After the first week, most incisions are healed enough to allow the skin sutures or staples to be removed. The edges of the incision are typically sealed together, there is no discharge and no pain associated with the incision, and the redness should be gone.
A healing surgical site will appear pink, without redness, noticeable swelling, odour or discharge. There may be some scabbing at the site. Some incisions will be closed with visible external sutures or staples while others are closed internally using sutures just under the skin.
Most spay/neuter skin incisions are fully healed within about 10–14 days, which coincides with the time that stitches or staples, if any, will need to be removed. Don't bathe your pet or let them swim until their stitches or staples have been removed and your veterinarian has cleared you to do so.
Absolutely no licking of the incision area is allowed! If your pet is going to lick or begins to lick their incision, they need to wear an E-Collar (plastic cone) for 7-10 days after surgery. A pet can pull out stitches easily which can lead much more damage. 2.
Sudden jumping or stretching can disrupt the healing process and may even cause the incision to reopen. Thankfully, few procedures require a significant crate or cage rest to help your cat recover, and most outdoor cats will be able to cope well with staying indoors for a few days as they recover.
You'll see some changes in your scar. It will go from looking thick, red, and raised to thinner, flatter, and more like your usual skin color.
The cone should stay on until the site is fully healed, and/or the sutures are removed. Most sutures and staples are left in for 10-14 days. Other lesions may take less or more time than that to heal completely.
If the cat has been overly active, she can break internal stitches which could be a problem. Any fluid drainage from the incision is abnormal and the cat should be rechecked by the veterinarian who performed the spay if possible.
If your cat chews or licks excessively, there is a danger of the stitches being pulled out or of infection being introduced into the wound.
Leaving the E collar on at all times is the best way to get your pet used to it. If you feel bad for your pet and take the cone off, then put it back on when you leave, your pet may take it as a punishment and may try to destroy it. Patients can eat, drink, pee, poop, and sleep with a cone on.
If you see a small bump at either end of the incision line, it may simply be the knot of the sutures underneath the skin, or where the vet closes the incision line with a technique called "burying the sutures." A cat's body will react to the suture, and some cats can react more than others.
Monitoring the Cat Spay Incision
Because of that incision, you shouldn't bathe your cat for 10 days after the surgery, Bierbrier says. And your cat licking the incision can cause infections, so you may need an Elizabethan collar—otherwise known as the dreaded "cone of shame"—to keep her away from it.
Healthy granulation tissue is pink in colour and is an indicator of healing. Unhealthy granulation is dark red in colour, often bleeds on contact, and may indicate the presence of wound infection.
RED: An open wound with predominantly red tissue within the base is likely moving towards healing. The red base means that healing is occurring, and that adequate blood flow and oxygen are being delivered. One caveat is that excessive red color surrounding the wound may be an indication of infection (cellulitis).
Recovery After Spaying Surgery
Most pets will start to feel better in 24 - 48 hours, but full recovery takes between 10 to 14 days. During this period you should aim to keep your pet calm and refrain from allowing them to jump, as this could cause the incision to reopen.
When your cat is spayed, the entire reproductive tract (including both ovaries and the uterus) is surgically removed. Therefore, your spayed cat no longer has ovaries, produces estrogen, or goes into heat.
Don't leave your cat alone during her first 12-24 hours post-surgery. This stretch of time is when your pet needs to closest monitoring for excessive bleeding or issues with urination. If, after the allotted time, your cat seems to be able to urinate without trouble, you can keep an eye on her as you go about your day.
What should the incision look like? The incision should normally be clean and the edges should be touching each other. The skin should be a normal or slightly reddish-pink color. It is not unusual for the incision to become slightly redder during the first few days, as healing begins to take place.
Some cats develop a firm, non-painful lump under the incision. This is inflammatory tissue forming around the suture buried under the skin. This will go away by itself in 2-3 weeks.
EXPECT SWELLING or a hard lump at the incision site. This is a normal reaction to the absorbable suture material. Swelling will disappear in 2 weeks.
As a short term solution, if you cannot keep the cone on and she is licking at the incision, then you can fashion something for her to wear to cover the incision, such as a small t-shirt. The other most important part after surgery such as this is keeping her confined to a small area.
Most cats should wear their cone for 5-7 days after neutering to avoid licking the incision. Most scrotal incisions heal very quickly. If an abdominal incision was necessary to remove retained testicle(s), then the cone should remain on for 10-14 days or until your cat's recheck examination to assess healing.
Your cat can eat and drink normally with a properly fitted E-collar. It may be cumbersome and messy at first but most cats quickly adapt. You may need to elevate or change the shape of the food and water bowls to make it easier for your cat to eat and drink.