Spay Stopped Kittens Put Back In

[tawnosaurus]

Ok, so today this happened -

After being told by a low cost clinic it would be no issue at all to check my cat to see if she was pregnant before starting to spay her, which we suspected she was about 2.5 weeks pregnant, they put her under and opened her up to see the kittens. I was assured this would not be an issue so I trusted this was common and they had earlier said after they checked her for pregnancy they would call if she was pregnant and I could just take her home. Well, that didn't happen and here we are.

Without much information to go off of and being told I needed to make a decision immediately, I told them to not go through with spay. They put the kittens back in. It was a gut decision and I am hoping one I do not regret.

What complications should I monitor for?
What chance do the kittens have of survival after being out of the womb and mother under anesthesia?
Is there any care instructions to be recommended to help my cat and her kittens in this situation?

After I was told this happens weekly for them, that it was common but that was never mentioned to me. I came to this decision very unprepared and want to ensure I am providing my pregnant cat and her kittens the best care from here possible.

 

[sabian]

I'm no expert at all but there are other ways to see if a cat is pregnant than cutting them open and then going oops, she's pregnant and putting them back in. This just sounds all wrong to me. I think Jcatbird or posiepurrs can give you better insight than I can on this and how to proceed.

 

[fionasmom]

I read this several minutes ago and had no idea what to tell you. I have never been in this position despite all the ferals I have dealt with. Do you have a regular vet that you can call and talk to? There was nothing wrong with going to a low cost clinic and they should be up to doing what they do without mishaps, but I think that this might be out of their hands now.

 

[Willowy]

How far along is she? Were they able to tell?

Low-cost clinics do a lot of spay/aborts, I doubt very many people have them put the kittens back in, so that's a rare occurrence. Probably at this point you should contact a vet who's a reproduction specialist and see what they say.

 

[lutece]

What do you mean they "put the kittens back in"? Did they open up mom, begin to pull out the uterus, notice the uterus had kittens in it, and return the uterus to its place? Or maybe they didn't even pull the uterus out before calling you, and all they did was make the incision and notice the uterus had kittens in it?

I don't think you can remove kittens and then put them back in, because detaching the placentas would kill the kittens. But maybe they were talking about putting the uterus back in.

 

[tawnosaurus]

How far along is she? Were they able to tell?

Low-cost clinics do a lot of spay/aborts, I doubt very many people have them put the kittens back in, so that's a rare occurrence. Probably at this point you should contact a vet who's a reproduction specialist and see what they say.

I am pretty certain she is around 2.5 to 3 weeks pregnant. They did not tell me any information as to what age they thought the kittens were.

 

[tawnosaurus]

What do you mean they "put the kittens back in"? Did they open up mom, begin to pull out the uterus, notice the uterus had kittens in it, and return the uterus to its place? Or maybe they didn't even pull the uterus out before calling you, and all they did was make the incision and notice the uterus had kittens in it?

I don't think you can remove kittens and then put them back in, because detaching the placentas would kill the kittens. But maybe they were talking about putting the uterus back in.

That was the phrasing the clinic used when I was speaking to them. However, when looking at the size of mom cat's incision it is quite small, without measuring and just a guess I would say around an inch.

The fetal kittens would be roughly 2.5 to 3 weeks old.

I was given very little information and told I needed to make a decision as they stated the longer the anesthesia was in effect the worse it gets for the kittens survival. When I inquired about any future possible complications for the fetal kittens I wasn't given really any information. I asked how likely it was the kittens had a chance to survive they said they didn't know that but the longer they waited the chances worsened.

My concern was and still is, if the uterus was removed from mom cat's body, even if for a short period of time, what are the chances the placentas were comprised?

