neutering questions!

[JBalways2000]

So AJ and Raven are booked in to be neutered on monday. i know its just a routine op and im sure everything will be fine but i still cant help worrying like mad already. ive been told they will both be health checked before it being done which is good. ive mentioned before that i worry about Ravens breathing, even though 3 or 4 vets have now told me that there is nothing wrong with him i still cant help but worry about him with the anaesthetic.

i have been told not to feed them after 8pm the night before but i wondered if it would be ok to give Raven some rescue remedy the morning of the op? he just gets very stressed out even if we hold him when he doesnt want to be and isnt very people friendly so im getting so worried about how he will be with a complete stranger(the vets)

any tips on how to keep him calm? i will be sending him off with a blanket with our smells on for him carrier but other then that is there anything i can do?

oh, and is it ok that they will be going in seperate carriers? they are far too big for me to bring them together in one now but didnt know if it would stress them more being apart from each other.

can you tell im worried?:oops: :lol:

[Mags]

I'm sure your boys will be fine and it is quite normal for you to worry over them.

Personally I would check with your vet to see if it would be alright to give him Rescue Remedy on the morning of the op....:?

My Cassie is also an extremely nervous cat and isn't people friendly either. She was perfectly alright when she was spayed, also when she was hospitalised for a week, a few years ago.

The vets know just how to handle nervous cats, most likely the vet nurse will give him a lot of fuss and attention and he will be just fine.;)

I wish you, AJ and Raven all the best for Monday...:D

[dinahsmum]

All the best from me too - they'll be absolutely fine, I'm sure, and ready for all the fuss you will give them when they come home.
Next morning they will have totally forgotten about it.

[whiskey]

im sure your babys will be fine they bounce back really quick my daisy was in yesterday when i got her home it was as if nothing had happend good luck kittys:)

[JBalways2000]

Thanks for that everyone, has made me feel a little bit better to know how well others have came through it. im the same every time one of my animals needs an op, but for some reason im even more nervous about my boys!

i just hate to think of poor Raven being scared, but your right im sure the nurses deal with cats like him every day and know just how to make him feel better:)

i might ring about the rescue remedy still though.

will have to make sure the boys nails are trimmed for monday, Raven is a nightmare to do but he also rips you to pieces if you try and hold him:shock: hes sweet when he wants to be though(hes my baby:smt049 always comes to me for his fuss:D ) will have to try and catch him when hes asleep!:lol:

[Elaine]

Best to ask about the RR. How do you normally give it to them? It may be possible to rub a drop or two on the ears but always best to ask.
Wish them all the very best xxx I am sure they will be fine xxx

[JBalways2000]

Best to ask about the RR. How do you normally give it to them? It may be possible to rub a drop or two on the ears but always best to ask.
Wish them all the very best xxx I am sure they will be fine xxx

ive never actually given them any rescue remedy so not sure how you usually give it-that was going to be my next question:lol: it was recommended to me when i got the new kittens to calm down my older boys but i never needed to use it then.

[Elaine]

Oh ok, I asked because some people add it to food or water which would obviously be a definate no no for the op.
You can also rub a wee drop or two onto the tips of the ears but i dont know if that would be safe to do before the op or not so best to ask.;)

[Amber]

It's only natural for us to worry when our babies go in for op's - even the simplest of one's! When my Max was castrated I was awful - and it was even worse the fact that it was me monitoring his anaesthetic :-D

Anaesthetics are safest when the stomach is empty, so do not feed AJ and Raven after 8pm the evening before the operation, and keep them indoors so that they cannot get food elsewhere (or escape so you can't catch them in the morning :lol:) you will not need to restrict access to water unless otherwise instructed by your vet. With the rescue remedy, I would contact your vet for advice, but I would be more inclined to use something such as a Feliway spray instead.

