I recently took my cat to a local animal hospital. Patty went in on 22nd and got back home on the 24th, whenever she came home she had a small lump underneath her sutures, i thought it was normal swelling. the next day i noticed the bump had gotten bigger. on the 26th I made an appointment to take her back to the hospital and the doctor told me that it was an abnormally large bump but it was just scar tissue, and if it had gotten any larger to bring her back in. Okay! so today I look at the bump, and it is larger than before. I am going to take her back to the doctors tonight before they close, I called to make this appointment and they tell me if it is a hernia i will have to pay.
Is this actually fair? i dont believe it is because I kept her in a closed cage and I did everything to prevent this from happening.. the doctors told me to watch her and take her home, I just want to hear someone elses opinion. thanks!
2007-01-29 12:28:56 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
It's really hard to say...most of the time it's just scar tissue that forms from where the sutures are... but sometimes a hernia can occur. If you did everything you were told to do, then I would say it's not your fault.
I would think the vet could at least work with you on the hernia repair if that's what it is. Maybe instead of placing blame, you could talk to them. Maybe they would be willing to repair the hernia for free or a reduced rate.
Either way, it needs to be fixed. Hernia's can be very painful for animals. You did everything you could. Sometimes these things just happen. It sucks...but that's what happens.
Good luck!
2007-01-29 12:35:20 · answer #1 · answered by angkel6879 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I recently had a cat spayed, and she has some hardness and a hard lump along her incision area which appeared soon after I had her external sutures removed. One of her internal sutures started poking out of her skin, and I took her back to the vet, and he trimmed the external suture. He said that the internal sutures are made to dissolve and the hardness should go away in about 4 weeks. I've since done some research online and found information that some cats react this way to internal sutures. Hopefully that is all your cat is dealing with. If it is a hernia resulting from the spay, an ethical vet would take care of the hernia as being a complication of the first surgery. I can't imagine a vet causing a hernia, however inadvertent it might have been, and then making me pay to fix it. Please go to a different vet and get a second opinion. The new vet will likely be sympathetic to your situation and give you a fresh point of view on what is happening with your pet's current state of health. It seems to me that the first vet is trying to milk you for even more money, and is willing to hurt your cat to do it.
2007-02-01 13:44:22 · answer #2 · answered by Petunia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is probably a reaction with the sutures that are placed in the muscle . Sometimes this happens and the incision needs to be opened up and sutured with a different material or usually it will go away on it's own. If it is a hernia then I can see you having to pay for anesthesia but not for the actual surger
2007-01-29 21:45:57 · answer #3 · answered by leftygirl_75 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before they decide it's a hernia, you take her in for a recheck. It could just as likely be a suture reaction(the bodies way of trying to reject foriegn material), hematoma(pocket of bleeding under the skin), or an infection(pocket of pus) and those can all be treated rather easily and cheaply. Just as if you had a complication following a surgery, you are still responsible for the repair or medications needed. The vet has to pay for the medications from the drug company and can't give them away.
2007-01-29 20:40:37 · answer #4 · answered by vettech1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I recently had the exact same problem!
I took my girl back to the vet's office and I told them exactly how i kept her (in her cage) and told them everything she had done (eating and walking\jumping) they ended up telling me that the sutures sometimes react in female cats which causes lumps to form. If the lumps are there when you take her to get her sutures out, they will most likely operate because the sutures did not dissolve properly. Just talk calmly with your vet to see if there is any way you could work out a price to do it. I hope this helps you! =o)
2007-01-29 22:48:22 · answer #5 · answered by Amneh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is all part of the risk involved, however I believe if you talk to your vet he/she will probably meet you half way. Everything is negotiable! Be friendly, and ask for a break in the cost! Good luck, poor kitty hope she feels better soon! I love cats!
2007-01-29 20:40:44 · answer #6 · answered by gemini girl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Read the vet's policy that you likely signed prior to the surgery.
2. It probably states that yes, you do have to pay.
3. If it doesn't, threaten to sue.
4. Call an attorney.
2007-01-29 22:50:45 · answer #7 · answered by jami1kenob 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