When your pet has had surgery at the Animal Clinic at Thorndale, we want to be certain that everything goes well once your pet goes home. If you have any questions or concerns, we are available to help you and your cat. Many questions we can answer with a simple telephone call. Others we may ask you to bring your cat back in for a recheck examination.If your cat is recovering from major surgery, he or she will require continued nursing care at home in order to ensure a successful outcome. Your job in the recovery period at home is just as important as the procedure just completed.
This care at home mainly entails restriction of activity because your cat does not understand the significance of the recovery period. It will become very active in a short period of time, and confinement indoors by you is of the utmost importance! This entails:
- No jumping or running
- No stair climbing
- No playing with other pets
- No “rough-housing”
In general, your cat should not go outside the house for 10-14 days, until sutures are removed. If this was an orthopedic procedure, the restriction will be much longer. If your cat is to be left alone, it must be confined to a cage or other small area. This strict confinement must be continued during the entire convalescent period. Excessive activity often leads to re-injury or serious complications that may result in failure of surgical sutures or necessitate a repeat operation. This means additional expense to you and added discomfort to your cat.
Observe the incision daily for signs of redness, swelling, discharge or excessive licking. The incision should look better daily. Please do not hesitate to call if any of the above occur. We have available various sizes of protective collars to keep your cat from licking the incision. Licking usually leads to chewing out sutures, which can occur in a matter of minutes. Call us as soon as possible if this occurs because this can result in an infection that is difficult to treat and may require hospitalization.
In general, your cat should improve gradually each day. If it suddenly worsens, please call us as soon as possible. Our goal is to help your cat return to a normal and pain free life. Please call if you have any concerns.