 

[Jcatbird]

I would contact another vet pretty quickly to update them on the whole scenario. That way you will know anything you need to watch for or expect to occur. Keep an eye on the incision. Watch for and drainage, lethargy loss of appetite, excessive drinking or too little fluid intake, problems pooping or urinating, keeping her rain tucked under her belly, or odors there. Also, the incision may be red or puffy but if the redness spreads or becomes very bright or puffiness get extended out, you need to get her checked. Was she given pain medicine or any other medication? Make sure the cat does not lick or pull at the incision. Keep her quiet and content until that heals. No jumping around to play. I can’t quite understand why they could not figure out ahead of time if she was pregnant but at this point I would advise that if you use them again, make sure it is a Spay. I would go ahead and get lined up with another vet just to have backup on hand and to get any helpful information. I really feel that clinic could have better informed you. Have you ever had a cat that had kittens before? There are lots of great threads here that we can link you to if you need more information about that part. Please do keep us updated. If you get concerned or anxious, post back. Lots of people will be here to help in any way possible. Taking photos of her incision is a good way to keep track of healing if you can get her when she is relaxed and showing her belly.
sabian Thank you for showing me this thread!

 

[lutece]

My concern was and still is, if the uterus was removed from mom cat's body, even if for a short period of time, what are the chances the placentas were comprised?

It's hard to say. They wouldn't have cut off the uterus from its blood supply or severed it from the body, so I'm guessing that any potential trauma to the kittens would primarily be from manipulation of the uterus, and exposure to the anesthesia.

A cat's uterus has two horns, and they would have started the spay with just one horn... so at least one horn of the uterus would probably have stayed inside the body. And they might not have manipulated any part of the uterus if they noticed the kittens quickly enough.

Anyway, I am not a vet... but I'm guessing the kittens probably have a chance. If any kittens die as a result of the procedure, this early in the pregnancy they would simply be reabsorbed.

If you want to find out for sure if the kittens are still living, she can have an ultrasound later on. Fetal heartbeats are visible at 3-4 weeks gestation.

Jcatbird gave some good advice as far as supportive care. She needs to rest and heal. Good luck!

 

[Jcatbird]

We crossed posts. It sounds like they made an incision that was not enough to remove the uterus but I can’t promise that. That would give the kittens a better outcome. I think they opened her and realized they had mistakenly thought she was not pregnant. I can’t be totally certain the kittens will not be affected but it sounds hopeful that mom cat was not fully opened, not under anesthesia for a long time. In this situation, that is better than having a more invasive incision. It’s going to be , wait and just take care of mom cat. As she progresses you may be able to determine more. If you are very worried, another vet could examine her or even get visual confirmation on the kittens. At some point you should be able to see movement by the kittens. If it were one of my kitties, I would be calling another vet for information and advice as to what is really needed now or during the pregnancy. I know most of us are in the middle of covid and individual issues but even anothe clinic might be able to provide assistance.

 

[tawnosaurus]

I would contact another vet pretty quickly to update them on the whole scenario. That way you will know anything you need to watch for or expect to occur. Keep an eye on the incision. Watch for and drainage, lethargy loss of appetite, excessive drinking or too little fluid intake, problems pooping or urinating, keeping her rain tucked under her belly, or odors there. Also, the incision may be red or puffy but if the redness spreads or becomes very bright or puffiness get extended out, you need to get her checked. Was she given pain medicine or any other medication? Make sure the cat does not lick or pull at the incision. Keep her quiet and content until that heals. No jumping around to play. I can’t quite understand why they could not figure out ahead of time if she was pregnant but at this point I would advise that if you use them again, make sure it is a Spay. I would go ahead and get lined up with another vet just to have backup on hand and to get any helpful information. I really feel that clinic could have better informed you. Have you ever had a cat that had kittens before? There are lots of great threads here that we can link you to if you need more information about that part. Please do keep us updated. If you get concerned or anxious, post back. Lots of people will be here to help in any way possible. Taking photos of her incision is a good way to keep track of healing if you can get her when she is relaxed and showing her belly.
sabian Thank you for showing me this thread!

Great suggestions thank you!
They very quickly if I remember correctly said they were going to give her something for the pain. She seemed pretty alert when I picked her up which was very soon after I know they stitched her back up, within the hour.

So far she seems to be pretty quiet and is content to just get head rubs and rest in one of her beds.

Great suggestion to document the incision with photos, thank you! She has eaten two very small meals but I am unsure if she has used her litterbox just yet. I'll continue to monitor her eating, drinking and litterbox use.

