Spay Complications for a Cat

The benefits of having your cat spayed are many. The procedure eliminates the chance of pregnancy, should your cat ever accidentally find her way outdoors. It reduces breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. And it stops female cats from going into heat. Spaying is a relatively safe surgery with few complications. Understanding the complications that can occur from having your feline spayed, however, is an important part of pet ownership.

  1. Hemorrhage

    • "The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book" cites hemorrhage as the most common spay complication. It suggests that hemorrhage is most likely in cats who are in heat at the time of surgery. Hemorrhage is unlikely in healthy cats who have been vaccinated and dewormed.

    Damage to Ureters

    • Damage to the ureters can result from spaying your cat. The ureters are the tube-like organs that move urine from your cat's kidneys to its bladder. "The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book" says this is a rare complication. If it does occur, corrective surgery is needed.

    Left-Behind Ovarian Tissue

    • In some cases, a veterinarian may not remove all of your cat's ovarian tissue. This is extremely rare, but can occur if the veterinarian fails to identify all of the tissue during surgery. If this complication occurs, your cat will appear to go into heat again. To correct left-behind ovarian tissue, your cat will need a second surgery. This is typically done while your cat is in heat so that the veterinarian can identify and remove remaining tissue.