Ask the Veterinarian/water infection

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Expert: - 3/30/2011


Question
my 9 month old female cat was spayed mid feb she had swelling to the wound so had to keep her collar on for a further week. since the operation she has suffered with a water infection has had difficulty passing urine and when does has blood in it. she was prescribed anti-biotics which she has now finished is still on loxicom liquid and also now powder capsules that i put in her food. some days she goes perfectly fine then she has relapses where she struggles again. she has always been a clean cat only 1 accident the day after i rehomed her at 6 months old. im just struggling to believe this is just a standard infection and was wondering if any damage could have been caused to the bladder during the operation as she has just lost all control and has been passing urine almost incontinently. id really appreciate your opinion and to know if there is a possibility that during the operation she may have accidentally been nicked or something that wasn't noticed at the time! thankyou

Answer
This is a tough one Rebecca. It is possible but not likely that her bladder was nicked. But more likely there is an infection in the cervix that could be backing up into the bladder via the vestibule area. In either regard, this cat needs a work up and some blood work and possibly an ultrasound or a contrast bladder xray to see why this is happening to a cat so young.

Sometimes, during the surgery, it is possible for a vet to pull to hard on the ligaments and bruise the area, causing her to be sore and lose her muscle control for now. She may need to go on some hormones for a short time to tone the bladder sphincter.

She really needs to see a vet and I would suggest seeing the one who did the surgery first. This is not a normal outcome of being spayed so he/she needs to step up to the plate on this one.

If you cannot get any satisfaction from that vet then see another one.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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