Is my cat's spay incision healing normally?
It is hard to tell if a post-op incision looks right when you have never cared for a spayed cat before, especially when online photos look much cleaner than your own pet's site. This uncertainty causes anxiety and leads owners to question their vet's reassurance or seek a second opinion.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Contacting the animal hospital for an appointmentDid this help you?
- 2Administering prescribed gabapentin to keep the cat relaxedDid this help you?
- 3Asking online communities for visual feedback on the incisionDid this help you?
- 4Getting antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory shot from the vetDid this help you?
- 5Keeping the cat in a cone or recovery suitDid this help you?
- 6Considering seeing a different vet for a second opinionDid this help you?
- 7Asking on online forums like askvetDid this help you?
- 8Sending pictures to the current vetDid this help you?
- 9Seeking a second opinion from another veterinary professionalDid this help you?
- 10Calling vets to describe the symptoms and ask for guidanceDid this help you?
- 11Monitoring the incision for redness, infection, or changesDid this help you?
- 12waiting until the next day to visit the vetDid this help you?
- 13sending a picture of the wound to the vet for assessmentDid this help you?
- 14putting a t-shirt or cut-up baby onesie on the pet to prevent the wound from getting snaggedDid this help you?
- 15Posting photos to online forums to get advice from other pet ownersDid this help you?
- 16Checking the site for signs of infection like redness, swelling, warmth, or pusDid this help you?
- 17Monitoring the pet for distress or altered behavior over a 1-2 day observation periodDid this help you?
- 18Keeping a recovery suit or cone on the petDid this help you?
- 19Asking online forums for visual confirmationDid this help you?
- 20Checking with a vetDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Today I noticed this on her incision site, does it look like it has opened? Should i be worried?”source ↗
“I feel a little concerned how it looks after 9 days. Can anyone please tell me if it looks like it’s healing?”source ↗
“Should i go to doc?”source ↗
“I am on day 8 post spay, and this is my first spay experience so I just don't know what's normal.”source ↗
“The animal hospital that performed the incision offers 10 days of complimentary treatment for complications post-op, so have been trying to get her back in ASAP.”source ↗
“But can anyone who knows better than I do weigh in on how serious this looks for day 8?”source ↗
“It looks open almost? Is your cat licking it? It looks wet and irritated. Definitely go to a new vet, or you can try calling, describe what you’re seeing and ask for their opinion.”source ↗
“I tried snapping a better photo but she won’t stay still 😅”source ↗
“When I look at pictures online of 2 week post op spays, the site looks much better than my kitties.”source ↗
“Vet said it looks fine but idk I’m just kinda concerned.”source ↗
“She’s not herself in the cone and it makes me sad.”source ↗
“Should I see a different vet ??”source ↗
“We set a picture to our vet, and they didn't seem worried but I thought it was worth a second opinion”source ↗