Sick after spay.

Dr. Marie replied:

What you have described has me worried. Any time a cat goes off of her food there is a medical problem. Given that she was recently spayed, there is the possibility that this is something serious.

Are you able to look at the color of her gums (i.e. by lifting up her lip)? If they look very pale pink or white then it is possible that she is bleeding internally. This is not common after a spay surgery but it can happen.

It's also possible that she has an infection inside of her abdomen. You may not be able to see any changes in her suture line. An infection will cause a fever which could cause her to be very lethargic and not want to eat.

Another possibility is if she has a problem with her kidneys. It's really uncommon but sometimes an animal's kidneys can be damaged if there is a drop in blood pressure during an anesthetic, or if they react to certain medications that would have been given during the surgery. It can sometimes take several days for a cat to start showing signs of illness after this happens.

There are other possibilities. If she wasn't recently spayed then I would wonder if she had eaten something toxic to her, or even something that has just caused some stomach upset. If she goes outside, then an infection from a cat bite or scratch could be the culprit. However, a sudden decrease in activity and lack of appetite is always something that has me concerned.

If there is any way at all that you can get her seen today then I would try to get this done! For some of these conditions (bleeding, infection, toxin), waiting another 24 hours would not be good at all.

I wish I had a more cheerful answer for you. I really hope she is ok!

By the way, you may find this article on help with veterinary bills useful.


Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, this is a good sign! As long as she wants to eat then I think you're ok to wait another day.

Did you get a chance to check her gums though? If they are white then I'd take her today...but it sounds like this is unlikely!

Dr. Marie replied:

While it does sound like she needs to be seen, I'm so glad to hear that she's making an improvement.

Feel free to update this thread after your visit tomorrow. I hope everything works out ok!