At what age cats are sterilized – how to prepare for surgery and methods, postoperative care and price

The content of the article

• What is cat sterilization?
• Advantages and disadvantages
• At what age cats are sterilized
• Is it possible to sterilize a cat during estrus?
• Types of sterilization
• Ovariohysterectomy
• Cat ovariectomy
• Chemical sterilization
• Tubal occlusion
• Cat sterilization methods
• Belly line access
• Side cut
• Laparoscopy
• How to prepare a cat for sterilization
• How is the procedure
• How to help a cat after sterilization
• Postoperative care
• Cat suture after sterilization
• Possible consequences and contraindications
• Proper nutrition of a sterilized cat
• How much does a cat sterilize

Pregnancy for a pet, the period of “wooing” – a huge stress for the body of a pet. In order to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, veterinarians sterilize cats – an operation under anesthesia, during which part of the internal genital organs is removed. Sometimes they carry out the procedure without surgery, with the help of pharmaceuticals (chemical castration).

What is cat sterilization?

After the procedure, the animal loses its ability to produce offspring. This happens due to the partial removal of organs. The operation is carried out exclusively in specialized veterinary clinics. Attempting to sterilize at home may result in the death of the animal. Often, the owners themselves try to prevent the pregnancy of the pet with hormonal drugs, which causes irreparable harm to the animal. Sterilization of cats should only be carried out by a veterinarian.

Advantages and disadvantages

Sterilization of cats, like any procedure, has a number of positive and negative features. The advantages of the procedure are as follows:

• lack of estrus periods;
• the body remains healthy for a long time due to the lack of constant pregnancies and childbirth;
• the problem of having kittens disappears;
• the character of the animal becomes more calm, docile.

Before the operation, the pet, the owner should familiarize themselves with the negative sides of the procedure:

• endocrine gland dysfunction;
• need for specialized nutrition;
• high risk of infection of a postoperative wound;
• long recovery period;
• increased aggressiveness in some cases due to hormonal imbalance.

At what age cats are sterilized

Veterinarians recommend sterilizing pets after at least 7-8 months have passed since birth. An early operation for a kitten is extremely undesirable, the body has not yet matured, internal organs are not completely formed, which is why the risks of complications increase many times. Experts note a lag in physical development in animals that were subject to surgery at the age of 6 months and younger, which is justified by strong changes in the proportions of hormones.

Older kittens (more than 8-9 months from birth) are also sterilized, but it should be remembered that the older the pet, the higher the risk of complications after surgery on the cardiovascular, excretory systems of the animal’s body. This is due to exposure to vapors of anesthetics. For animals, they are much more toxic than for humans. When to sterilize a cat, decide on its owner, but you should listen to the opinion of experts. If she is already pregnant, surgery can be done at any time..

Is it possible to sterilize a cat during estrus?

The operation during the hunting period is carried out, however, the postoperative period, wound healing, restoration of the pet can be significantly delayed. If an operation is carried out during estrus, a very sharp change in the hormonal background occurs in the body. Without urgent need, veterinarians do not recommend sterilizing pets during this period. The optimal time for the procedure is two weeks before estrus starts or a week after estrus. Sterilization of cats during pregnancy is also undesirable.

Types of sterilization

With the development of veterinary medicine as a science, there are more and more methods of preventing the pregnancy of female domestic animals. New species are more gentle, you can choose for each pet its type of procedure, taking into account age, the presence of diseases, breed and much more. At the moment, there are the following types:

• tubal ligation;
• removal of the ovaries (ovariectomy);
• removal of the ovaries and uterus (ovariogisterectomy);
• chemical effects on the reproductive system with drugs.

Ovariohysterectomy

Surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus (ovariogysterectomy) is one of the most optimal operations from the point of view of veterinarians. Ovariohysterectomy completely prevents the occurrence of an unwanted pregnancy, but also has the least complications. Surgical removal of internal reproductive organs, according to many veterinarians, is the most optimal way to prevent the pregnancy of a female.

Cat ovariectomy

Ovarian removal (ovariectomy) – The veterinarian only removes the ovaries, leaving the uterus. Hunting periods end. Cons of the procedure: a high probability of polycystic ovary or oncology. The main plus of the procedure is that the risk of breast cancer is reduced. Ovariectomy should not be used for cats over one and a half years old – they are more likely to develop polycystic ovaries, cysts, and tumors of internal organs.

Chemical sterilization

The elimination of the ability to reproduce with hormonal drugs is called chemical sterilization. The most dangerous of all types, they resort to it only if it is impossible to conduct surgery. The result of such an intervention may be inappropriate behavior of the animal, the appearance of tumors and ulcers on the skin (photos can be found on the forums), obesity of the pet, loss of hunting instincts. Cat sterilization with drugs is carried out under strict medical supervision..

Tubal occlusion

Tubal ligation (tubal occlusion) – rarely used, due to the fact that periods of estrus remain, the female continues to attract males. After the procedure, there is a high risk of inflammation of the uterine mucosa, the development of cancer. Tubal occlusion is not a reliable method, a cat can become pregnant and give birth, due to the fact that the instinct for reproduction, the health of the reproductive organs are preserved.

Cat sterilization methods

In animal surgery, there are several methods for sterilizing cats. The choice of a particular method depends on several factors:

• view;
• the presence or absence in the clinic of the necessary equipment;
• physical features of the pet, the presence of tumors;
• veterinarian qualifications.

