Spaying your Cat

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No food after 7pm, the previous evening and allow only a modest drink (if wanted) in the morning.

Please arrive between 8am and 9am

General

The technical name for a cat spay is an ovarohysterectomy, which means the removal of the ovaries and uterus. You will, more commonly, hear people saying that their cat has been spayed or dressed.

  The operation is a one off procedure and is not reversible. Once your cat has been spayed she will never be able to have kittens.

  The main advantage is that your cat will not be able to get pregnant. Cats generally come into season around six months old and once at this stage, the cat is very good at getting pregnant. In addition, the behaviour of your cat will change and a normally content indoor cat will become disturbed and may try to escape from the house to seek a mate.

  Cats who come into season for the first time often look to the owners like they have developed some sort of painful ailment like a colic, with wriggling about on the ground, demanding of attention and crying out.

  Spaying lowers the risk of contracting Feline Leukaemia Virus, Immunodeficiency Virus and Infectious Peritonitis Virus. All of theses fatal diseases are believe to be spread, in part, by mating as well as through close contact e.g. fighting. Spayed cats are not mated and generally have less contact with other cats in the neighbourhood and therefore their risk of infection is decreased.

  Prevention of pyometra and ovarian cancers. As the majority of cats are spayed, these diseases are mercifully rare but are seen in the older, entire cat. There is also a reduction in the incidence and severity of mammary tumours. Mammary tumours or breast cancer is seen in the unspayed older cat and early spaying drastically reduces the risk. Mammary tumours are almost never seen in cats spayed at six months of age.

  Spaying, although a routine procedure for small animal veterinary surgeons, is a major operation, involving entry into the abdominal cavity. A small number of animals have problems with anaesthetics, the operation itself and with post operative haemorrhage. This can result from too much activity, dislodging one of the internal blood vessel ties. Surgical experience, good nursing help and careful supervision does reduce the risk but that risk cannot be totally eliminated.

  There is a higher proportion of overweight spayed cats compared to their entire counterparts. There is no doubt that a spayed cat requires less food for a given weight and activity level. We suggest reducing the amount fed by 15-20% immediately after stitches out. It is easier to increase the food for cats who loose a little weight than to diet those who have become overweight. We encourage weight checking and weigh your cat at each annual vaccination so that fine tuning of food intake can be made. With proper management, there is no reason for any weight gain as a result of spaying.

We feel that the ideal time to spay a cat is at six months old, although adult cats can be spayed at any time.

  We perform routine surgery on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays each week day and given a little notice we can usually accommodate a specific day to suit your schedule.

  We will ask you to withhold food from 7pm. the night before and take up all fluids first thing in the morning of the operation. It is important that your cat has an empty stomach for her surgery.

  We open at 8am. and normally admit day patients up to 9.00am but again we shall try to accommodate a later admittance if it helps you.

  Most cats admitted for spaying are fully healthy but we shall, after weighing, examine her thoroughly to establish whether there are any pre existing problems which might have influence over methods and materials used.  

Some such problems, however, cannot be determined by physical examination alone and we have the facility to perform a pre anaesthetic blood screen to determine whether there is likely to be an increased risk. We have a modern blood analyser for this purpose and results are available within 15 minutes, allowing any adjustments to be made in the anaesthetic protocol. Please ask for further details. A standard blood screen for animals under 6 years old costs £34.65. A more detailed analysis for animals over 6 years old costs £39.55.

As is routine in human hospitals, we can provide intravenous fluid support (a drip) for our patients. We believe this benefits all pets and allows them to make a stronger and speedier recovery. You may request this service on the consent form at a cost of £24.75

  We shall ask you, or an authorised adult, for written permission to perform the spay operation on your pet. We make time to guide you through the consent form so that we can explain any terms that you do not understand or are worried about.

  All pets undergoing surgery at Oak Tree Veterinary Centre have an analgesic (painkiller) as part of their premedication, so that they are more comfortable and therefore less frightened when they wake up.

  We allocate each pet a pen within our day care kennels, which are situated within our central preparation room. The pens are warm and sound insulated and each has a lightweight polyester fleece for warmth and comfort. All animals are within sight of the operating team, allowing prompt intervention, if required.

 Following induction of anaesthesia, all theatre cases are intubated to protect their airway and maintained via a modern gas anaesthetic system, featuring sevoflurane. the latest and considered best anaesthetic gas.

  All anaesthetised patients are monitored throughout, by the theatre nurse under the constant supervision of the operating surgeon.

  All patients have their own set of operating drapes and instruments. There is never re-use of drapes or instruments without them having been cleaned ultrasonically, packed and sterilised in our modern hospital standard autoclaves.

  We are as flexible as we can be, regarding sending your pet home and we do not have to discharge animals prematurely as we have ample comfortable accommodation for them and two resident nurses. When you collect your pet we shall give you full verbal, practical and written instructions on post operative care.

  Wounds do not normally require any attention except for you preventing your pet licking excessively at the wound, or removing the stitches. We have both anti lick products and plastic Elizabethan collars (like lampshades) for sale, to help you. We have to make a charge for re suturing wounds, often involving another anaesthetic, if stitches have been lost as a result of a lack of supervision.

  We normally remove stitches after ten days.

  When your cat is discharged you will receive instruction as to how to receive advice during the evening.

  We know that even the most minor operation may cause you considerable anxiety. We shall keep you involved all the way and we assure you that we shall give your pet individual and caring attention.

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