E-collar consideration after spaying operation?

[bikeman]

Our 7-mo. old kitten Junebug is at the vet's now getting the 'ol "snip snip." They are suggesting (for us to purchase @ $12 US) a flexible e-collar to wear for several days afterwards. Are there other options?

I can well imagine that she will make every attempt to open up her stitches with at least her teeth, and it looks like this collar is not big enough to prevent that.

Poor kitty.

She's gonna hate us later today when we pick her up, and I don't blame her. I feel like a rotton scoundrel for putting her through this ordeal.

 

[rosiemac]

Sophie had to wear a collar because she managed to pull a stitch out

but some cats don't need one.

Does she look sick or what?!

She got used to it though after a couple of days.

 

[hissy]

Personally, I have had hundreds of cats spayed, and never had any of them open up their incision. So I would just tell the vet you will be in touch if and when there is a problem. I would advise that you pay extra for the going home pain shot. I do this for the girls, but not the guys and it does seem to make it easier for them.

 

[plebayo]

I will say, if you do the e-collar option, she'll learn quickly how to use it and it will become a weapon

. No ankles will be safe in your house, and if anything can be pushed over, it probably will.

 

[bikeman]

Originally Posted by hissy

Personally, I have had hundreds of cats spayed, and never had any of them open up their incision. So I would just tell the vet you will be in touch if and when there is a problem. I would advise that you pay extra for the going home pain shot. I do this for the girls.

Hissy, I was hoping you'd chime in. Thanks. Other vets loan a collar out if there is a problem, so we were a bit perplexed with them having us pay. This is the 'bad" cat hospital. We're only there again because the spaying came with the adoption fee. We found an excellent vet on the other side of town this summer that we'll keep going back to after this ordeal.

We did opt for the extra pain shot after, but not the pills to take home. We just can't get pills down a cat - any cat. Our continuous pain meds will be in the form of light hugs and loving attention.

 

[bikeman]

Originally Posted by Plebayo

I will say, if you do the e-collar option, she'll learn quickly how to use it and it will become a weapon

. No ankles will be safe in your house, and if anything can be pushed over, it probably will.

Weapon? Oh no!

They suggested one of the soft types, actually. I found out what e-collars are named after. The Elizabethan collars from a few hundred years ago worn by people as a fashion statement and indication of social class. Rock On! And before, I thought they just looked dumb on pets. Imagine Mitty's jealousy when she sees Junebug wearing that! (if we get one).

 

[hissy]

My one barn cat that is now exiled to living indoors is also difficult to pill. What is working for me is (believe it or not) whipped cream. I hide the pill in the cream and he laps it right up.

 

[yosemite]

Just to reiterate what Hissy said, I've never used an e-collar on any of our cats after neutering whether male of female and have had not problems. I honestly think the collars are inhumane but that's me.

 

[stampit3d]

I`s be wiling to bet, just from the picture, that she wouldreally NOT appreciate such a contraption either!
Linda

 

[bikeman]

Originally Posted by stampit3d

I`s be wiling to bet, just from the picture, that she wouldreally NOT appreciate such a contraption either!
Linda

I know I wouldn't want to wear one. But if she rips at her stitches, is there any other choice besides one of these very fashionable accessories?

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by hissy

My one barn cat that is now exiled to living indoors is also difficult to pill. What is working for me is (believe it or not) whipped cream. I hide the pill in the cream and he laps it right up.

Yay...glad to hear you can medicate him without loss of skin

 

[iarecrystal]

I've never ued an E-collar on one of my cats, but got really close to making Daisy and Lucy after their spay. Since they were younger, they were jumping and running everywhere and it made the staples loose, and on Lucy, two fell out (or she might've been picking at them)..

I got some styrafoam (sp?) bowls from the cafeteria my mom works in and cut a hole in the middle. I wanted to get them an actual E-collar but they were kind of expensive so I didn't bother. Lucy and Daisy hated the bowls and eventually the bowls couldn't take it either and broke off.

Other then those two crazy nuts, I haven't had any problems with the cat trying to mess with their stiches/staples

 

[missymotus]

All my cats wore e-collars and didn't mind one bit. I took them off for eating and grooming then put them back on.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by hissy

Personally, I have had hundreds of cats spayed, and never had any of them open up their incision. So I would just tell the vet you will be in touch if and when there is a problem.

i haven't had hundreds, but i have had 6 females spayed, & none of them wore the e-collars or removed their stitches.

 

[blazednconfused]

I don't think the collar is nessicery as most cats will not mess with their incision, if anything it is usually just normal licking. E-Collars can cause more stress than they are worth too...most cats absolutly hate them and stress out over them, I do not see a need to use an e-collar unless the cat is pulling out stitches.

 

[bikeman]

Thanks all for the input thus far. We're off to pick her up now. Perhaps an update soon.

 

[bikeman]

Back now. She's groggy, droopy, tired and in pain. Her eyes look very stressed and watery. Cats can cry, apparently. Mrs. Bikeman went back a second time and bought the e-collar and some liquid pain medicine for tonight and the next few days. Junebug is absolutely miserable.

Nevertheless, she wants to jump around every now and then. We were surprised that the vet insisted that no water or food be given to her until the following day. That would make it 36 hours without as much as a drop of water. That has got to be torture on top of the ordeal.

She has a few stitches on the outside, and a lot more inside. The did a full historectomy, tubectomy, and ovectomy, if that's what all those are called. Yow! We are taking turns sitting with her 24/7. Every time we leave her for one minute, Junebug wants to jump up or down on something. We might make her sleep in her travel box tonight to limit her activity.

She's being kept in a closed bedroom away from the other cat, food and water. There is a litter box issue. Earlier, she wanted to lay in it tummy down. Not good. I suppose the colder clay might feel good. We don't want to let her get infected. Solution... shredded newspapers in the box instead. She hasn't used it yet, but we think that might be better and more sanitary than the crushed clay.

Been a rough day, all around.

 

[dr. doolittle]

I personally am a big fan of e-collars. I guess that is because I only see the cats that SHOULD have been wearing one.

I can tell you that it costs more to repair an incision than it does to spay the cat. Then you need antibiotics and the healing takes a lot longer... IMO it is better to make the cat wear it for 10 days- then your done without complications.

 

[dawnofsierra]

Serenity and I just experienced this ordeal, so I know just what you're going through right now. It's so difficult when our babies feel awful.

Neither of my girls have required an e-collar following their spay.

Please feel better soon, little Junebug!

 

[bikeman]

Today Junebug has had her ups and downs. We began food and water again at 6am. A very small amount of wet food, along w/ water dish. She hasn't drank the water, but that may be due to the collar. She can't get her paw in the bowl (why do cats do that anyway?).

We added more water to the wet food and that worked. She's still confused to what happened to her. The liquid pain meds continue. The other problem was that she wasn't pooping or peeing. Tonight, finally, she is functional there. I bet it hurt though.

The collar comes off for brief periods to give her a break. nd I even think she is becoming comfortable with the appliance. I *must* get some pictures of her in that thing; she just looks so pathetic and miserable in it. And even embarrassed, if that's possible. We feel like stooges making her wear it.

The other cat doesn't want anything to do with her - perhaps because of the collar. Looks kinda like a weapon to Mitty. Hard to know what goes through their little heads.

Being a guy, and not being a cat, I don't know what pain or discomfort she's experiencing, but it does pain me to think about her this way. A week more, and most of this should be behind us if all goes as planned.