Make the howling stop
July 5, 2011 2:57 AM Subscribe
Options after failed cat spay.
My cat Gidgette was spayed at 6 months. She subsequently had a heat cycle. My vet at the time said that was normal. Gidgette then went on to have two more cycles. The vet gave her an injection of some sort of kitty birth control. Fast forward one year and a move from Ulsan to Daejeon. Gidgette is in her second heat cycle. I visited my vet with her this morning and he wouldn't give the injection. He insists on me taking her to the larger general vet hospital.
So, YANV, YANMY... what are the possibilities of stopping the heat cycles. These are full blown with yowling, rubbing and clear vaginal discharge. In contrast, it seems like Ivory goes through similar cycles but all she does is get very affectionate and rubs up against me.
The only thing I've noticed that's out of the ordinary is that she's gaining weight. When she had her shots a few months ago she was 5 kilos. Now she's 5.6. I measure her food. I don't give treats. And she can't get at Ivory's food as Ivory's is on the top of the refrigerator and Gidgette doesn't jump.
And so I don't break the mefi pet question rule... Gidgette and Ivory
My cat Gidgette was spayed at 6 months. She subsequently had a heat cycle. My vet at the time said that was normal. Gidgette then went on to have two more cycles. The vet gave her an injection of some sort of kitty birth control. Fast forward one year and a move from Ulsan to Daejeon. Gidgette is in her second heat cycle. I visited my vet with her this morning and he wouldn't give the injection. He insists on me taking her to the larger general vet hospital.
So, YANV, YANMY... what are the possibilities of stopping the heat cycles. These are full blown with yowling, rubbing and clear vaginal discharge. In contrast, it seems like Ivory goes through similar cycles but all she does is get very affectionate and rubs up against me.
The only thing I've noticed that's out of the ordinary is that she's gaining weight. When she had her shots a few months ago she was 5 kilos. Now she's 5.6. I measure her food. I don't give treats. And she can't get at Ivory's food as Ivory's is on the top of the refrigerator and Gidgette doesn't jump.
And so I don't break the mefi pet question rule... Gidgette and Ivory
My female cat is spayed and has never had anything resembling cycles. Nor have my parents' female cats, also spayed. Nor have any other spayed female cats of my acquaintance. I'll second Heretical and suggest that you need a new vet, pronto.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:31 AM on July 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by thomas j wise at 4:31 AM on July 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: It's two different vets.
The one in Ulsan did both spays. She told me that a pseudo estrus cycle was normal (I asked about the rubbing and neediness of Ivory). She made me wait until Gidgette had gone through I think 4 cycles before she would give the hormone shot.
My current vet in Daejeon wouldn't give the shot at all.
I guess my only option is to go to the vet hospital and hope they have something other than respaying Gidgette. The first time was traumatic enough for her (licking out stitches and the cone of shame).
I just don't know what to do to make Gidgette feel better. Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing, but she seems so miserable.
posted by kathrynm at 4:39 AM on July 5, 2011
The one in Ulsan did both spays. She told me that a pseudo estrus cycle was normal (I asked about the rubbing and neediness of Ivory). She made me wait until Gidgette had gone through I think 4 cycles before she would give the hormone shot.
My current vet in Daejeon wouldn't give the shot at all.
I guess my only option is to go to the vet hospital and hope they have something other than respaying Gidgette. The first time was traumatic enough for her (licking out stitches and the cone of shame).
I just don't know what to do to make Gidgette feel better. Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing, but she seems so miserable.
posted by kathrynm at 4:39 AM on July 5, 2011
Just guessing, but it sounds like they missed some tissue with the first spay. And it also sounds like I would find a vet who can do the surgery right. Good luck.
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:38 AM on July 5, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:38 AM on July 5, 2011 [5 favorites]
I would second bolognius in wondering if they missed some tissue, leaving part of an ovary in there. I haven't seen this myself, but I have heard of it happening.
posted by baggers at 6:16 AM on July 5, 2011
posted by baggers at 6:16 AM on July 5, 2011
Yeah, I've also heard that if they miss some of the tissue with the spay, then they cats will still go in heat.
I'd find a vet I trust (maybe not this new guy...) and talk them them, perhaps having a second surgery performed to remove any remaining tissue. It might be your only option even though yeah, it can suck while they're healing with the stitches and all. Still, it's better than dealing with the repeated heat cycles. But only a competent vet will know for sure. And depending on how snitty I feel towards the first vet who botched the first attempt, I'd complain loudly and maybe even ask for my money back.
