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stitches removed wound open
- Thread starter panda27
- Start Date
Poor little girl! That does not look right to me. Call the vet and see what they say. 
for quick healing.
for quick healing.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Good luck. I did wonder about the vet who left your girl that way, but I wasn't sure about saying so. I hope you find someone better this time.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
I'm glad she's feeling ok. Try not to stress...She needs you to be as calm and normal as possible. Hope the new vet is better than the last one 
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I am so sorry you are dealing with this. It definitely does not look normal, nor like it has healed properly. I work for a vet and our technicians always make sure to check the incision to make sure it is healed properly before removing sutures. The general consensus is usually leaving stitches in for 10-14 days. Is there a reason they took them out at 8 days? Has she been chewing or licking at the incision site? It sounds like you have taken the correct steps until you can get your kitty to a different vet.
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By reading your history, your 8 month old female had surgery 8 days prior to suture or staple removal, had gauze packed in her incision (never done for spay surgery by AVMA standards), and she had a dysphoric recovery at home, running into things while still under anesthetic effect. She had a prolonged difficult recovery from an unknown combination of injectable and inhalent anesthetic.
Knowing she had increased activity post-op, rather than lying calmly, she wasn't recovering in a very confined, limited space, and that she was dehydrated for 3 days after, her healing time will take at least the higher end of the normal range, 14 days. She should not have had her sutures/staples removed yet.
Keep her incision dry and clean. A cold compress, that is dry, will help with inflammation, but she will find this rather invasive and vulnerable, so she may not allow it. If she does, frozen peas/corn or a bag of ice, with a single ply of cloth in between such a pack and her skin, applied for 7 minutes, 3 times daily, can minimize inflammation. Keep her form scratching at the area, or licking the incision.
You and your cat would best be served by using a veterinarian elsewhere, even if further away. As a critical care veterinary nurse in the US, even well thought out, well performed spay surgery can lead to a sick cat, let alone the horrific process you describe. Owners should never hold or restrain their pet at the clinic. Professional staff should do this, so you don't get wounded. You paid for surgery; it's part of the service and ethical veterinary medical care.
Injecting the pet with anesthetic in front of you also should not have been done. This tells me they were not near oxygen supply, or emergency injectable drug supply, which they could need when administering anesthetic to a cat. She shouldn't have gauze sutured to her abdominal wall or skin. She should have had a ventral abdominal midline incision, meaning under her belly, between her hind legs, a 3-4 inch incision would suffice, down the middle of her abdomen, to successfully and aseptically perform a spay surgery, where her ovaries and uterus are removed and any blood vessels are ligated (tied off). This spay surgery is also called ovariohysterectomy.
She also went home too sedate, and too painful. There is no reason pain management couldn't be given the day of surgery. Poor drug selection or lack of knowledge of drug doses and combinations for cats is the only reason your ill-advised veterinarian wouldn't have controlled her pain. These aren't reasons, poor word choice. These are bad, poor, excuses. Respond with the name of her pain medication and the amount you are giving. If a syringe of suspension, give volume and concentration of the medication, be it metacam or buprenex. If tablet, give the dose, half vs whole tab for ex, and concentration, such as 3mg of onsior single tab.
Investing more time and money in your travel to a better veterinarian, with better reputation, reviews, and service overall would be a wise choice versus staying with your current, nearby veterinarian. Unfortunately, not all veterinary professionals are of high standard. This smaller town Thai vet may be closer, may be less costly, but such practices wind up costing pet owners more ultimately. Not to mention behavior problems... you're going to have a harder time convincing your cat to go into a carrier or come out at the vet after such a harrowing experience.
Many cat owners in the states travel hundreds of miles for a good, ethical, consistent veternarian they trust with their pets and their finances. Not all are of good standard here either, so some stay with their vet of choice even after moving many cities, or even states, away. They travel to them when conveniently back in town to see family or friends. Some will plan an extensive surgery with such a familiar vet where they once lived, far away, to save money or use better skill compared to where they currently live. For ex, I've had some patients come from the northeast because we were more economical yet still very experienced and well-practiced in the orthopedic surgery their pets need.
Call the vet you took her to when she was doing poorly by day 3 post-op, and describe an open, dehisced, but dry and clean spay incision. Describe the meds you are giving her and if she can have more of this medication, either higher dose, and/or more often dosing per day.
If you ever have trouble getting her to eat again, even if you waited the recommended 8 hours post anesthesia, and only offered small amount of water and wet food, she needs vet care immediately. Cats are at high risk for liver inflammation if they go longer than 24 hours without food. This inflammation leads to vomiting, dehydration, inflammation of other organs, and a cycle that takes much medical intervention to slow and gradually reverse.
Unknown if an option in Thailand, but finely pureed meat baby food, poultry, lamb, or beef, is a great buffet option after anesthesia, as well as whenever a cat's appetite is picky due to stress, antibiotics, or fever. You can always finely mince and mash the meat, grinding down as much as possible, with no herbs/spices/salt, and add a small amount of water for texture and moisture for GI tract.
Hope your girl is keeping calm and clean while you wait to have that incision closed for a few more days of good healing. Don't forget to respond about her pain medication. Good luck at your new vet clinic and follow up with any concerns. I check back as possible when not working overnights at my emergency vet hospital here in the US.
Knowing she had increased activity post-op, rather than lying calmly, she wasn't recovering in a very confined, limited space, and that she was dehydrated for 3 days after, her healing time will take at least the higher end of the normal range, 14 days. She should not have had her sutures/staples removed yet.
