Sick after getting spayed.

There's a back story too this http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41703

but you dont have to read it all I guess.

Basically my grandmom has one of Socks' kittens but takes her to a vet that I do not like at all. They ripped her off big time by charging 200+$ for the whole spaying thing when you can get it done for like less then half that at my vet. Righto, so I hate the vets office basically and it sucks and my mother agrees but my grandmom is being stubborn and wont switch to ours 'cause its like 10 more minutes down the road.


Anyways, Holly is sick now. Upper respatory infection + conjunctavitus. And shes got a fricking cone-thing on her head because the vet insisted she would rip out her stitches. Yes, I know cats tend to do that but it was just a little ridiculous.



I'm really really mad because I know it was the vets fault. Its a crappy vet place. I mean it /used/ to be kind of decent but then the staff changed and stuff and it just turned to crap.

I don't know what to do or anything. file a complaint? is there like a board of vet hospital inspectors? A healthy kitten suddenly turns sick after returning from a crappy vets office.

Can someone help me out and calm me down? I delieverd this kitten and don't get me wrong, I love my grandmom. But she does everything "the old fashion way" if you know what I mean. But i'm like about to take my cat back unless she changes to my vet. Is this wrong? I dont think it is. My vet is good and inexpensive and has been a vet for like 40 years and my grandmom knows him because she used to take my moms pets there when she was little. I want her to switch to him. My poor kitten is all messed up and its pathetic.

Missy = Perfectly healthy (but is not friendly)
Socks = Fat and healthy.
Maxwell = Perfect
Kasey = Perfect. Only one time from getting his rabies shot he had a reaction but it went away.


Holly = Sick twice (first time wasnt vets fault i dont think) and then all messed up from getting spayed. grandmom was charged a fortune. Has a stupid cone on her head that she keeps tripping over. Can barely see now because her eyes are swollen shut. Can barely breath. Looks like crap and just lays there.


Someone, anyone. Please. Calm me down or something. Shes on meds now but i wouldnt be suprised if the vet gave her the wrong medicine.

I don't want this vet office to close because they are right across the street for like mega emergancies and they are better then nothing, but they need to clean up their act!!

I don't see what you can do, since legally it is your grandmother who had the contract with the clinic. I'm not saying you're not right about their incompetence. You could complain to the professional association but they won't necessarily act unless you can provide pretty strong circumstantial evidence. I guess you need to work on your grandmother a little more - or not, since it sounds as she's determined not to even consider your objections. And of course, you need to keep an eye on that kitty!
The collar is probably a good thing at the moment; apart from the licking, it keeps her relatively immobile. They are so pitiful in them!
Unfortunately, animals catch things at the vet, or she may have been already cooking a bug when your grandmother took her in. Either way, red flags would be flying if it was MY vet, well-maintained clinics should have only the narrowest margin for error. And if they were really conscientious, they would treat kitty for free, but I bet that isn't the case.

Are you sure that the vets are at fault? Animals get sick. Being in the vet hospital probably didn't help matters, but it doesn't necessarily mean that she picked up her illnesses there.

$200 is what I pay for a spay. I know that it can be done cheaper, but it's not exactly a rip-off either. Some vets offer low-cost spays, some don't.

Are you sure that the vets are at fault? Animals get sick. Being in the vet hospital probably didn't help matters, but it doesn't necessarily mean that she picked up her illnesses there.

$200 is what I pay for a spay. I know that it can be done cheaper, but it's not exactly a rip-off either. Some vets offer low-cost spays, some don't.

It does seem unlikely that she develloped the URI and eye problems as a result of being spayed. It's more likely that they were minor, underlying problems before going in for surgery and went unnoticed.

And 200$ is reasonable to me, too. That's about what I paid.

That said, you are a client/customer and are entitled to finding a different service provider if you're not satisfied with your current one.

I think it depends re price what the normal rate is there. I paid $100 each for 2 Siamese and 2 Sphynx - and that included post op and also antibiotics. But it is the same vet I go to and that is about avg here. I suspect it may be different elsewhere. $200 is not uncommon in say for example, Boston. So ask around - call other vets and ask what they charge.

It may also depend - I have the same vet so she sees my cats and knows me and them. Tho you did say your grandmother does use the same vet, right?

And yes, alas, cats can get sick at the vets. I guess one of my litmus tets is whether a vet provides the cat with antibiotics - to prevent the possibility of infection since anything can happen during surgery and it is a place where there are other sick animals. Just as people can become ill in hospitals, cats can become ill lat the vets, especially f they may have been coming down with something before being spayed - which is why a blood panel and prior info is a good idea. If the $200 included the blood panel, I'd say that is a good price.

If you pay the bill, then you could change to another vet and maybe that is what you need to do if you do not want to use this vet. Otherwise, I think you'll have to either convince your benefactor (ie grandmother) that this vet is not effective -tho scientifically, one case will not cut it - you'd have to do more research I think and how you do that without a list of the vets patients, I do not know. Ask around maybe but that is hardly scientific!

Good luck in whatever avenue you choose - but I see those only two choices - pay for the procedures yourself (rause the money somehow) or be glad that your grandmother is paying.While I undersatnd your frustration, I think you are lucky your grandmother is so generous!

Sounds like there are a few medical/vet questions here:

Can you get a URI from a spay? Is it the vets fault?

Yes, you can get an upper respiratory infection from surgery and NO it is not likely the veterinarians fault. Technically it has little to do with the procedure an a lot to do with intubation. When a pet is under general anesthesia for a major surgery like an ovarian hysterectomy, they should have a tube in their wind pipe which helps provide: oxygen, additional anesthetic for patient comfort and a method to directly assist breathing if necessary. (side point: a lot of inexpesive spay/neuter surgeries bypass this). This tube can cause irritation, which can lead to some inflammation and opportunistic bacteria normally present in the upper airways collonizes this inflammation and the result ---- an upper respiratory infection. This is usually not the veterinarians fault and actually can serve as some proof that some proper anesthetic protocols were in place. It occurs uncommonly at our hospital and is rarely ever a problem since all pets are placed on antibiotics.

And for what it is worth, I charge more a bit more than $200 for spays. If anyone wants to go into the reasons for the high and low costs of spays - I can explain.

I hope this helps. Let us know how she is doing!

She had pre-op bloodwork where they determined there were no problems and then right after getting spayed she got super sick.

the cone is huge for such a little kitten and it drags on the ground and when she goes to walk anywhere she trips over it and rolls.

Shes on medicine still but she just is all gunky and sickly and its really sad. I mean she's probly got a huge vet bill so far and I just feel annoyed cause I got 4 cats fixed at my vets and they all turned out perfect. I even got 2 stray cats spayed at a 25$ clinic and they turned out fine as well. its only this place where the animals get messed up.

Kathryn, just because you've had 4 cats spayed successfully doesn't mean that the fifth one will be the same. Like Dr. Lee explained, there are different variables that can affect the patient during and after surgery.

Yep, she's sick right now and it's too bad, but she might have gotten sick even if she hadn't been spayed. Also, surgery is a huge stress on any animal (humans included), and I wouldn't be surprised if all of that stress could weakn an animal's immune system.

Be glad that she's being treated and is recovering :)