Transport them both in a secure basket. The basket needs to be easy to clean, and not so large that the cats fall about in them - for getting cats in and out, a top opening basket is by far the easiest.
Ideally the box should be regarded as part of the furniture at home, so that it doesn't become a signal for a stressful journey. Get the carrier to smell familiar and reassuring - put some clothing in that smells of the cat's favourite person, spray the basket and contents with a Feliway spray if you have one about half an hour before you leave, and wipe a soft cloth around your cat's faces to pick up the scent, and put this in the basket. You can also rub this around the carrier especially in the corners.
If your cats panic at the sight of the carrier, try to get them in safely and gently at the first try. Have the carrier close by but out of sight. Wrap the cat in a thick towel (preferably one which smells familiar) and pop them (and the towel) in quickly so that they cannot grab the carrier and get into a struggle.
Keep the basket covered with a blanket/towel during the journey as this will help them to relax.
Secure the carrier in the footwell behind the front seat or strap in using the seat belt.
Drive carefully so that the carriers are not thrown around and avoid loud music. Talk quietly and reassuringly and stay calm yourself - cats are great at picking up tension from their owners!
Try to avoid rushing and bumping the carriers against your legs as you carry them into the surgery.

Your cats will be admitted into the surgery, and checked to ensure that all is well before the operation and you will be asked to sign a consent form - this is a good time to ask questions and raise any concerns you may have. Your vet will either phone you once the operation has been completed, or give you a time to call for an update. Once the health check is completed, they will most likely have a pre-med which normally consists of a sedative, and a painkiller to relax them and help them through the induction period.
They should be kept in for a few hours after the operation until they have recovered from the anaesthetic.

On returning home they are likely to be a little quiet and may be unsteady on their feet. They will probably have a shaved area on their legs aswell as the operation site from the IV catheter. It is important that they don't lick at the operation site - if this happens contact your vet who should be able to supply you with a buster collar. check that the wound is not red, swollen or oozy, and make sure that any medication is given as instructed.
Your vet will probably advise that you keep them indoors for at least the first night, and they will appreciate a quiet, warm place to sleep.

Remember that the nurses and vet will be used to handling nervous cats - they see them every day :D they will make sure that everything is handled in a safe, and as stress-free way as possible.

Sorry for the long post I do waffle when I get going :-D

[Mags]

Thank you for that very informative post Amber........... that will certainly help to put cat owners at ease when their pet needs to go in for an op .....:smt023

[JBalways2000]

Wow Amber, thankyou so much for that information its really helped make me feel better about it(though of course im still worried:oops: )

i tried to find the feliway but im guessing its only sold in vets? oh and i will be taking them to the vets by train but will be sure to cover both carriers to avoid any stress from the journey. we are going to try and get an early train so as to avoid the morning rush with them too.

i have a couple of blankets ready with our smells on but will also do as you suggested and get a cloth to wipe around their own faces and put in the carrier with them.

i gave them some tuna at around 7pm and poor AJ is walking around crying at the moment wondering where his food has gone bless him.

right all that is left to do now is clip their nails(havent been in most of the weekend so havent had chance to attempt it yet-i predict sore arms coming up:shock: ) and then snuggle down with them!

i shall update tomorrow to let you know how they got on-keep your fingers crossed for my boys everyone!:D

[dandysmom]

Sending good vibes for Monday; I'm sure they'll both be just fine, but we ca'nt help but worry, can we? ((hugs)))

[Fran]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow although I am sure everything will be fine ;)

I have bought Feliway online before and found it to be cheaper than my vets...

http://www.vetuk.co.uk

Thinking about the boys tomorrow, please let us know how they get on x

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou both, and thanks for the link Fran think i shall have to get some feliway anyway as Raven can get stressed at times so this would help.

talking of Raven, just tried to do his nails and we were greeted with hisses and scratched as soon as he saw the clippers:? no way im going to be able to do them tonight now-do you think the vets would clip them while hes under tomorrow? he never used to be this bad but the last couple of times ive clipped them hes gotten worse and worse-any tips for the future anyone? AJ was a breeze as always-those pair are like chalk and cheese!

[babycakes]

Good luck today JB hope all goes well as I'm sure it will do X

[Amber]

Hey :D how are they doing today?

I bet they'll be pleased when they get their dinner tonight!!

[dandysmom]

How did it go today?

[JBalways2000]

Sorry i havent updated you all sooner, i have had such a long and exhuasting day!

everything went absolutely fine!:D i was told they both really behaved themselves and they seemed happy to see us-Raven has been attention seeking so much since getting them home:lol: both are now neutered and chipped so thats something to cross off the ever growing list! lol

i did ask them to clip Ravens nails while he was there as i explained he didnt like me doing it, but i have to admit that im disppointed with it as they barely took any nail off(i could have done that! lol) and they charged me £8 for the pleasure:roll: its lucky everything else was so darn cheap! but if anyone has any nail clipping tips i would appreciate it.

is it right that they shouldnt have their normal food? i did bring some with me so they could offer it to them when they came around but i was told they wont be able to have it for a day or two and i was sold some hills prescription i/d. they definately like the hills food so im not complaining but wondered if this is how all vets do it?

the main thing is that its all over and i can stop worrying-until i have to do it all over again in a few months when the kittens are old enough for the same:shock: :lol:

oh, one last thing. they have been licking/washing the area quite a bit and we try to stop them when we see them doing this but obviously its impossible to stop them completely. i was under the impression that they have no stitches to bother anyway, but could be wrong? is it ok to leave them to it or should we keep stopping them?

