Female pets, primarily cats and dogs, are often spayed to prevent them from breeding and bearing unwanted litters. While this is often the recommended mode of animal birth and behavior controls, there are sometimes complications accompanied with the spay operation. As with any surgery, mistakes can be made and undesirable consequences can happen when an animal is sedated and operated on.
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Anesthesia Complications
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According to the Placerville Veterinary Clinic, general anesthesia can pose a threat to your dog or cat while she is being spayed. Although vets typically use surgical monitoring devices to keep track of the blood oxygen level and pulse, they warn that carbon dioxide levels can rise without notice and put your pet's life in danger. While anesthesia is certainly necessary to keep your pet unconscious and out of pain during the procedure, always be prepared that something can go wrong.
Infections
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Biting and licking wounds are the natural reactions for dogs or cats that have just been spayed. According to Info Vets, stitches can pop out after surgery, either on their own or with the help of the patient's tongue and teeth. This can cause unnecessary bleeding and a potential infection, especially if the stitches get pulled or yanked out. To prevent this, many vets send the pet home with a lampshade collar, which makes reaching towards the hind end nearly impossible. However, it is up to the owner to keep this collar on the pet or monitor her while it's off to prevent accidents.
You or the vet might spot a local infection, which is an infection at the site of the surgery. This can include swollen and tender reddish areas around the incision as well as a cloudy discharge. Vets can typically treat the infection with an antibiotic, especially if the problem is spotted quickly and the animal is brought back to the clinic for treatment.
Drug Reactions
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Some pets might have adverse reactions to the pain killers or anesthesia a vet administers. In some cases, they might experience a fever or loss of appetite, begin vomiting or pass diarrhea. Long Beach Animal Hospital warns owners not to feed their pets too soon after the spay procedure to prevent this problem, and to limit contact with outsiders and children. Some pets tend to get restless after the surgery, and since the pain can be excruciating, they could potentially lash out and harm someone.
Long-Term Complications
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Your female dog or cat might have a long-term complication after being spayed. Info Vets warns that she might gain weight, as human females sometimes do after a hysterectomy. She might have difficulty urinating or being able to hold her urine until she is taken outside, also known as urinary incontinence. She might be less active and peppy than in previous months before the surgery. In some cases, these problems might not surface until a few years after the surgery.
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