How do vets decide which surgical suture is best for cat spay?

I worked in Iraq at the Balad Air Base as an independent contractor vet. Yes, everything is difficult there! :) I agree! I am not familiar with the suture material you are describing except for the silk which I would not recommend you use for this procedure. First of all, silk is a multifilament suture and not indicated for a spay. Also, silk is considered a non-absorbable suture, you need an absorbable suture. Actually, silk does absorb but very slowly like >720 days!! So, it is highly likely to cause a suture reaction. So, the recommendation is to use an absorbable monofilament. I am not sure if one of the other sutures you mentioned fit that category so if you want to post again with a photo of the suture pack that may be more helpful. Hope this answers your question.

Factors that may affect our choice in suture would include the type of surgery/location of the sutures in the body as well as the size of the animal, the activity level or lifestyle of the animal. A thicker suture usually has more "strength" but is also harder to work with/tie knots so a surgeon uses multiple factors to decide the best suture for the job.

The best thing you can do is make sure she is not over weight. Also, when she is spayed, she will need to be separated from any kittens so that they do not injure the incision. I recommend to discuss your concerns with your veterinarian. Things that help a procedure recover if an emergency arises are to make sure bloodwork is done prior to the surgery, that she has an intravenous catheter placed prior to the procedure and that she receives intravenous fluids during the procedure. These will help to keep her safe. Just like human medicine, all sedative procedures have some risk but the vast vast majority of people and pets will do fine. You may consider interviewing a few veterinarians to ask about their protocols and safety record. It's always be to be informed. Having her spayed will provide protection from a variety of other health conditions and is generally safe. I hope this helps.

Great question, The only way to ensure the safety of performing a routine spay operation is to have your small animal veterinarian perform a pre-surgical exam along with pre-anesthetic blood testing. After the exam and blood, if anything looks abnormal, further testing such as X-rays and ultrasound can be done prior to surgery. Keep in mind, veterinary clinics vary as to their equipment, so, to insure your pets safety, its alway good to have your cat monitored on an EKG/Blood pressure monitor. Nutrition is important, feeding a good quality adult diet either recommended by your local veterinarian or purchased through Petco or feed store should be adequate. The important things is that it agrees with your cat over time such as providing normal stools and volume, maintains nice haricot, and maintains normal weight. Changes in diet should always be done slowly. Please feel free to set a consult with me if you have further questions regarding her upcoming surgery. Thank you, Steve Popish, DVM

I would leave the remaining suture alone unless it seems to be bothering Kloe. Depending on what type of suture your veterinarian uses, it may disintegrate and come out on its own over the next few weeks, or it may be a type of non-absorbable suture that is designed to stay in place permanently. If the area around the suture looks red or irritated, or if it seems to be bothering her, I would suggest taking her back to your vet to have this checked - he/she can safely remove it if needed.

IF you do not intend breeding then surgical neutering or possibly long term hormonal implants replaced every 6-12months would be preferable, It is possible to close spay wounds without any additional dressing, usingeither disolvable, internal stitches or suture glue and this would be a permanent solution, reducing the risk of side effects compared to treating life long with human medications which have not been tested in cats (or any patients of that size!).

It’s actually fairly common for cats to have a suture reaction in the subcutaneous layer of tissue but not the muscle and linea alba. While it’s impossible to know exactly how everything looked I too would have left body wall sutures in place if there seemed to be normal healing since reopening the abdominal incision could increase risk for contamination in the abdomen. I hope Pixel recovers well!