Whenever you or your cat undergo any surgical procedure, no matter how minor the procedure is, there is the risk of complications. Some of the most common post-surgical complications include,
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bleeding
- Infection
Having your cat spayed or neutered is crucial unless you are a breeder. Spaying and neutering are common surgeries that could present some possible complications, although rare.
Why Is My Cat Bleeding After Getting Neutered?
Neutering holds many benefits for your cat. Neutering helps to keep the pet population down. Refusing to get your cat neutered adds to the severe overpopulation and abuse of cats.
Neutering is the process of removing the testicles of male cats. Neutering your male cat means that this surgical process sterilizes your fur baby so it cannot breed. There are no reasons why you should not neuter your cat. There is a host of reasons why you need to neuter your cat. These positives are as follows.
- Cleaner cat and home
- Calmer cat
- No cat no longer seeks out a mate
- Decreases stress on the cat
- Eliminates urination throughout your house and yard
- Improves mood and disposition
- Show fewer fights with other cats
- Increases health of the cat
- Decreases the risk of prostate issues
After your cat is neutered and returns home, you may notice a small amount of blood in the incision area, which is not an immediate cause for alarm. Know that a slight bit of blood is normal but rare.
However, if you notice fresh blood pooling or your cat excessively licking the surgical site, you need to call your vet and follow their recommendations. Your cat should not bleed from the surgical site. If you notice blood, there may be a problem internally.
You can always tell if your cat is healing correctly at the surgical site. The incision is a healthy pink color. There should be no redness, swelling, discharge of any type, or noticeable odor. You may notice a scab at the site. Speak with your vet to determine if they used internal and dissolvable sutures, external sutures, or staples. Most vets use dissolvable sutures.
You must call your vet immediately if you notice any of the following after your cat returns home. These signs are also rare, but they do happen, cause concern, and may signal internal bleeding.
- Constant bleeding
- Pale mucous
- Distended abdomen
- Refusing to eat or drink
Cats are different in the healing process. It generally takes about seven days for a cat to heal from the neutering and recover completely.
- It also takes a few days for the cat’s body to eliminate the anesthesia given during the procedure.
- Your cat may or may not have a few episodes of nausea and vomiting after returning home, which is typical and generally attributed to the anesthesia.
- It takes about 48 hours for the cat’s body to expel the anesthesia.
- All cats (like humans) react differently to anesthesia.
Cats tend to lick wounds on their body, so it would be a usual approach for your vet to apply a collar around your cat’s neck for five to seven days. This collar keeps your cat from licking the wound and possibly causing a painful infection at the site.
Cats will try to pull and tug at the stitches to remove them. If the cat does this, the wound will reopen and cause massive bleeding and a risk of infection.
You can remove the collar for short intervals during meals and when using the litter pan. Keep your cat under your supervision only. However, the collar needs to remain in place for however long your vet wants your cat to wear it.
What To Do About My Cat Bleeding After Getting Neutered?
I was always afraid my cat would get litter particles into its wound. Your cat needs to continue using the litter box because you must monitor if they are pooping and peeing sufficiently. My vet recommended that I tear up small pieces of newspaper and scatter them through the litter pan. The newspaper helps the litter not to stick to the wound. I had my doubts. However, this worked well.
None of my cats needed abdominal surgery for neutering. However, if your cat does have an abdominal incision, you will want to use a litter pan with lower sides. It may be painful for your cat to get over the litter pan’s high side until the incision heals.
Neuter your kitten or cat between eight weeks and six months to lower the risk of complications such as bleeding. The recovery time is shorter, and there is less risk for hormone-related behaviors. These behaviors could include the following.
- Spaying
- Marking
- Mating attempts
- Cat cries
- Fighting with other cats
When you have your cat neutered, the vet will let you take it home the same day after recovering from the anesthesia. Some vets may keep your cat overnight for observation. Once your cat returns home, your responsibility is to,
- Monitor your cat for post-surgical complications.
- You should check the incision site several times daily and report any swelling, increased redness, or drainage.
- Make sure your cat continues to eat and drink. Not wanting to eat for a few days is not unusual due to the anesthesia. However, you must ensure your cat is drinking to avoid dehydration.
- Report bleeding
In a few of my male cats, I had to syringe feed them water a few times to get them interested in drinking again. Never do this if they are still nauseous and vomiting, which should wear off within 24 hours. Please let your vet know if nausea and vomiting continue after 24 hours. Cats become dehydrated quickly.
- Do not allow your cat to become overactive for up to seven days after surgery, as this can cause infection and bleeding. Ask your vet about how active your cat can be after surgery.
- Never allow your cat outside after surgery. Going outside increases the risk of bleeding and infection.
It is better to practice caution after your cat has surgery. Never hesitate to speak with your vet should you feel uncomfortable about your cat.
- Bleeding or other drainage in smaller or larger amounts
- Swelling
- Redness
- Reopening of the incision
- Pooping or peeing changes
- Inability to pee after 24 hours post-surgery (immediate vet visit)
- Difficulty pooping
- Sudden new behaviors
- Lethargy
- Refusing to eat or drink
- Nausea and vomiting that do not subside after 48 hours
Some of these symptoms can be due to anesthesia. It takes 24-48 hours for the body to remove anesthesia. When the vet orders specific medications after surgery, it is vital to give them as prescribed, but not if the cat is vomiting.
There are two methods for neutering a cat. However, there should be no bleeding or light bleeding after either procedure. Simple neutering takes up to seven days for complete healing. If your vet had to perform abdominal surgery, it takes at least 14 days for the healing process to complete pending no complications such as excessive bleeding.
Constipation is another risk that frequently occurs after a cat undergoes anesthesia. If your cat does a lot of pushing to move stool from the rectum, this could cause its incision to start bleeding. Speak to your vet before you take your cat home to see what they recommend to make it easier for your cat to poop.
Cat Lax helps to keep the stool soft and moveable, decreasing unnecessary pressure on the incision site. Ask your vet first to see if you should give Cat Lax to your cat.