Belly line access

This method of operation is recognized as optimal and convenient. In the area of ​​the white line of the abdomen there are no large subcutaneous vessels, nerves, ducts of the mammary glands and vital organs. In addition, central access allows you to form a wide access to the internal organs of the animal, to carry out a large number of manipulations. The seam on the white line heals well, due to the structural features of the aponeurosis tissue. The disadvantage of this method is a large postoperative wound, which has a high risk of opening bleeding.

Side cut

Such access to internal organs is the most non-optimal, it is used when a practical incision along the white line of the abdomen is impossible (a large vessel, tumor lies). A lateral incision is inconvenient especially in carrying out ovariogisterectomy and ovariectomy, therefore, only pipe ligation is performed with it. The advantage of access through the lateral incision is a well-healing, small postoperative wound. An assistant helps the doctor to suture a side incision.

Laparoscopy

The least traumatic method is laparoscopy. This procedure is carried out using special equipment – an optical camera, a monitor. On the front wall of the abdomen, the doctor makes three punctures through which he introduces a chamber and tools into the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopy is rarely used in veterinary medicine due to the high cost of equipment. The technique of laparoscopy is somewhat more complicated than the technique of abdominal surgery.

How to prepare a cat for sterilization

Owners of cats need to make sure that there are no contraindications for surgery. It should be a kitty instrumental studies, analyzes. After the veterinarian approves the operation, the owner must proceed with the immediate preparation of the animal. The most important thing is not to give the pet food 12-14 hours before the operation, and remove access to water in an hour, because the intestines and bladder should be empty. It is necessary to buy special blankets at the pharmacy in advance in order to maintain the health of internal organs.

How is the procedure

To understand how cats are sterilized, you can ask your veterinarian about the details of the operation. The main stages of the operation are as follows:

• premedication
• introducing a cat into a state of anesthetic sleep;
• the operation itself;
• postoperative procedures (suturing, processing);
• dropper, removing the animal from anesthesia sleep;
• bandage application;
• the introduction of supporting drugs (vitamins, nutrient solutions) and drugs for the prevention of infections (antibiotics)

How to help a cat after sterilization

Surgery for an animal is a huge stress. The pet may be scared due to pain, feel uncomfortable due to wearing blankets, feel disorientation in space after anesthesia. The owner’s task is to alleviate the suffering of the pet during the rehabilitation period by properly caring for it the first time after the operation: to ensure peace, proper nutrition and the help of the veterinarian.

Postoperative care

The most important thing when caring for an animal after the procedure is to monitor its nutrition, wound, process the sutures in time, give pain medications prescribed by the veterinarian. During the first two to three days, the animal should not be left alone, due to stress, the pet may begin to bite itself or blanket. A sterilized cat may not get up from bed for several hours – this is a variant of the norm. If there are other pets in the house, it is necessary to isolate them temporarily, as the cat’s behavior may be aggressive the first time after surgery.

Cat suture after sterilization

The size of the suture and its location depend on the type of sterilization of cats, the method of its implementation. After a laparoscopic procedure, only one or two sutures remain on each of the wounds, and with direct or lateral access, ten or more sutures are applied. The doctor must handle and remove the stitches in a veterinary clinic. Self-treatment of the wound by the owner is allowed if continuous sutures from absorbable material were applied.

In the first few days, the wound should be treated at least once or twice a day with chlorhexidine. It is strictly forbidden to use zelenka or an alcoholic solution of iodine on your own – this can provoke chemical burns of the skin. After three to four days, the seam is processed once a day. If the pet owner notices strong purulent or bloody discharge from the wound, you should immediately take the animal to a clinic or call a veterinarian at home. Cat sterilization is rarely the cause of a pet’s death..

Possible consequences and contraindications

Complications of the procedure, a list of contraindications depend on the method. The first negative consequences can be noted during the early postoperative period:

• bleeding
• renal, hepatic, or respiratory failure due to exposure to anesthesia drugs;
• allergic reactions to used pharmaceuticals;
• hair loss;
• impaired sense of smell or vision.

After the sterilization of cats has been carried out, side effects may occur after several months or years. The most common of them is an oncological disease of an animal. It develops due to a violation of the proportions of hormones (especially if a course of drugs was carried out). Benign neoplasms are found, but they can also lead to death – blocking a large vessel, or the respiratory center in the brain.

Contraindications are based on statistics of complications, deaths during the procedure of various veterinary clinics. The list of contraindications for the procedure is not very large:

• the animal is less than six months old;
• chronic diseases of organs and systems;
• the oldest age of the animal (more than six years);
• oncological diseases;
• the presence of certain types of non-malignant tumors.

Proper nutrition of a sterilized cat

After the procedure is completed, a nutrient solution is administered intravenously. During the early postoperative period (on the first day after the operation), the pet is strictly forbidden to feed – intestinal peristalsis can provoke the opening of an operative wound or internal bleeding. Then you can begin to give the animal soft or liquid food. After 7-10 days, you can transfer to a specialized feed. If the owner feeds the pet “off the table”, then in the postoperative period, the animal should be given porridge on the water.

How much does a cat sterilize

The price of cat sterilization in Moscow depends on many factors: the territorial location of the clinic building, the cost of drugs used by veterinarians, the range of services included in the procedure. For example, in one hospital, the cost of sterilizing cats includes an initial examination and premedication, while in another it does not. The price in the first clinic will be higher, but there will be more services provided, therefore, it is necessary to carefully study the price list of each clinic, reviews on websites, forums.