Whisper - Wild and Pregnant

[Country Cat]

They are home. Everything went well. They are a bit groggy. I’m trying to not allow them to jump up on anything but it’s hard. And no Elizabethan collars were given to prevent them from licking. I heard a T-shirt might be used? Anyone have experience with this?

 

[Sarthur2]

I’ve never used the eCollars. My cats hate them. If the stitches are internal on the females they really don’t need them. Male and female kittens heal very quickly. Mine were playing right away.

Mom may feel puny for 2-3 days. Did they send any pain meds home with her? I usually recommend it for 2-3 more days. Takes the edge off after such a surgery for adult females.

 

[Country Cat]

I’ve never used the eCollars. My cats hate them. If the stitches are internal on the females they really don’t need them. Male and female kittens heal very quickly. Mine were playing right away.

Mom may feel puny for 2-3 days. Did they send any pain meds home with her? I usually recommend it for 2-3 more days. Takes the edge off after such a surgery for adult females.

No pain meds were given. I’m not sure what kind of stitches they have. I just know they’re biodegradable. I can see where their tummy is sewed together but I don’t see any stitches. They told me to make sure there’s no running or jumping for two weeks. This is going to be impossible. They’ve already tried to jump up on furniture several times.

 

[Sarthur2]

They have internal, dissolvable stitches then. Just check the incision areas for redness, swelling, or pus. The females should have received an antibiotic injection also. If mom is in pain, call your vet for pain meds.

 

[Country Cat]

Thank you! I have them all in the crate for the night, so no running or jumping will occur, but they’ll have to wait for more food and water in the morning and potty time also. I tried to see if they had to go first. Hopefully they will meeeooowww if they need something. I’m not far.

 

[catsknowme]

Good job on getting them fixed! I personally don't use e-collars either because cats often perform all sorts of postures and machinations attempting to get them off. The stress and risk of physical injury are worse than play and jumping. My main vet is old school and doesn't offer post-op, at-home pain management either. Thankfully, the new clinic in town does although that clinic is unaffordable to many cat owners.

 

[Country Cat]

Cats are doing well. The female kitten has lumps at the incision sight but I’m assured it’s just where the knots are and they should disappear soon after the stitches have completely healed. On occasion I’ll have to put them in the crate because they go crazy running and jumping around the house. And I crate them at night and it helps too. I check their stitches twice a day. Everything looks good. We’ve actually been able to get some much needed sleep.

 

[fionasmom]

This is great news! It is definitely good to try to keep them calm, but I have released ferals (no other choice after overnight at the vet's) and watched them scale a wall with no injuries to the incisions.

 

[Country Cat]

Update: The cats are healed and doing great!
I also have a Triss Update: I thought she was getting better, feeding her by herself, but then she wasn’t anymore. She was very underweight, just skin and bones, and her fur was coarse. Then she was having diarrhea with blood. We had no choice but to take her to the vet.
Luckily the humane society, which paid for the spay & neuter, helped with the payment. It was $237 and we only had to pay $100. Still a lot, but much better and we able to manage it.
She is finishing up her meds this Thursday. They were not sure what was wrong, but said there could be a parasite they couldn’t detect.
She’s on Proviable and an antibiotic. They also gave her a topical flea and tic on the back of her neck. Today she is actually playing with her siblings. I haven’t seen her do that for a long time.

 

[Country Cat]

Triss got spayed last Wednesday. They gave her a cone and pain meds. It was a different place who did it.
As soon as she got out of the carrier, she ran and jumped up on the couch and then back of the couch, trying to get away from her cone. I took it off. She left her stitches alone so I just left it off.
A couple days later she threw up and went back to being stoned again. We thought she might have gotten into something.
My husband commented her stitch area looked red and inflamed. I put some Chickweed suave on it and the next day it was much better and so was she.
I knew it was safe because I used it on Whisper (momma cat) nipple that Triss had put a scab on. Healed it up in no time.
I still can’t get over how much more little she is compared to her siblings. If I ever get a pic with them together I’ll post it here. You’ll be amazed! Lemmy, the oldest, is HUGE! And only 7 months old.

 

[Country Cat]

Triss was refusing to eat and getting skinny. She was also falling when trying to walk and having what look like muscle spasms, so I took her the vet last Monday.
She has a heart mur mur and vet believes the muscle spasms are seizures. If she didn’t improve by last Saturday they suggested putting her to sleep so she wouldn’t suffer.
But she did improve, until yesterday. She refuses to eat and I’m having to syringe feed her.
She just threw up a lot of water with a bit of food.
But has had no more seizures. Though she is very week and can’t even jump up on the couch anymore.
What should I do?

 

[Country Cat]

 

[Country Cat]

Here is a pic of the three of them together, last month. Lemmy is in front, then Yennefer then Triss.

 

[Sarthur2]

I would see a different vet for a second opinion. She may need sub-q fluids, antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, and an appetite stimulant.

If she had seizures or muscle spasms she may need gabapentin.

I went through something similar with one of my cats. She had all the above meds and spent 2 weeks next to me on the couch. While regaining her strength I syringed Gerber turkey baby food at regular intervals, and in between I syringed unflavored pedialyte.

She grew strong enough to use the litter box and eventually started eating her own food again. She slept a lot while recuperating, but it does not sound like your cat needs putting down without trying to rehabilitate her.

Definitely get her to a different vet pronto for meds and fluids!

 

[Country Cat]

Thank you!

 

[fionasmom]

I agree about seeing another vet. Seizures are very hard to pinpoint as to cause, so getting one more opinion about that and the murmur is the best thing to do.

 

[Sarthur2]

She’s so young. I’ve had cats live years with heart murmurs.

 

[catsknowme]

Sending prayers and vibes that you find answers for Truss . My Maine Coon had a heart murmur and lived to be 16. I concur that a 2nd opinion is ideal although I understand the challenges of cost in vet visits, especially since I am working only part-time due to "long COVID" and several aging former ferals all need vet attention. I found an article online from a Pennsylvania cat vet which gives some good info:
Heart Murmurs in Cats | The Cat Hospital of Media

 

[Country Cat]

Sadly I don’t have the money to seek a second opinion. But she doesn’t have seizers. She hasn’t had any episodes since that one day. But she is losing weight and I’m having to syringe feed her.
We’ve stopped her antibiotics as they have a side effect of causing nausea and vomiting. Our vet said we can take her off for 48 hours and see if she improves. It’s been 24 so far and all she wants to do is sleep. I have yet to see a poo today.
If she doesn’t start coming around, blood work will be the next step. But she’ll have to wait till Monday. They will be closed till then.
Prayers please! Thank you!

 

[Country Cat]

I forgot to add she would have been a year old on the 10th of April.
My heart is so broken and I’ve cried so much yesterday. We are burying her this morning in my Aunts backyard. I still have grief over her. It’s going to take some time. I actually pulled her out from her mom as she was stuck half way though.
Prayers are most welcome.
Thank you everyone for your support and advice.