Keep her incision dry and clean. A cold compress, that is dry, will help with inflammation, but she will find this rather invasive and vulnerable, so she may not allow it. If she does, frozen peas/corn or a bag of ice, with a single ply of cloth in between such a pack and her skin, applied for 7 minutes, 3 times daily, can minimize inflammation. Keep her form scratching at the area, or licking the incision.
You and your cat would best be served by using a veterinarian elsewhere, even if further away. As a critical care veterinary nurse in the US, even well thought out, well performed spay surgery can lead to a sick cat, let alone the horrific process you describe. Owners should never hold or restrain their pet at the clinic. Professional staff should do this, so you don't get wounded. You paid for surgery; it's part of the service and ethical veterinary medical care.
Injecting the pet with anesthetic in front of you also should not have been done. This tells me they were not near oxygen supply, or emergency injectable drug supply, which they could need when administering anesthetic to a cat. She shouldn't have gauze sutured to her abdominal wall or skin. She should have had a ventral abdominal midline incision, meaning under her belly, between her hind legs, a 3-4 inch incision would suffice, down the middle of her abdomen, to successfully and aseptically perform a spay surgery, where her ovaries and uterus are removed and any blood vessels are ligated (tied off). This spay surgery is also called ovariohysterectomy.
She also went home too sedate, and too painful. There is no reason pain management couldn't be given the day of surgery. Poor drug selection or lack of knowledge of drug doses and combinations for cats is the only reason your ill-advised veterinarian wouldn't have controlled her pain. These aren't reasons, poor word choice. These are bad, poor, excuses. Respond with the name of her pain medication and the amount you are giving. If a syringe of suspension, give volume and concentration of the medication, be it metacam or buprenex. If tablet, give the dose, half vs whole tab for ex, and concentration, such as 3mg of onsior single tab.
Investing more time and money in your travel to a better veterinarian, with better reputation, reviews, and service overall would be a wise choice versus staying with your current, nearby veterinarian. Unfortunately, not all veterinary professionals are of high standard. This smaller town Thai vet may be closer, may be less costly, but such practices wind up costing pet owners more ultimately. Not to mention behavior problems... you're going to have a harder time convincing your cat to go into a carrier or come out at the vet after such a harrowing experience.
Many cat owners in the states travel hundreds of miles for a good, ethical, consistent veternarian they trust with their pets and their finances. Not all are of good standard here either, so some stay with their vet of choice even after moving many cities, or even states, away. They travel to them when conveniently back in town to see family or friends. Some will plan an extensive surgery with such a familiar vet where they once lived, far away, to save money or use better skill compared to where they currently live. For ex, I've had some patients come from the northeast because we were more economical yet still very experienced and well-practiced in the orthopedic surgery their pets need.
Call the vet you took her to when she was doing poorly by day 3 post-op, and describe an open, dehisced, but dry and clean spay incision. Describe the meds you are giving her and if she can have more of this medication, either higher dose, and/or more often dosing per day.
If you ever have trouble getting her to eat again, even if you waited the recommended 8 hours post anesthesia, and only offered small amount of water and wet food, she needs vet care immediately. Cats are at high risk for liver inflammation if they go longer than 24 hours without food. This inflammation leads to vomiting, dehydration, inflammation of other organs, and a cycle that takes much medical intervention to slow and gradually reverse.
Unknown if an option in Thailand, but finely pureed meat baby food, poultry, lamb, or beef, is a great buffet option after anesthesia, as well as whenever a cat's appetite is picky due to stress, antibiotics, or fever. You can always finely mince and mash the meat, grinding down as much as possible, with no herbs/spices/salt, and add a small amount of water for texture and moisture for GI tract.
Hope your girl is keeping calm and clean while you wait to have that incision closed for a few more days of good healing. Don't forget to respond about her pain medication. Good luck at your new vet clinic and follow up with any concerns. I check back as possible when not working overnights at my emergency vet hospital here in the US.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
Hi thank you for responding, I took her to a different vet first thing this morning! The wound was infected it was cleaned and I was giving this ointment (ill put a picture up when im home) that I need to apply everyday then cover the wound. I'm still finishing her current antibiotic there's 2 days left.
she was actually very agressive in the surgery, I think she's definately traumatised from all this experience. She knows straight away where she is!
She's completely happy eating normal and seems perfectly fine! I have the little (I call it a straight jacket) jacket thing which she hates getting it put on but it stops her licking
I'm also getting some thai's to help me report the vet to a relevant authority! I'm so upset how my cat has been treated I feel so terrible I wish I didn't get her neutered at all.
Also the vet told me to come back in 7 days to get stitches removed
she was actually very agressive in the surgery, I think she's definately traumatised from all this experience. She knows straight away where she is!
She's completely happy eating normal and seems perfectly fine! I have the little (I call it a straight jacket) jacket thing which she hates getting it put on but it stops her licking
I'm also getting some thai's to help me report the vet to a relevant authority! I'm so upset how my cat has been treated I feel so terrible I wish I didn't get her neutered at all.
Also the vet told me to come back in 7 days to get stitches removed
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
This is the ointment to put on the wound I've no name for it but maybe you recognise the colour!
the medication she was given is finished unfortunately in thailand they always (for humans aswell) just give you pills in a plastic bag but also written in thai. One was called Baytril 15mg I don't know what the other one was but it was one pill I had to give in 1/4
Her antibiotic is called vibravet 100 paste which she finishes tomorrow
the medication she was given is finished unfortunately in thailand they always (for humans aswell) just give you pills in a plastic bag but also written in thai. One was called Baytril 15mg I don't know what the other one was but it was one pill I had to give in 1/4
Her antibiotic is called vibravet 100 paste which she finishes tomorrow
