My cat almost died from anesthesia. Should I try spaying again?

The chances of something happening to Princess under anesthesia is very minute. That doesn't mean there is no chance. She is a living, breathing being and just like in humans, anything can happen. Veterinarians use very safe anesthetic drugs that are often what is used in humans despite all the safety precautions adverse reactions can still happen. While no one can give you a guarantee, I can tell you that the benefits of having her spayed far outweigh the risks of the procedure. Unspayed animals have an extremely high instance of mammary cancer which is often life threatening. Here is a link to an article that reviews the benefits of spaying. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-cats/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! We do routinely do surgery in many pets that have seizures, and as long as we are aware ahead of time we can prepare for this concern by doing things such as selecting certain drugs for anesthesia and having an IV catheter in place in case a seizure occurs so we have quick access to a vein to administer medication. I would say that the risk of not being spayed is a greater health risk than the risk of being spayed. I would, however, recommend having your cat examined/have work-up done which may involve bloodwork and ultrasound to ensure there isn't a cause for seizures such as a liver shunt that needs to be addressed if your cat hasn't already been examined for the seizures. I would also recommend you have your cat spayed at a full service vet clinic and not a spay/neuter low cost clinic because of her issues she is going to need more intensive monitoring than they can offer. The risks involved in spaying are the same for any surgical procedure and include adverse reaction to the anesthetic drugs, bleeding during surgery, and infection of the surgical site. These complications are extremely rare.

With any surgery there is always a risk of death. But in most animals spay or neuter is a relatively safe procedure. Some things can be done to make it safer. Discuss with your vet about doing preanesthetic bloodwork, having an IV catheter and IV fluids during the procedure. If a pet does die it may depend on the clinic if they have options for cremation or burial or have your take a body home. Www.veterinarypartner.com has some good articles on spay and neuter FAQ for dogs and cats.

While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!

Hello. The presence of only 1 kidney is a birth defect that can occur. If that kidney is fully functioning, as demonstrated by normal blood kidney values, & a normal urinalysis, then there is no reason that anesthesia will be any more of a concern then for a cat with 2 kidneys. I am not sure what you mean by an indifferent colon, other than if there is one congenital birth defect, other defects are possible. We had a case of a puppy born with a deformed hind leg, & when he was old enough for neutering, also found a completely abnormal reproductive tract as well as a deformed kidney. This dog is now 13 years old & going strong. Your kitty may require periodic blood work to make sure the kidney stays healthy, & possibly some type of special diet depending on how the colon actually affects the kitten's overall well being. But, accidents in nature happen. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I don't have a number for you - but the risk is very, very low (less than 1%). A spay is a common, everyday, low-risk surgery and the complication rate is extremely low. To provide one anecdotal example: I've been practicing for 7 years, have performed spays weekly, and have never had a spay patient die.

Any animal can die from any operation, just like any person could. There is never a guarantee. That being said, the chance of her passing from surgery is extremely low - like less than 0.001%. I agree with your vet that she should be done right away. You can’t continue letting her be sick. I know you are anxious but you need to do what is best for her.