Thanks again everyone for all your reassurance, advice and well wishes-they all helped tremendously!:D

[dandysmom]

I am quite surprised that your vet wanted them to have special food! Did they say why? None of my boys ever had to do that after being neutered....odd...
But I'm happy to hear they're home and well; I don't have any advice about the washing of the parts as none of mine did that; hope someone else here will have a word of wisdom for you......I gather they didn't give you any Buster collars in case? I do think that's a wee bit stiff for minimal claw-clipping, however...

[chrisratty]

Really glad the boys have come through the op ok, have been thinking about them today. give them a cuddles from me...not forgetting my boys as well.

chris xx

[MrsH]

When my Jason had his "bits" removed, he didn't have a lampshade collar thing but he didn't inspect/wash the area either so he didn't need it.

My vet "gave" me some of the Hills as it was more easily digested post-operatively than standard food. Well that's what he told me anyway, I'm sure the price was hidden in my bill somewhere, nothing comes free!

[Amber]

Glad everything went ok with the boys today!

It is normal for the vets to prescribe you a special diet for the next few days.

After an anaesthetic, the digestive system can become slightly upset and make the cat feel rather sick (much the same as with humans!). The Hills i/d is a highly digestable food which is ideal for after an operation.

At my vets, we advise feeding a bland diet such as boiled chicken/boiled white fish after an anaesthetic, or give our clients the option of having a prescription diet such as Hills i/d or a/d, or Royal Canin Sensitivity Control.

Over the next couple of days, you are better to feed smaller meals than normal and more often, as it is easier on their digestive system.

Just be aware that they may vomit on their first evening home as an after effect of the anaesthetic. This is nothing to worry about but it should not persist.

The effects of the anaesthetic (drowsiness/shivering) will wear off in the next 48 hours. Just make sure they have somewhere nice and comfortable to curl up in this evening.

[Amber]

Also try to discourage any licking at the wound site. Although they do not have any stitches, they can still make it sore and risk possible infection by licking eccesively. Cats carry an awful lot of bacteria in their mouths, which is quite often why wounds become infected.

Vets do not normally give Buster Collars as standard after castration, but I would highly advise getting one from your vet if they are licking.

[dandysmom]

That's interesting, Amber. Maybe customs are different on this side of the Pond; my girls never had to eat special food either. But then again, it has been quite a while since I had a cat in to be neutered; perhaps it's different now......

[Amber]

All vets have different opinions, but the majority in my experience advise a bland diet or prescription food after anaesthesia / sedation :D

[Fran]

That's interesting, Amber. Maybe customs are different on this side of the Pond; my girls never had to eat special food either. But then again, it has been quite a while since I had a cat in to be neutered; perhaps it's different now......

Nope, none have mine have ever needed a special diet following anaesthesia either eileen ;)

[dandysmom]

All of mine, boys and girls, were bouncing around quite normally, eating like little pigs and didn't show any anaesthesia groggyness..??? Except my Siamese boy, Su-ling. who played up the operation for all it was worth, bless the little ham! He walked up the stairs to the bedroom oh so slowly as if he were in great pain...he knew how to push mom's buttons! He got extra TLC, extra treats, and the first upstairs litter tray and water bowl...I was well trained...:-D

[babycakes]

Denis drank lots of water following but no special diet. He left little drops of blood wherever he sat for the first day or so but he was chirpy and no prbobs X

[JBalways2000]

thanks for the responses everyone. i have been keeping a close eye on the incision sites on both boys and everything seems fine but i will watch for infection.

they are eating normally now,i did start them with the hills i/d food and slowly weaned them back onto their normal. one of the boys had the runs once but other then that both have been fine:D

thanks again for all the replies-i will be coming back to read over this thread when the kittens go for their neutering in a few months!:lol: