kitten lethargic 4 days after spay

[Reneg]

My 4 month old kitten was spayed last Wednesday morning. Today is Sunday. When I picked her up she was very sleepy...couldn't hold her head up. By the time I got her home, she perked up and was still sleepy but, I expected that. She came home with an E-cone. I have kept it on her religiously....taking it off rarely and for only minutes at a time. If she began to lick, it went back on immediately. She has not gotten back to herself and today seems to be even more sleepy than the past three days. If you take the cone off, she seems to perk up some. She is eating, drinking and pooping and peeing regularly. Part of me wants to think she hates the cone so badly, that she would just rather sleep. The other part of me is a little worried. Her incision looks good. Seems to be healing very well. Any advice? Should I contact the vet in the morning or is sleepiness this far post surgery normal or ok? I have given her the pain meds as the doctor recommended. She is on Metacam every other day. Tomorrow is the last dose. I would appreciate any comments or advice! Thanks so much.

[Cleo]

I've never had to cone any of my animals so need to ask, is it going on too tight? I would definitely give the vet a call first thing in the morning. I'm not familiar with Metacam for a cat, only our dog so wonder if this could be making her drowsy?

Does the incision feel hot like it's infected? Does she feel like she could have a fever? Is she on antibiotics? In any case, try going without the cone for the night and most definitely call the vet first thing in the morning. If you feel she's really taking a turn for the worse during the night, get to an ER vet right away.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[Tina B and crew]

I don't know anything about the meds but that would be the first thing I suspect. I would hope your vet told you of possible side effects. I'd recommend calling the vet, and like Cleo said check the incision site for signs of infection. I had one cat that hated e-collars and she would become rather withdrawn when she had to wear one, almost sullen. When I'd take it off she was fine. Still, call your vet just to double check.

[Reneg]

Thank you both! She seems to be a bit more active this morning. I did however call the vet and am taking her in this afternoon, just to be sure. I will update you guys when I get home. Thanks again.

[Tina B and crew]

How did things go with the vet visit? I am hoping your kitten is feeling more herself today.

[Reneg]

Thank you for asking!! I didn't actually take her. She is bouncing back very nicely and is becoming more and more herself. I think she is bothered by her collar. I get to take it off of her tomorrow and I expect her to be fully herself when I do. Can't thank you guys enough for your concern. I'll let you guys know tomorrow how she is as a free baby! In the meantime, she is playing with her neon green mouse and moving about the house...that is good enough for me. Her eyes are alert now too!!!

[Cleo]

That's great to hear! Hope it was just the collar and she'll be back to herself completely once it is off. Why was she spayed so young? Four months is kind of young to have her spayed.

[Traci]

I can't stress this enough to cat owners. Whenever there has been any surgical procedure, vaccinations, etc, and the kitty has any reaction, NO MATTER HOW SLIGHT, it is imperative the vet is notified AT ONCE.

Infections at the incision site can occur with any spay (although not as common as one would expect), and this is true for any surgical procedure. This is why the vet gives the owner an instruction sheet upon release of the pet, and to call them immediately at the first hint of even the slightest sign of ill health or changed behavior. This can be an incision-related hernia, infection at the incision site, and even remnants of ovarian tissue left because the vet missed them. Infections can cause fever, anorexia, dehydration and are SERIOUS if not attended to by the vet immediately.

The e-collar may or may not have had anything to do with it. Granted if it was a hard plastic type, these can be prohibitive for tiny kittens trying to eat or navigate around the house and subsequently keeps their activity limited (any cat actually, generally hates e-collars but they are necessary in some cases to prevent licking, pulling out sutures etc).

The metacam could have been partially responsible for her malaise, and generally is not prescribed for young kittens. It is an NSAID-type medication and while useful for it's intended purpose (reducing inflammation, and reducing pain to some extent), it is still NOT labeled for repeated use in cats in the US. Only a one-time injection is approved for cats, and while it is used off-label for short-term oral medication use, (again, with useful and effective purposes), another type of pain medicine should have been considered for a kitten. Metacam is not a sedative, but it can have undesired effects, like nausea, GI tract disturbances, etc - it is a very potent and powerful drug.

Even though you think your kitten is doing better and more or less back to her usual routine, I strongly urge you to get a recheck for her immediately. An infection could still be brewing and you'll never detect it without a full examination plus examination of her incision site. It is INCUMBENT upon any vet who does a spay to recommend a recheck 5-7 days later - for suture removal of course, as well as to visually inspect the incision site for any signs of inflammation, scar tissue, leakage of infection, and to ensure overall health of the cat has not been compromised by a spay-related infection. Not all owners know what to look for, nor can they recognize visual problems.

So, please, get her back in for the recheck, your vet shouldn't even charge for it because most vets include it in the cost of the initial spay procedure. Even if he charges you, it's worth it to have peace of mind your kitten is in excellent health and not developing a hidden problem.

I'm not saying she has an infection, I'm saying you want to be sure she doesn't, or any other problem. This is good practice upon any vet doing a spay to require owners get a recheck within 5-7 days or sooner if problems develop.

In the future, please, do not wait days when you notice an evident problem or behavior change etc, call and make an appointment with your vet IMMEDIATELY.