I do have a phone call in to another vet but I imagine I won't be hearing back from them until Monday, possibly Tuesday as that is when their office opens back up.

It has been ooof over a decade since I was involved with any cat that was pregnant and had kittens. Will absolutely consult more information here to continue to be prepared as possible.

 

[tawnosaurus]

It's hard to say. They wouldn't have cut off the uterus from its blood supply or severed it from the body, so I'm guessing that any potential trauma to the kittens would primarily be from manipulation of the uterus, and exposure to the anesthesia.

A cat's uterus has two horns, and they would have started the spay with just one horn... so at least one horn of the uterus would probably have stayed inside the body. And they might not have manipulated any part of the uterus if they noticed the kittens quickly enough.

Anyway, I am not a vet... but I'm guessing the kittens probably have a chance. If any kittens die as a result of the procedure, this early in the pregnancy they would simply be reabsorbed.

If you want to find out for sure if the kittens are still living, she can have an ultrasound later on. Fetal heartbeats are visible at 3-4 weeks gestation.

Jcatbird gave some good advice as far as supportive care. She needs to rest and heal. Good luck!

Oh wow, this really is great information, thank you. I honestly feel much better after reading this.
I was under the impression that they noticed very quickly there were kittens and called us right away.
I put a call into another vet's office - I will ask them if they can do an ultrasound in the coming weeks. My concern was if a kitten does die this early on are there any interventions I need to have done by a vet to help not only cat but remaining kittens.

 

[lutece]

Oh wow, this really is great information, thank you. I honestly feel much better after reading this.
I was under the impression that they noticed very quickly there were kittens and called us right away.
I put a call into another vet's office - I will ask them if they can do an ultrasound in the coming weeks. My concern was if a kitten does die this early on are there any interventions I need to have done by a vet to help not only cat but remaining kittens.

You shouldn't need to do anything if a kitten dies at this time. Normally, any fetuses that die before approximately 6 weeks gestation are naturally reabsorbed by the body, and don't cause problems for the mother or other kittens.

 

[Jcatbird]

Very early on a fetus can just be reabsorbed. Later on a kitten that does not make it can be passed without the others being lost. Nature has a great way of handling these things so good care and good nutrition are what she needs now. You would be amazed at what your calm and loving care can do now. Follow up with the vet and keep records of anything you want to ask about or notice. There are great threads on here about cat and kitten care you can read. We have some great kitten people on site so just post whatever questions come to mind.

 

[sabian]

Your welcome Jcatbird ! Thanks for showing up! You were the first person that came to mind and, I knew you would have helpful advice on something like this.

 

[tawnosaurus]

You shouldn't need to do anything if a kitten dies at this time. Normally, any fetuses that die before approximately 6 weeks gestation are naturally reabsorbed by the body, and don't cause problems for the mother or other kittens.

Fascinating! She is well before 6 weeks so I feel much more comfortable now with the situation.

 

[tawnosaurus]

Very early on a fetus can just be reabsorbed. Later on a kitten that does not make it can be passed without the others being lost. Nature has a great way of handling these things so good care and good nutrition are what she needs now. You would be amazed at what your calm and loving care can do now. Follow up with the vet and keep records of anything you want to ask about or notice. There are great threads on here about cat and kitten care you can read. We have some great kitten people on site so just post whatever questions come to mind.

So so helpful! Yes I have already been browsing different pregnant cat related topics on here just to be as informed as possible. I honestly was having difficulty finding some of this information so it is quite valuable to me right now.
Maude, the now we know mama cat, has been quite affectionate and keeping her calm her been easy.

 

[Jcatbird]

I am so glad that you are feeling more confident that she is feeling okay and keeping calm. Affectionate is a very good sign in a pregnant kitty. If you have any concerns or questions or need help finding any site info, many here would be glad to help. Please do keep us updated. I hope each day will bring more ease and progress into the situation. It could very well be that absolutely nothing has really changed. Kitties are very tough. Sending her pets and purrs!

 

[tawnosaurus]

Maude says thanks for everyone being so kind, encouraging and helpful!

 

[Jcatbird]

Tell Maude we all love her. She is a beautiful lady kitty!