Gorgeous kitties, by the way! Please give them head scritches for me!
posted by cgg at 8:42 AM on July 5, 2011
I'd find a vet I trust (maybe not this new guy...) and talk them them, perhaps having a second surgery performed to remove any remaining tissue. It might be your only option even though yeah, it can suck while they're healing with the stitches and all. Still, it's better than dealing with the repeated heat cycles. But only a competent vet will know for sure. And depending on how snitty I feel towards the first vet who botched the first attempt, I'd complain loudly and maybe even ask for my money back.
Gorgeous kitties, by the way! Please give them head scritches for me!
posted by cgg at 8:42 AM on July 5, 2011
I have heard of some people requesting vets to leave the ovaries intact during a spay, so it's not a radical hysterectomy like in a normal spay. I can't imagine a vet would have done that intentionally as a default, but it is, apparently, manageable.
According to this goonily illustrated article about dogs, she may have had a third ovary, or excess ovarian tissue that the vet might have missed, but (at least in dogs) there are noninvasive tests to check for that.
I don't know anything about options for stopping the heat cycle that I didn't just look up now, but based on that stuff I just looked up now, it appears that the risks of hormone birth control (and of having the parts) are considered greater than the risks of spay.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:46 AM on July 5, 2011
According to this goonily illustrated article about dogs, she may have had a third ovary, or excess ovarian tissue that the vet might have missed, but (at least in dogs) there are noninvasive tests to check for that.
I don't know anything about options for stopping the heat cycle that I didn't just look up now, but based on that stuff I just looked up now, it appears that the risks of hormone birth control (and of having the parts) are considered greater than the risks of spay.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:46 AM on July 5, 2011
When we had my childhood kitty (sorry no pictures) spayed we had exactly the same problem. We took her to another vet who had to spay her again. The monster who did the job the first time not only left part of her ovary in (causing the heat cycle) but he caused all kinds of damage that left massive amounts of scar tissue. The poor kitty. The new vet wasn't able to get all the remaining ovarian tissue out because the scarring was so bad. It was actually good that we took her back in because the new vet was able to clean up some of the mess.
After the second surgery things were much better for Snowball and while she did act weird at times there was no more yowling and discharge.
(Your animals are beautiful BTW!)
posted by TooFewShoes at 9:57 AM on July 5, 2011
After the second surgery things were much better for Snowball and while she did act weird at times there was no more yowling and discharge.
(Your animals are beautiful BTW!)
posted by TooFewShoes at 9:57 AM on July 5, 2011
Yeah something went wrong with the spay! Get her to a vet that will do it properly...poor kitty!
btw, what breed is Ivory? She looks just like a stray I took in (the big round eyes, tufted feet, bushy tail), with the exception that mine is pure black, not white.
posted by Eicats at 2:20 PM on July 5, 2011
btw, what breed is Ivory? She looks just like a stray I took in (the big round eyes, tufted feet, bushy tail), with the exception that mine is pure black, not white.
posted by Eicats at 2:20 PM on July 5, 2011
Response by poster: Sounds like the answer is to get myself to the larger vet hospital and have her evaluated there.
Eicats: She's a pure Turkish Angora. But that pic is after her shave was growing out. (Stubborn cat won't let me brush her). Here is she before she was shaved the first time. She's sitting in the bathroom window no less... Cats are weird.
posted by kathrynm at 4:44 PM on July 5, 2011
Eicats: She's a pure Turkish Angora. But that pic is after her shave was growing out. (Stubborn cat won't let me brush her). Here is she before she was shaved the first time. She's sitting in the bathroom window no less... Cats are weird.
posted by kathrynm at 4:44 PM on July 5, 2011
Best answer: She may need a hormone assay done to determine what the actual problem is. I would actually see if you can get to a veterinary college or a repro specialist vet.
posted by biscotti at 7:19 PM on July 5, 2011
posted by biscotti at 7:19 PM on July 5, 2011
Response by poster: My vet referred me to a university vet hospital here in Daejeon. I think this is going to have to wait for her next heat cycle as this one is winding down. That and currently I'm in daily physical therapy which takes about 2 hours of my morning.
Thanks all for the support.
posted by kathrynm at 7:06 AM on July 6, 2011
Thanks all for the support.
posted by kathrynm at 7:06 AM on July 6, 2011
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Were Ivory and Gidgette spayed by the same vet? Have you been sticking with this same vet the whole time?
I'm currently leaning toward thinking your vet is, frankly, stupid, and did the procedure wrong. I have limited experience with girlkitties though, so I don't know if yours is an actual occasional 'normal' effect because as I said, KittyHeretical doesn't have that problem.
posted by Heretical at 3:58 AM on July 5, 2011