Feline Spay

Spaying is performed in female cats and is the procedure where the ovaries (ovariectomy) +/- uterus are removed (ovariohysterectomy). Check with a vet when the most appropriate time to spay your cat is.

Your cat will need to be checked over by a vet before to ensure they are well enough for their operation.
They will need to have been starved overnight, be up to date with worming cover and the surgery site kept clean prior to the operation.
Your cat will be in for the day with us (dropped off between 8:30-9am) and go home the same day providing there are no complications.
Your cat will be given an anaesthetic agent and will either have a mask or a breathing tube down their trachea (windpipe) to deliver oxygen and anaesthetic gas. The underside of the abdomen (belly) is clipped and an incision is made. The ovaries +/- uterus are removed. The tissue and skin are closed with suture material. Most of the sutures are under the skin but sometimes sutures are left on show.
At our clinic we perform abdominal spays (on the underside of the belly) whereas some clinics perform flank spays (on the side of the belly).

Prevention of pregnancy
Prevention of heat and associated unwanted behaviour
Prevention of ovarian and uterine cancer
Prevention of the uterus becoming filled with pus (pyometra), this is life threatening
Can reduce the risk of mammary cancer if performed before 6 months
Population control

Anaesthetic risks – as with any anaesthetic there is a degree of risk associated. If your cat is otherwise healthy this risk is very small. However, it is possible for your cat to develop hypotension (low blood pressure) in the procedure, have an adverse reaction to the medication used, regurgitate under the anaesthetic which can lead to oesophagitis (inflammation of the oesophagus) aspiration pneumonia (food or liquid breathed into the airways) and even death.
Procedure risks – whilst a very common operation, there are some risks associated with a spay. This includes haemorrhage, failure to remove the entire ovary and ligature failure.
Post op risks – Risks include infection at the wound site, wound breakdown, swelling, bruising, herniation and haemorrhage.
Long term risks – The calorie requirement in a spayed cat is slightly less and therefore they are more likely to become overweight (reducing their food by 10% after the spay is a good starting place).

The recovery period after the procedure is 2 weeks. A nurse or vet will see your cat in 3-5 days after the procedure and 10-14 days to check that the wound is healing well.
It is important in this time to ensure their normal activity is restricted.