Last Monday I took my kitten to get her fixed. The surgery apparently went fine and she recovered very quickly. She has been eating fine and active all week, no signs of pain or lethargy. However the day before yesterday I noticed some "pooching out" for lack of a better word at the site of the incision. I hesitate to call it swelling because there's no signs of irritation or inflammation and the kitten doesn't seem bothered by it. I'm concerned that there's some herniation or possibly signs of infection that I'm missing. Here are some pics, what do you think? Is this a normally healing incision?

10/24/2009 3:04:43 PM

i think i would call. just in case.

10/24/2009 3:42:38 PM

It could be a number of things, such as infection, suture reaction, or swelling from too much activity post-surgery. You should take it to the vet and let them check it out.

10/24/2009 3:46:45 PM

What a raw deal....trading your reproductive ability for a creepy smiley face on the tummy.

10/24/2009 3:55:10 PM

lol, I hadn't looked at it that way.

10/24/2009 3:57:30 PM

you should take her in--could be infection or just swelling. it's important to keep those kitties down after spaying!

i didn't know you got a second cat

10/24/2009 4:07:12 PM

That could be a hernia of some sort (omentum or intestines) or just a suture reaction (although a little late for that). A vet will probably figure out what it is just by palpating it. A hernia could be bad...I would def take her in

10/24/2009 4:47:08 PM

I've got an appt for Monday morning, she's going about things as if nothing is wrong so I'm just gonna let her do what she wants unless she gets worse.

10/24/2009 5:44:37 PM

we had that same pooching thing on 2 of our cats. the vet said it was swelling in one, possibly infection & swelling in the other (not done at the same time, not the same vet). antibiotics were prescribed for the latter cat but as a just-in-case kinda thing bc they weren't really sure.

10/24/2009 7:58:58 PM

doesn't really look infected (granted, though, I'm only trained to look at wounds on humans), more like a simple fluid collection or possibly a small hernia.

10/24/2009 8:18:18 PM

My kitten had precisely the same thing; vet prescribed antibiotics and it went away. Talk to your vet.

10/24/2009 8:18:47 PM

^^That's what I thought. I mean I'm a human paramedic but I would expect to see some redness or irritation if it were infection... also like I said she doesn't lick it or seem bothered by it. I'm at a loss, I'll let you know what the vet says. I just hope it's not gonna require further surgery. I don't have to pay for it but I just hate to put her through it again. This is the first time I've had possible complications from getting an animal fixed.

10/24/2009 8:54:36 PM

I'm going to derail this thread with my problems

My cat tore the meniscus in her hind leg. She limps slightly (though less than the day it happened) and there is a popping sound coming from her knee. The vet is telling me we might need to bring her to a specialist for surgery.

Is this something that I should actually bring to a surgeon (who I don't really trust here as far as I can throw them) or should she be okay over time?

10/24/2009 10:11:06 PM

it prolly depends on how badly it's torn--being a back leg, i would think the vet will be more likely to want you to bring the cat in for surgery.

i'd still prolly ask the vet if there are no other options, though.

10/24/2009 10:33:56 PM

take her to get a consult. she needs to be examined at the very least.

10/24/2009 10:35:12 PM

How did they determine that the meniscus was torn (what diagnostics did they run)?

10/24/2009 11:24:14 PM

I had the same thing happen with my kitten. The lump was hard and warm, and it really freaked me out! The vet said it was swelling/a slight infection and to call or come back if it got any larger or was hot to the touch. Supposedly it's not uncommon.

Take her the vet, but don't freak out about it.

10/25/2009 12:59:54 AM

^^ He did an x-ray and some physical tests (moving the leg in and out, side to side, etc). On the x-ray there is a tiny greyish blob between the tibia and the femur that he believes might be the part of the meniscus that is torn (I think. This is all being done in a foreign language so I miss parts ). He's had me giving her some steroid treatment and we go back today or tomorrow for a follow-up x-ray to see how things look a week after the fact.

10/25/2009 2:46:33 AM

^unless something is hugely different between people and cats in this situation, you can't see the menisci on an X-ray. You might see a joint effusion, but that's not specific to a particular injury. The only way to visualize a meniscal tear would be MR or arthroscopy.

[Edited on October 25, 2009 at 3:03 AM. Reason : or an arthrogram]

10/25/2009 2:52:54 AM

^i concur

effusion or bony changes.

how old is your cat? is it overweight? was this associated with a traumatic event? a lot of times, if it's a meniscal/ligament injury there will be forward 'drawer' movement when the vet palpates the tibia, was this present? is it painful? what kind of steroids?

there's been descrepancies as to whether these injuries should be surgically repaired in cats. but i think the majority of veterinarians elect to repair rather than treat medically long-term. the risk of pretty severe arthritis developing in the joint is pretty high and the surgery is really easy in cats.


it kind of looks like the bump on the kitty's incision line is a seroma. this is an accumulation of serous fluid usually due to inflammation-caused by trauma (surgery and active kitten), suture reaction, sometimes even not adequately closing the dead space (kittens have a lot of fat)...it typically resolves on it's own. herniation could be an issue, but i think that would be unlikely. that is a fairly small incision and most competent vets can adequately close the body wall with their eyes closed.

10/25/2009 1:59:10 PM

She's about 3 years old and average weight. She twisted her leg funky when wrestling with our other cat which I'm positive it what did it. The doctor kept going on about cartilage which is why I'm thinking meniscus considering its location. The first day we brought her in she didn't want the vet touching her leg AT ALL and screamed bloody murder the entire time we were there. I'm not sure what kind of steroids, just that they're milky yellow liquid and he said that it wasn't cortisone. We'll be back Wed for more x-ray fun!

