The big operation in male cats

Why get your cat fixed?

  • To control the overpopulation of cats.
  • To avoid territorial marking.
  • To minimize fights.
  • To prevent cats from wandering.

At what age do we fix cats?

Before puberty : between 3 and 6 months of age.

BEFORE problems appear!

Did you know that...?

  • A queen can have as much as 8-10 babies at a time.
  • A queen can be pregnant as much as 5-6 times per year.
  • The mating of a male with a female can produce up to 60 kittens per year.

How much does it cost?

It depends...

Basic costs include:

  • The anesthesia.
  • The anesthetic surveillance.
  • The surgery itself.
  • Medications.

Extras can be added:

  • A blood test.
  • An IV catheter with or without IV fluids.
  • The surgical laser.
  • Additional painkillers.

Does it hurt?

Controlling pain is ESSENTIAL to us!

Our objectives:

  • Prevent the animal from feeling pain EVEN BEFORE pain appears!
  • Control pain DURING AND AFTER the surgery!
  • Eliminate pain on many fronts!

How do we achieve our objectives?

  • By using the surgical laser instead of the scalpel blade.
  • By administering a morphine derivative before and after the surgery.
  • By injecting an antiinflammatory drug at the end of the surgery.
  • By prescribing an antiinflammatory drug to give orally at home for a few days after the surgery.
  • By using local anesthetics if needed.

The blood test : What's its use?

  • It verifies the state of the organs responsible for the elimination of anesthetic drugs.
  • It helps to detect the presence of certain diseases often not visible from the outside which can increase the risk of anesthetic complications.

IV catheter and fluids : Why are they important?

  • They keep the patients' veins « open » so that we can inject emergency drugs if needed.
  • They help keep the animals' blood pressure normal so that the major organs such as the heart, the kidneys, the liver, and the brain, are well vascularized during the anesthesia.

The surgical laser : Why is it better than the scalpel blade?

Because with the laser, the animal's wound :

  • Is less painful after the surgery.
  • Bleeds less.
  • Is less swollen after the surgery.
  • Is less at risk of becoming infected.

The anesthetic surveillance : What's that?

Anesthetic surveillance consists of making sure that the animal tolerates well the anesthesia.

Whose job is it?

  • Our animal health technicians, always under veterinary supervision.

How long does it last?

  • Anesthetic surveillance starts before the surgery and ends only when the animal leaves the hospital.

BEFORE the surgery:

  • We listen to the cat's heart to make sure that there is no heart murmur and that his cardiac rythm is regular.
  • We inject him with a tranquilizer, a muscle relaxant and a painkiller.
  • When authorized, we install a catheter and fluids into his vein.
  • We induce anesthesia and then we put a breathing tube in his trachea. The anesthetic gas and oxygen will be administered through this tube during the surgery.
  • We place an oxymeter on his tongue to measure his heart rate and his blood oxygen level throughout the surgery.
  • We put lubricant in his eyes so that they don't dry up during the anesthesia.

DURING the surgery:

  • We constantly check the data provided by the oxymeter.
  • If needed, we ajust the oxygen and anesthetic gas levels delivered to him.
  • The IV fluids' speed of delivery is ajusted if needed as well to maintain a normal blood pressure.

AFTER the surgery:

  • After stopping the anesthesia, we stay beside him until he wakes up.
  • During that time, we ensure that he breathes easily, that his heart rate is good and that his body temperature comes back to normal.
  • If the temperature is too low then we place him in an incubator to warm him.
  • We remove the tube from his trachea only when he starts to swallow to prevent the secretions in his throat from going into his lungs.
  • Only when he is completely awake, he goes back in his cage.
  • Just before he leaves that night, one last physical exam is done to check his vital signs and the state of his surgical wound.