Pet related: Tell me if I'm crazy or not - Update in Comment

[meshimeshi]

Hey guys!!! I don't know where else to turn but to the Seattle Nexties expertise.

Lola, my kitty, was spayed yesterday. There are two vets at my clinic, one that is awesome and we love, and one that is stupid. The one that we don't like is the one that briefed us when we picked her up. She didn't give any information really....except "limit movement".....She also told us to pick up this antibiotic cream to put on the wound once a day.

We get her home and find out that she has this giant bandage with ace type material wrapped around her middle....it's driving her nuts. Stupid vet didn't tell me anything about her even having a bandage on, so I was surprised. I try calling the vet...over and over...no response.

I turn to Dr. Google and find a lot of terrible information....things like the intestines breaking out of the wound if she licks the wound, etc. etc. I find one thing about a cat with a bandage and decide it's okay to remove it, so we do. Figure we have to put the cream on there anyway, so we should def remove it.

Then she starts licking and biting at the stitches so I'm freaking out because now Dr. Google makes me think her intestines are going to start falling out. I'm scared so we keep trying to avoid having her lick it, but know that it's impossible really. More vet calling...nothing.

We go to sleep. In the morning, I see only two stitches and I'm pretty sure there was 3 last night....but it doesn't look like her insides are falling out, so I don't super panic...We keep getting mad at her when she licks and bites the area. We try a cardboard cone of shame, she's got it off in two minutes...... Fast forward to about an hour ago....now there is only one stitch left. Looks okay still though. Wound seems sealed, but wtf. I'm still afraid. Still trying to call the vet with no answer....

What do I do? Am I freaking out for no reason? Maybe the stitches are just supposed to fall out this soon? Maybe it's fine? Should I just pack her up and head down to the vet to get some answers, or just keep trying to endlessly call?

My vet is a clinic where you just walk in and get a number, so I know I won't get a vet on the line, but I'm not even getting an answer today. Yesterday I got through and asked for a doctor to call me back....they called back when I was napping today because I'm sick, and my volume was off. Urgh. Idk......

Do you have more experience with this? Right now, she's just sleeping so we're good....I just don't really want to wait until it's an emergency situation and I'm pissed at stupid vet for not giving a new pet owner more information. UGH. I should have never checked Dr. Google either....

[spa]

Can you get her a recovery suit or cat cone? If she was spayed yesterday the wound has not healed very much so if you can't get either of those I would recommend putting the cream on the incision point and then wrapping it up, you really don't want them chewing at the stitches.

I am sure they used skin glue in addition to stitches so I wouldn't worry about her ripping out the wound all together.

[meshimeshi]

Well, we looked at her maybe 30min after I made this post, and the wound was splitting open, so off the the vet we went.

They sedated her and resutured her, gave her a new bandage. It wasn't stupid vet, so that's good. This vet told us to leave the bandage on, so we'll do that this time.

Ugh so stressful. At least I'm on spring break, so we can keep close watch on her. Stupid cat.

-I'm using the app!

[fayeelle]

Glad you made it in. It was definitely the right call. Hope she is doing well.

TBH the bandage is really, really strange. You want air on the incision so it can dry out/heal otherwise it stays too moist (like when you put a bandaid on) I've never seen a vet do this in 15 years so I'm side eyeing it. For the last 8yrs vets have either used surgical glue or "buried" the sutures especially for this reason with cats.

There are still 2 layers of sutures underneath the skin ones so its difficult for them to get through both layers. However...this does and has happened (I have seen this and its terrible).

ETA-never put anything topical on stitches or get them wet. This will cause them to dissolve earlier.

[toratoratori]

Glad she's doing okay now. Sorry you had to deal with stupid vet! I would file a complaint or leave a bad Yelp review. Or both.

[meshimeshi]

Mar 22, 2015 14:13:34 GMT -5 fayeelle said:

Glad you made it in. It was definitely the right call. Hope she is doing well.

TBH the bandage is really, really strange. You want air on the incision so it can dry out/heal otherwise it stays too moist (like when you put a bandaid on) I've never seen a vet do this in 15 years so I'm side eyeing it. For the last 8yrs vets have either used surgical glue or "buried" the sutures especially for this reason with cats.

There are still 2 layers of sutures underneath the skin ones so its difficult for them to get through both layers. However...this does and has happened (I have seen this and its terrible).

ETA-never put anything topical on stitches or get them wet. This will cause them to dissolve earlier.

Yah I know.....my google research told me this too...so I was also side-eyeing it.... but there is not much I can do. I live in a country where 1) they haven't caught up with the 21st century. We like to think we live in approx. the 70s around here. and 2) a country where pets are not really a thing so even finding a vet is rare. A lot of times they don't even have what we need because things have to get imported.

So maybe I should try to get some sort of e-collar for her and take the bandage off in a day or so? The vet didn't have a collar her size, they were all too big. We're going to check this pet store and see if they have one...

[meshimeshi]

Oh also, the one thing that drives me most nuts about Saudi is they close down businesses for prayer time. They don't do this in any other Middle Eastern country...but here, five times a day, businesses shut down for at least 30min, up to an hour or more for the prayer times.

When we showed up to the vet, it was prayer time. I was pissed. Normally, they will let you in at this clinic, but today they were closed and wouldn't let me in. I was fuming by the time I got in.....

Ahh, life as an expat...

[spa]

Glad you made it in though! Hope it all goes better from here on out.

[Deleted]

Poor kitteh! Poor Meshimeshi and Mr. Meshi!!
I would try to find a cone for sure. If you can't then I would try to leave the bandage on for a few days so the skin can heal up a little more (I'm sure its itchy) and prevent her from pulling at the sutures a bit longer.

[FrozenSunshine]

I hope kitty heals quickly.

[meshimeshi]

We woke up this morning and the darn cat has the bandage off and we can't find it anywhere. We only had our room and the bathroom open so she couldn't get anywhere else. This crazy cat...

-I'm using the app!

[Deleted]

Hopefully your kitty feels better soon!

[InBetweenDays]

How frustrating, but glad you got her in for new sutures. And hopefully she will continue to heal!