Cat Spay Information

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Spaying your cat is one way of contributing to the good health and long life of your pet and preventing increases in the population of unwanted pets. The customary age for spaying a cat is 5-6 months of age, but the procedure can also be performed on older pets.
In order to protect your pet and other pets in the hospital, we require that all cats be current on vaccinations for Rabies and Feline Distemper. They also need to have had a negative fecal exam, feline leukemia test, and FIV test. We require pre-anesthetic blood testing for anemia, diabetes, kidney, and liver disease. These diseases can affect the amount and type of anesthetic used. A pre-anesthetic physical exam will be performed. If fleas or ear mites are noted, your cat will be treated to prevent spread to other patients or contamination of the surgical site.
The spay (or ovariohysterectomy) involves removal of the ovaries and uterus through an abdominal incision. The pet is under general gas anesthesia and the procedure is performed in a sterile operating room with a warm water pad and monitoring equipment. Injectable pain relief medications are also administered as part of the pre-anesthetic, post operatively, and the day following the surgery. We place an intravenous catheter and gi
We place an intravenous catheter and give intravenous fluids during the procedure which helps your pet recover more quickly from the anesthetic. As with any general anesthetic, there is always a small chance of complications. Most cats are ready to go home the evening of the surgery. Some cats require skin sutures and some are given a buried line of sutures just below the skin. If your cat receives skin sutures a suture removal appointment should be scheduled for 7 to 10 days post operatively.