How can I tell if my female cat is spayed if she's bleeding?

We do not normally see a bloody discharge in cats with heat cycles like we do in dogs. For this reason I would recommend an exam by your veterinarian. We could have blood coming from the reproductive tract from infection or a tumor, or we could have blood from the urinary tract which could be due to infection, inflammation, bladder stones, bladder tumors. The vet will do an exam and may recommend a urine test and an x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen to help determine the cause of the blood.

There is a chance that there was some trauma to the bladder area while removing the uterus which is located just above the cervix. Some light bleeding can be expected to occur for 1-3 days after surgery but copious amounts of blood or prolonged bleeding should be considered abnormal. I would recommend either taking your cat back to the previous veterinarian, since he/she did the surgery, for a follow-up visit for further care. Or if the trust has been broken with this vet, you can get kitty seen with another expert for an exam and potential urinalysis to ensure there isn't a UTI present that could explain the symptoms that mentioned. As long as there is an active flow of urine and no outward signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, bloated abdomen) then this sounds like a relatively non-emergency type situation that can be hopefully be resolved with medical treatment, if any.

It can be difficult to know if they've been spayed or not if you don't have any medical records. You can request that the vet shave her belly to look for a spay scar, but they can be very faint if she was spayed at a very young age. If she still has signs of heat, then either she hasn't been spayed or there is some ovarian tissue still present inside her. You can have a hormone test (AMH) done to confirm that there still is ovarian tissue and then you know she needs surgery to remove it. Or the vet can just go to surgery to go look for it.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. These are generally considered to be signs of heat in a cat. Your profile indicates that Bud has been spayed though. I recommend thst she sees her veterinarian. You will want to ensure that she does not have a urinary tract infection or that a portion of an ovary was left behind at the time of her spay. I hope this information helps!

If you are sure it is coming from her anus, but she's otherwise acting normally, and the stools are formed and normal but there's a little blood from her anus afterwards, you could try adding a fiber and probiotic dietary supplement, this can help decrease inflammation in the colon. Something like this: If you aren't seeing any improvement, if her stools are soft or liquid or there is blood routinely present IN the stool, if she is vomiting, or the blood is coming from her vuvla, not her anus, have her evaluated by your vet. Talk to your vet about a rectal exam; we don't routinely do this in cats, but if her anal glands are bleeding or she has a growth or mass in her rectum, a rectal exam would be needed for evaluate for that. Thank you for asking PetCoach!

I'm concerned as well. In the pictures, it looks like Tortie had some bleeding during the spay, which is normal, and most of it was wiped off. But what is concerning me is that on top of the old blood looks like fresh blood and I'm worried that she may still be bleeding from the incision. Without seeing her in person, I can't say if this is normal or if she will be ok. I think it's best you take her back into the vet immediately to get this checked to be safe. I hope this helps.

Thank you for the picture, it's very helpful. The bleeding may be due to you cleaning the area, as it should not be washed while healing as that disturbs the scab and the healing process. Also stitches should not get wet. In the picture, the skin around the area does not look red or swollen. Please feel the area, and make sure it does not feel warm to the touch; if it does, that means it is infected and Charlie has to go back to the vet now. When the vet said keep the area clean, it means keep the area dry and away from dirt and debris, not to wash it. Please do not wash it again, pat the area dry, and since there was only a bit of bleeding, just monitor it for now. If you see redness, swelling, pus, the skin is warm to the touch, she becomes lethargic, and/or she has a loss of appetite, she needs to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!