Concerned - Does This Spay Incision Look Normal?

[MoMoKa]

Hi all. I know this topic probably comes up a lot here but I'm admittedly a little paranoid and worried and wanted some second opinions.

About 8 days ago my fiance and I took our furbabies Lex Luthor and Houdini (or Lexy and Dini for short) to undergo their spays. Both girls are from the same litter of abandoned kittens we fostered but these two ended up staying for good.

I went into this feeling really nervous; my mom's cat Peanut ended up having complications in her spay that ended up being lethal; but the kicker was that it was pretty much invisible until it was time for the stitches to come out and her incision never healed. I've been terrified of the same thing happening (these cats share the same mother, but different litters) so I'be been taking a lot of precautions like liberal use of the Cone of Shame and onesies if I caught them licking and keeping them confined and barring any and all access to the cat tower, and even changing out their clumping litter to a paper-based that's less likely to spread infection. Over the last couple days (day 6, 7, 8) we've let the kitties wander and play a little bit more, but still watching them.

When I was examining Lexy's incision this evening when she was snuggled up in one of her blankies, something about her wound bothered me? Like, for some reason it doesn't look like it's QUITE healing like it should but it could just be scar tissue and I COULD be paranoid because of what happened to Peanut. So I wanted to get the opinions of some other (possibly more experienced) cat owners; does this look right?

Kinda hard to tell but when she stretches out a bit or is sprawled on her back, it looks like the incision opens a teeny bit... but she doesn't seem to be in pain if I touch near it and it's not red so... IDK?

Sorry for rambling but I just want some second opinions. I love this baby and I'd be devastated if this decision to spay her ends up being one that kills her.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
It looks quite good to me although I'm not a vet. If there's any oozing, swelling or bleeding, of course give your vet a call.

 

[jcat]

It looks good to me, too; normal for 8 days post-spay. Just keep an eye on it and call your vet if it seeps or swells. When do they have to go back?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

... About 8 days ago my fiance and I took our furbabies Lex Luthor and Houdini (or Lexy and Dini for short) to undergo their spays. ... I'be been taking a lot of precautions like liberal use of the Cone of Shame and onesies if I caught them licking and keeping them confined and barring any and all access to the cat tower, and even changing out their clumping litter to a paper-based that's less likely to spread infection. Over the last couple days (day 6, 7, 8) we've let the kitties wander and play a little bit more, but still watching them. ...

You guys are doing a great job!

 

[MoMoKa]

Tuesday. I just know they were talking about

It looks good to me, too; normal for 8 days post-spay. Just keep an eye on it and call your vet if it seeps or swells. When do they have to go back?

Tuesday, though I might have to move it to Thursday if I can't get out of work earlier than usual (here's hoping; I gotta be in 3 hrs earlier to train a new stocker soooo...)

I mean my fiance could take the kitties alone but I prefer to be there with the babies. No kids between us so the cats are pretty much our babies instead.

 

[DreamerRose]

It looks fine to me, too. The teeny, tiny opening looks like it's filled with scab, so there shouldn't be any problem unless you see something draining from it.

 

[TriciaSchumaker]

It looks good. There are internal stitches as well as the external ones. It you are worried you can give your girls a little more support by making them "girdles" out of the leg of an old pair of cotton leggings or tights. Just cut to length and make two slits for the front legs to go through. My little girl seemed relieved to have hers sfter her abdominal surgery. Plus it's a barrier to licking.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

... Tuesday, though I might have to move it to Thursday if I can't get out of work earlier than usual (here's hoping; I gotta be in 3 hrs earlier to train a new stocker soooo...)

I mean my fiance could take the kitties alone but I prefer to be there with the babies. ...

I think it looks great, but if your Lexy isn't very impatient with the stitches/ incision so far, if it were me I'd just go ahead and reschedule for Thursday. It's totally up to you but I think that will give an extra day or so longer for more healing of the incision. In my experience with my cat's knee surgeries, usually when a vet takes external stitches out, there is a bit more fresh blood and some fresh scabbing if the edges of the wound haven't mostly sealed since the surgery date. That may or may not happen with your cat's spay incision esp. since you've done good limiting her activity level so far. Just remember, as it heals and scabs over, and as she moves around and has more fun playing and leaping and jumping, it does get a bit itchier to your cat and she may try cleaning it more often for a day or so. Your vet should give you the "green-light-go" on what will be acceptable cat grooming behavior after the stitches are removed. Different vets have different ranges of "acceptable" scabbing and oozing, if there is certainty that it's not infected.