Spayed 8 Month Kitten Discharge

[Lomond19]

Hey everyone, I adopted a couple of kittens a few months ago. I'm a little worried about one of the kittens and would be really thankful for your advice please.

They are 8 months old and spayed. This particular girl kitten was spayed a few days before she turned 7 months. She was meant to be spayed as soon as she turned 5 months old, but we had to delay her operation twice because she wasn't well enough for the GA. She previously had diarrea (giardiasis) but is all clear of that now and was spayed on 2 January. She hadn't gone into heat before she was spayed, or at least showed no signs of it.

I've noticed a small amount of vaginal discharge on a few occasions so I'm a bit worried. Sorry for the gross details, but at first I thought it looked slightly green but that was just in poor lighting. In proper lighting it doesn't look green. It's thick and white-ish, with slight yellow tinge. There is no odour.

I did call the vet when I first noticed it a few days before Christmas. The vet asked about the colour and if there was a smell. They said that based on the description they weren't worried, but if there's any change to call back. They said that it could be that she would soon be going into heat. There was no change in the discharge and still no signs of going into heat, so they were happy to spay her a week or so later.

She's recovered well from the operation and there's been no change in colour of the discharge and there's still no smell or anything. But I'm still a bit worried as I notice it maybe every second day.

Is this normal? I've read about pyometra so that's really worried me! Can that affect spayed kittens who haven't been in heat? Should I take her back to the vet? I took a couple of photos so maybe I should take those in, in the first instance?

I'm of course very happy to take her to the vet, it's just that I'm a little paranoid and have already taken both kittens for a couple of appointments for various reasons and it turned out to be nothing to worry about, so I don't want to put them through it just because I'm such a constant worrier!

Sorry for the long post and thank you for any advice!

 

[Willowy]

Pyometra is an infection of the uterus, so it shouldn't be possible in a spayed cat (I have heard of recently spayed dogs getting "stump pyometra" in the area where the uterus used to be, but I haven't heard of that in cats). It could be vaginitis. I'd take her in for a swab and culture. Discharge isn't normal.

 

[Lomond19]

Thank you for replying to my post so quickly! That's very helpful and reassuring about the pyometra.

I'm worried about the possible vaginitis. Is vaginitis in cats usually serious? I hope its something easily treatable with meds as she's already had such a horrible time of it with the giardiasis. I'm going to go and google it straight away!

I was surprised the vet was so relaxed about the discharge when I called previously, as I didn't think it was normal either, but I'm a first time cat guardian so very inexperienced about all this.

I'm going to call the vet now and ask to take her in. I hope they have an appointment available in the next couple of days!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

While vaginitis in cats isn't quite usual, it isn't rare, either. It is generally due to a bacterial infection which is easily treatable with medication. Very occasionally, there can be more serious underlying causes, such as tumors, but that is rare, and would probably have been noticed when she went in for spaying. I'm betting on a bacterial infection! Regardless of the cause, it's one of those "sooner rather than later" things.

Let us know what your vet says, and how your little girl is doing.

BTW...welcome to TCS! I'm so happy that you found us, although I hate that it is a health scare that brought you here! We'd love to get to know you and your kittens, so when you have a minute, go here New Cats on the Block and introduce yourselves! And we LOVE photos!

 

[Lomond19]

Thanks again for all the really helpful advice everyone.

Now that my kitten has been to the vets twice about this issue, I thought I'd give you an update. I'm sorry for not doing it sooner!

I originally took her to the vet, who examined her and then cleaned and flushed her using something, I can't remember what exactly. Vet advised me to keep and eye on and if it continues, to bring her back in for swabs etc.

I checked her everyday and also cleaned the area with boiled then cooled water on cotton pads. Unfortunately, I was noticing the discharge every day.

So the next week I took her back to the vets and updated them. It was a different vet this time and he also examined her.

She has lots of thick long hair so he shaved the surrounding area. He pointed out that she has two loose skin flaps, one of each side, on the outsides but close to the vulva. He thinks maybe the skin flaps and hair could be causing a build up of urine which could have caused a vaginitis infection.

He gave her a broad spectrum antibiotic injection which lasts two weeks. He advised me to monitor her to see if it continues or if returns after the antibiotic wears off.

I've also continued to monitor and clean the area until she goes back for the next appointment.

Next stage would be swabs and potentially another type of antibiotic I think he said.

If it is the skin flaps that are causing a bacterial reinfection, she may need to be sedated for a proper check and then potentially even a vaginoplasty to address the loose skin flaps

I'll keep you posted after next appointment. I'm so hoping that she doesn't need surgery as she's already been through so much for her age.

 

[Willowy]

Oh, wow, I've heard about that in dogs but not cats. I hope she doesn't need surgery!

 

[Lomond19]

Thanks W Willowy , I really hope so too!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Have a candle lit for the little girl! Keep us posted!

 

[Lomond19]

Thanks Mamanyt1953 !

I thought I'd post a quick update to let you know that I was carefully checking and cleaning the area with cooled boiled water and cotton pads daily, and everything looked fine for 5/6 days. Unfortunately, the discharge then returned though.

We're going to the vet again tomorrow so they will take swabs and hopefully get to the bottom of it. Fingers crossed, the treatment will be another type of antibiotic injection but surgery is still a possibility. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again for all the support and advice.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Let us know how Baby Girl is doing!