What Shots are Given When a Female Cat Is Spayed?

When your female cat is spayed, she is likely to receive several shots at the same time. Some of these injections will be optional and some will be required as part of the surgery. Many veterinarians and feline guardians choose to give cats any necessary vaccinations at the time of surgery, while others feel it is better to give these at a later or earlier appointment.

  1. Anesthetics

    • Your cat will likely receive a few pain injections throughout her surgery.

      Your cat may receive several tranquilizer and pain injections. The first is given as a pre-anesthetic injection to help calm the cat before the main anesthesia is given, and it will also have some pain-relieving effect. Following this injection, anesthetic gas may be given or a second injectable anesthetic may be administered. Following surgery, a final pain injection is likely. The pain injection most often given to cats is Ketoprofen. A ketamine/Valium combination is often used for anesthetizing a cat.

    Blood Draw

    • A needle may be used to draw blood for testing when your cat is spayed.

      While not technically a shot, a needle may be inserted into your cat’s lower leg to allow veterinarians or veterinary technicians to draw blood. Blood may be drawn before surgery for any pre-anesthetic testing or if a feline leukemia/FIP test is conducted at the time of surgery.

    Antibiotics

    • Many clinics give a female cat a precautionary antibiotic shot after spaying.

      Some veterinary clinics follow the spaying of a cat with an antibiotic injection as a precautionary measure. The most common medication used for this purpose is Poly-Flex, a broad-spectrum penicillin often used for post-surgical infections.

    Vaccinations

    • Vaccinations may or may not be given at the time of your cat's spaying.

      Some veterinary clinics may require that you update your cat’s vaccinations at the time of surgery, others may strongly recommend it, and others may recommend that you make an appointment before or after the surgery for vaccinations. If your cat is vaccinated at the time of surgery, shots may be given to administer the rabies, panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus vaccinations. Non-core vaccinations your veterinarian may recommend, and which may be given at the time of surgery, include feline leukemia, chlamydia, feline infectious peritonitis, dermatophytosis and Bordetella vaccinations.