dab on Neosporin on the incision, but only if she is wearing the collar. You do not want her to try cleaning the incision with her rough tongue. If the incision reddens much more, or begins to discharge at all, you will need to have her seen over the weekend. She will not fall apart on you, but keep a good eye on things & if it really worries you, have her seen quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Coconut and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. In the picture, I don't see any signs of infection, which would include severe redness, swelling, and pus from the incision. The incision looks closed in the picture, and I do see some scabs, which can be normal. There can be some discharge from the incision if the cat is moving too much after surgery, or if she was licking at it, which can happen when she isn't wearing a cone. At this point in time, I do not think she needs to see the vet. Keep the cone on her at all times, and keep her quiet. If the incision is opening up, you see the signs of infection that I mentioned above, and/or she is lethargic or suffering from a loss of appetite, then she will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Safe and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. This is what's known as a flank spay, and it is a place where vets will do spays on cats. One of the advantages is that you don't have the weight of the abdominal organs on the incision as it's healing. Yes, you are right this wound is wide open. She does need to see a vet asap to get this closed. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. I hope this helps!

I would keep an eye on Mayla's incision for now. If the swelling increases or you see more blood, then yes take her into the vet. I would also put the cone back on her. It seems to help keep her less active, which is vital for her healing. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Willow. Thank you for the picture, it's very helpful. If she was spayed over the weekend, this looks like a normal bit of discharge. It's not excessive and doesn't look there is any bright red blood in it. Since she is otherwise acting normally, it's fine to wait until 8am to give her vet a call, but I suspect they may say it's normal discharge. I hope this helps!