Neutering for male pets is termed 'castration' and involves surgically removing the testes. This is a short procedure done under general anaesthetic by your vet. No stitches are used and he will heal quickly. Male pets rarely have complications following castration and behave completely normally.
There are no stitches on the outside of the surgery site. All stitches are underneath the skin. These stitches dissolve, so there is no need to return to the Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic for removal.
In many cases, no sutures are placed over the incision. The incisions are either left open to heal on their own or closed with a small amount of tissue adhesive. An E-collar or bodysuit will prevent your cat from grooming the incision.
1. 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.
For neuter procedures, it typically takes your cat 5 -7 days to recover. It's important to monitor for any of the signs above and contact your vet if you notice any lingering or worsening symptoms. While they are healing, do not let your cat run, jump, or play with other animals. It is important that they rest.
A Cat's Recovery After Neutering
It's normal for cats to experience side effects as a result of the anesthesia and the procedure itself after being neutered such as discomfort, nausea, lethargy, and vomiting.
After being neutered it's normal for male cats to experience side effects from the anesthesia and the procedure itself including lethargy, nausea, vomiting, and discomfort. This makes it important to follow your vet's post-operative care instructions carefully, so your cat can recover as safely and quickly as possible.
Castration or neutering will change the odor, and may reduce the cat's motivation for spraying, but approximately 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females will continue to spray.
Once a cat is neutered the testosterone levels decline significantly within 24 to 48 hours. Allowing for some variation in how quickly this occurs, and traces of tom cat urine that may be "clinging" to the cat's urinary tract, tom cat urine odor should be barely detectable or gone within a week after neutering.
There is an animal-friendly alternative for the cone: medical protective apparel. The Medical Pet Shirt® protects and covers the pet's body after a medical procedure like neutering, during recovery, in case of skin problems or whenever protection is needed.
However, issues with tomcat roaming and fighting due to testosterone levels are greatly reduced after neutering, which could be perceived as an increase in affection.
"Do not allow your cat to lick or scratch the incision..." Do not allow your cat to lick or scratch the incision, as he may pull the sutures out and could introduce an infection into the incision.
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.
While they may be groggy from the anesthesia post-op, spayed or neutered pets won't know they've lost the ability to reproduce. They simply won't feel the desire, or have the capacity, to do so.
Current scientific evidence shows no medical or behavioral reasons to delay spaying/neutering of cats past 5 months of age, and there are population and health benefits to spaying/neutering cats before they reach 5 months.
To prevent irritating the incision, we recommend you purchase an Elizabethan collar (E-collar) to keep your pet from being able to reach the area with their mouth. These cone collars are the most effective protection against your pet causing trauma to their incision, and should be worn for 10-14 days following surgery.
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.
Alternatives to the “cone of shame” are inflatable collars, soft E-collars and neck brace collars. Try covering the wound with soft fabric secured by medical tape to prevent licking. Keep pets busy with other fun things to distract them from licking wounds.
Prevent your pet from licking the surgery site as licking at the incision can cause a painful infection. Your pet's E-collar should prevent him/her from licking. Please use the E-collar for seven to 10 days after surgery.
If your furry companion is on the smaller side, a “onesie” may be a good choice. Made of soft, stretchy fabric, this bodysuit covers cats and dogs beginning at the neck, along the body and over the hindquarters. There are holes for the legs and tail to pass through.
In the toss-up between the dog onesie vs. dog cone, the right choice will ultimately depend on the individual dog's situation. In general, a recovery onesie like BellyGuard is a great choice for dogs that are: Recovering from abdominal, chest, or spinal surgeries, or hotspots, rashes or injuries to the belly or back.
1. Use a Soft and Wide Cone on Your Cat. Having hard, tight plastic collars on your cat is the leading cause of distress and discomfort. However, if you use a cone made of soft and smooth fabric, the cat could have it easier to eat, drink, and even rest.
You can encourage your cat to move a little and access their bed and litter box while wearing the cone, to help acclimate them to the feel of the cone and how it affects their body awareness.
Cats hate the cone and it takes several days for some of them to adjust to wearing it . Just leave her alone, the more you try to calm her down only frustrates her more.