10/26/2009 9:02:59 AM

Kitties can tear their cruciate ligaments (like an ACL injury in humans). It can be partial or complete. In younger, average weight cats it's usually associated with an event (like twisting it funny). He won't see anything obvious on x-ray if this is what it is. Injuring the cruciate ligaments are more common than a meniscal rupture/tear in animals, but usually a meniscal injury is associated with a cruciate rupture. Surgery will fix it, medical management will only assuage pain and won't stave off arthritis in her later years.

I'm not familiar with steroids in liquid form. There are a number of pain medications though in liquid form. I'm not a vet (yet), but long term management of anything with steroids is not a good idea.

Other than the 'gray area' did the x-ray look normal? Is the pain definitely in her knee area?

10/26/2009 11:22:29 AM

i can't decide what to do...

a kitten has decided to live in my front yard. my outside kitty, monkey, also hangs in the front yard, which is where his food it b/c he stopped going into the backyard, which is why littlekitty has taken up residence. i can't cut off monkey's food, and i'm okay with littlekitty eating it, so that's all good.

problem is that she has a back leg she doesn't use. her foot just kinda dangles funny when she walks/runs. she's better at running than walking..she'll stumble a couple of times if she's going really slow. she doesn't seem to be in a whole lot of pain, but i know animals can hide it well. that foot looks like it's attached a little crooked too. it kinda looks more like that's just the way she made instead of an injury, but i could be wrong. i've not touched her yet.

we have a kill shelter that would take her, and a couple of "rescue" groups (that haven't been accepting animals in forever). no one would adopt a gimpy cat from the shelter, so she'd be put down. i really don't think she's in bad enough shape that she needs to be euthanized either. she loves monkey

i can't decide about whether i should take her to the vet. i want to get her rabies shot when she's old enough b/c i don't want that around my animals, and we'll cross the spaying bridge when we come to it. my husband asked how much it'd cost to get her leg looked at, which would be about $40 for an exam, but what then? we're not going to spend gobs of money to fix her, if any at all.

bah! help me decide.

anybody want a gimpy, yet really cute kitten? i have pics and a video on my cell phone which is not with me currently.

10/26/2009 11:34:35 AM

here's a not so great pic

10/26/2009 1:29:41 PM

You shouldn't let your cat be in contact with a stray.

10/26/2009 6:23:03 PM

take it in...let the vet look at it, maybe do a radiograph and go from there. you could be right in that it's not causing him any pain or discomfort. if he seems otherwise healthy and is eating and drinking it may not be! a number of stray animals get hit by a car, caught in something and wind up with nerve damage, i've seen a lot of dogs in shelters with this. their limb kind of hangs there and flops around but they seem to get around pain free. you'll feel better if you get the kitten checked out, for the sake of the stray and for the sake of your cat.

i know your cat is an indoor/outdoor pet but it would be a smart idea to get this new one checked for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV, especially if the two are friends. both are potentially fatal diseases. FeLV is transmitted through saliva, nasal discharge and close contact while FIV is through blood to blood contact (like a bite) either way your cat could be at risk either with this new guy or any stray cat wandering around your house. it would definitely be a good idea to get your own kitty tested as well, every year. if they are both negative and you're intending to leave them as indoor/outdoor cats vaccinate them too! In addition to rabies, it would be smart to get this kitten it's Panleukopenia, Calicivirus, Chlyamdia vax (it's all one shot) and update your own cat since all diseases are transmissible.

10/26/2009 7:48:40 PM

monkey is an outdoor cat. he comes into contact with all the neighbors' cats and all the local strays. i can't really prevent that. he is up to date on all vaccines that an outdoor cat needs.

xrays are expensive. $150ish. i don't know about that. my dog is going to cary (we're in rocky mount) on wednesday to have surgery on both elbows to correct her dysplasia, to the tune of $1400-1600. not really wild about vet bills right now.

i think littlekitty is one of a litter that my neighbor across the street has seen frequently. she feeds the strays (on purpose) and tries to get them to hang around. littlekitty will not go over there. the neighbor lady said that one of her dogs killed one of the kittens and ran another up a tree, and they had to get one of the yard men with a ladder to get it down. she is probably around 6 months old.

i used to foster kittens, and monkey is a product of that, so i know how tough the adoption programs can be and how full they are.

[Edited on October 26, 2009 at 11:20 PM. Reason : ]

10/26/2009 11:17:35 PM

wow that seems really excessive for x-rays, the vet i go to charges $40 a pop. prob only need one in this case. maybe try another vet...magnolia animal hospital on Capital is where i went when i lived in raleigh, he has reasonable prices.

10/27/2009 12:20:21 AM

report back OP

10/27/2009 3:58:43 AM

i am probably wrong on the price actually. that was the price they charged me for my dog's elbows, which included anesthesia and stuff b/c they had to pry her open basically. poor puppy. she was sore afterward.

we're in rocky mount, so i'm definitely not taking stray littlekitty all the way to raleigh for treatment. i actually didn't see her last night or this morning. maybe she left...

10/27/2009 8:22:06 AM

Quote :

"Other than the 'gray area' did the x-ray look normal? Is the pain definitely in her knee area?"

Yep everything looks normal. No hairline fractures in the tibia or femur that I could see and the doctor didn't say anything about the bones being broken. Just that weird spot. When I go back Wed I'll try to take a picture of the x-ray with my cell phone and post it here. If I paid $40 for the x-ray I should be allowed to take a photograph of it

10/27/2009 9:24:02 AM

That incision is 3x longer than the one our cat had we it got fixed.

10/27/2009 10:36:04 AM

They determined it was fluid buildup secondary to a reaction from the sutures. They drained it, gave her a shot of penicillin and a run of clavamox for good measure.

[Edited on October 27, 2009 at 6:12 PM. Reason : sp]

10/27/2009 6:07:53 PM