What You Need to Know Before Your

Cat's Upcoming Surgery

Many people have questions about various aspects of their cat's surgery, and we hope this information will help. 

It also explains the decisions you will need to make before your cat's upcoming surgery.

 

Is the anesthetic safe?

Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past.  Here at The Fox Valley Cat Clinic, we do a thorough physical exam on your cat before administering anesthetics, to ensure that a fever or other illness won't be a problem.  We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your cat. Our surgery handout explains this in greater detail.

No Description resized to 300 pixels widePreanesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia.  We recommend every cat to have blood testing before surgery to ensure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic.  Even apparently healthy cats can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing.  If there is a problem, it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. Cats that have minor dysfunction will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids during surgery.  If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.

We offer two levels of in-house blood testing before surgery, which we will go over with you when you bring your cat in.  Our doctor prefers the more comprehensive screen, because it gives her the most information to ensure the safety of your cat.  For geriatric or ill cats, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before surgery as well.

It is important that surgery is done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia.  You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery.  Water can be left down for your cat until the morning of surgery.

 

Will my cat have stitches?

For many surgeries, we use skin sutures that are visible and do not dissolve on their own. These sutures will need to be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery at no charge, we rarely use dissolvable sutures. With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge.  Most cats do not lick excessively or chew at the incision, but this is an occasional problem you will also need to watch for. If your cat cannot leave the incision alone then they will need either a baby onsie or an E-collar to prevent this. You will also need to limit your cat's activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.

 

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Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals.  Cats may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it.  Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed.  Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.

Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them.  Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before. For some procedures we administer a pain injection 10 minutes prior to surgery. For all declaws and other surgeries, the cats will get a transdermal pain-relieving patch that is kept on for 5 days following surgery. In most cases, if they are not sent home with a patch, then oral pain medication is given for 3 days. Any animal that appears painful will receive additional pain medication.

Injectable pain medications may also be used after surgery. Providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet.

 

What other decisions do I need to make?

While your cat is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as dentistry, ear cleaning, or implanting an identification microchip.  If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please call ahead of time.  This is especially important if the person dropping the pet off for surgery is not the primary decision maker for the cat's care.

When you bring your cat in for surgery, we will need 5 to 10 minutes of time to fill out paperwork and make decisions on the blood testing and other options available.  When you pick up your cat after surgery you can also plan to spend about 10 minutes to go over your cat's home care needs.

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your cat off and to answer any questions you might have.  In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions about your cat's health or surgery.

 

-Declaw- 

When?
Although it is possible to perform this surgery any time during a cat's life, Dr. Flatley will not perform a Declaw on any cat over 3 years of age.  We strongly recommend that it be performed as early in a cat's life as safely possible, usually at the same time of spay or neuter, which is as early as 4 months of age. The benefit to this is the one time use of anesthesia, versus two.

What is the surgery?
Declaw surgery is the removal of the bit of bone in your cat's toe (the last phalanx) where the cells that create the claw or toenail originate. The removal of this bone, results in the inability of the toenail to re-grow and form claws.

Discomfort?
There is some pain associated with this surgery; therefore, we use an injectable painkiller with this procedure. All declaws will have a Fentanyl pain patch applied during surgery.  This will deliver the pain medication continuously for up to 5 days after the declaw is performed. 


Your cat's feet will be bandaged following the procedure to control any bleeding and provide a cushioned pad during his or her recovery. These bandages are usually removed the following morning, and the surgery sites are checked before your cat is released from the hospital. Surgical glue is used to close the incisions, so there is no suture removal required.

Post-surgical Care?
We will provide you with a special type of litter to be used for the first 10-14 days when your kitty goes home. We recommend that you use this litter in place of your regular litter so that the clay or sand doesn't get stuck in the incisions and cause infection.

Your kitty should be kept in a small, confined area for the first 10-14 days and monitored for any amount of bleeding. The younger cat usually the quicker the recovery time.

 

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