Cat Just Spayed: Pain Management?

The vet's office says pain management medicine following my (foster) cat's
spaying this morning is optional. They recommend it, but recognize that some
parents of cats do not think it's necessary. Can people post quickly their
experience with this?

Also, can anyone make suggestions for a home-made Elizabeth collar, should
my cat start licking at her incision? So far she has not, and the tech who
called to report on her surgery said that means she likely will not, but I
want to be prepared.

Thank you.

Had many girlcats spayed over many years; never gave any of them "pain
pills"....they slept heavily for a couple days, I remember. For God's sake
don't give her aspirin.
AFAIK, vets use a different suture type on belly incisions for cat
hysterectomy (spaying) that cat can't rip out as easily as those put in for
a wound....ask your vet.


"Elle" wrote in message
k.net...
The vet's office says pain management medicine following my (foster) cat's
spaying this morning is optional. They recommend it, but recognize that
some
parents of cats do not think it's necessary. Can people post quickly their
experience with this?

Also, can anyone make suggestions for a home-made Elizabeth collar, should
my cat start licking at her incision? So far she has not, and the tech who
called to report on her surgery said that means she likely will not, but I
want to be prepared.

Thank you.

On Fri 20 May 2005 02:29:54p, Elle wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
nk.net):

The vet's office says pain management medicine following my
(foster) cat's spaying this morning is optional. They recommend
it, but recognize that some parents of cats do not think it's
necessary. Can people post quickly their experience with this?

I would go with the pain management. Just buy some to have on hand
because if she's in pain, you'll know it. My Scarlett was spayed in
January and the pain meds they gave her just before coming home
wore off and she was in pain. Moving very slowly and crying. I
called the vet to ask about pain meds, but it would have been
better to already have them on hand.

Also, can anyone make suggestions for a home-made Elizabeth
collar, should my cat start licking at her incision? So far she
has not, and the tech who called to report on her surgery said
that means she likely will not, but I want to be prepared.

Scarlett didn't have an e-collar for the spay incision and she
picked at it some, but not enough to worry over. They used surgical
glue for the external incision, and internal sutures. She did end
up having a bad reaction to the internal sutures, but that's a
whole other story and it wasn't something that happened immediately
following the surgery.


--
Cheryl

"The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited
breath."
- W.C. Fields

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Hopitus and Cheryl. I just got back
from picking up my newly spayed, little foster cat. Given that I am also
caring for a cat with a mending broken leg, I needed the cat who just got
spayed to be as calm as possible. So I rolled the dice. For peoples'
reference: It was only $12 for five, daily, oral liquid doses, the first to
be given tomorrow. The medication is called "Metacam," a.k.a. "Meloxicam."
From a quick google, it's some kind of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, used
also for arthritis pain or other surgical-related pain.

So far she's not licking the incision. I have her in the pen to which the
other cat was previously confined, and they are chatting relatively calmly
with each other now through the bars.

Sounds good so far! No doubt she has "sore belly" but the other cat may
distract her attention and they could be comparing each others pain levels
for all we know. Hope
she's back to her old self soon....


"Elle" wrote in message
k.net...
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Hopitus and Cheryl. I just got back
from picking up my newly spayed, little foster cat. Given that I am also
caring for a cat with a mending broken leg, I needed the cat who just got
spayed to be as calm as possible. So I rolled the dice. For peoples'
reference: It was only $12 for five, daily, oral liquid doses, the first
to
be given tomorrow. The medication is called "Metacam," a.k.a. "Meloxicam."
From a quick google, it's some kind of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory,
used
also for arthritis pain or other surgical-related pain.

So far she's not licking the incision. I have her in the pen to which the
other cat was previously confined, and they are chatting relatively calmly
with each other now through the bars.

On Fri 20 May 2005 05:57:47p, Elle wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
nk.net):

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Hopitus and Cheryl. I just
got back from picking up my newly spayed, little foster cat.
Given that I am also caring for a cat with a mending broken leg,
I needed the cat who just got spayed to be as calm as possible.
So I rolled the dice. For peoples' reference: It was only $12
for five, daily, oral liquid doses, the first to be given
tomorrow. The medication is called "Metacam," a.k.a.
"Meloxicam." From a quick google, it's some kind of
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, used also for arthritis pain or
other surgical-related pain.

So far she's not licking the incision. I have her in the pen to
which the other cat was previously confined, and they are
chatting relatively calmly with each other now through the bars.




I'm so glad you got the pain med. $12 is very reasonable. Having a
pal nearby might help her stay calm through her healing.

I hope she finds her onetruehome soon! Bless you for fostering. I
couldn't do it for long. Too hard to let them go. I kept my last
foster cat, Shamrock.

--
Cheryl

"The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited
breath."
- W.C. Fields

Elle wrote:
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Hopitus and Cheryl. I just got
back
from picking up my newly spayed, little foster cat. Given that I am
also
caring for a cat with a mending broken leg, I needed the cat who just
got
spayed to be as calm as possible. So I rolled the dice. For peoples'
reference: It was only $12 for five, daily, oral liquid doses, the
first to
be given tomorrow. The medication is called "Metacam," a.k.a.
"Meloxicam."
From a quick google, it's some kind of non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory, used
also for arthritis pain or other surgical-related pain.

So far she's not licking the incision. I have her in the pen to which
the
other cat was previously confined, and they are chatting relatively
calmly
with each other now through the bars.

Good luck with them both- keep us posted.

-L.

Elle wrote:
The vet's office says pain management medicine following my (foster)
cat's
spaying this morning is optional. They recommend it, but recognize
that some
parents of cats do not think it's necessary. Can people post quickly
their
experience with this?

Also, can anyone make suggestions for a home-made Elizabeth collar,
should
my cat start licking at her incision? So far she has not, and the
tech who
called to report on her surgery said that means she likely will not,
but I
want to be prepared.

Thank you.

purrs

I'm so glad you got the pain med. $12 is very reasonable. Having a
pal nearby might help her stay calm through her healing.

I hope she finds her onetruehome soon! Bless you for fostering. I
couldn't do it for long. Too hard to let them go. I kept my last
foster cat, Shamrock.

--
Cheryl

One of the vets here offers take-home pain meds as an "option"... at
$20. Of course most people are going to take it. But IMO, that's
emotional blackmail. I'm not sure exactly what the drug was, but it was
*one* tablet. I do know that you can buy a whole crapload of human pain
meds for $20.

Sherry

wrote:

One of the vets here offers take-home pain meds as an "option"... at
$20. Of course most people are going to take it. But IMO, that's
emotional blackmail. I'm not sure exactly what the drug was, but it
was
*one* tablet. I do know that you can buy a whole crapload of human
pain
meds for $20.

Sherry

Probably Torb. But $20 is steep. Most cats don't need pain meds for
when they are home - they usually get a shot of Torb before they are
sent home. If an animal is older or pregnant, then they may get meds
for home use.

-L.