# Cat pulling out surgical glue from spay wound...



## mmariec (Feb 27, 2015)

Hi everyone,

have a little query. Babette got spayed 6 days ago. She is doing well but I have had to keep to cone on to stop her from licking the wound, which she keeps on doing as soon as she is "free". The wound is healing well and I was hoping to take out the cone soon because it makes her kinda miserable. However, now she is trying to pull out the surgical glue from the wound when I take it out  (She has glue and internal dissolving stitches on the flank)

I am scared that she might manage to open back the wound... but I have to take out the cone time to time, otherwise she just refuses to eat (She sits in front of the bowl, and stares at it hopelessly for hours...)

Has anybody had a similar experience? Do you know how long it takes for the glue to dissolve? I would like to use something else besides the cone to stop her paying attention to it...

thanks for any thoughts!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi there! Poor Babette (I love her name). It is pretty rare IME for a cat to mess with her spay wound, and I can only think in this case that perhaps she finds it itchy as it's healing. I am assuming there is no sign of infection at the wound site, e,g, swelling, or fluid seeping out? Has she had her post-op checkup yet from the vet?

I would always take a cone off to allow the cat to eat. If you sit with her you can even allow her to groom herself a bit after her meal, as long as you stop her licking the wound of course.

I have never used a cone collar for any of my cats down the years when occasionally needed, as I found they got too panicky and stressed wearing one. I have used a buster collar like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ProCollars-...274055&sr=8-4&keywords=buster+collar+for+cats

But the collars I really prefer are these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SOFT-E-SMAR...274055&sr=8-1&keywords=buster+collar+for+cats

As I recall Size 1 is for a young kitten, Size 2 maybe more suitable for a 6 month old kitten. As they are so cheap I'd get both sizes to be on the safe side.


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## Waterlily (Apr 18, 2010)

All my cats over the years had the same issue with the cones, uncomfortable things. They were ok after a week, they will lick it vigorously but didnt ever rip themselves open.


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

Not a spay, but my last cat Aisha was the same when she had her tail amputated, we were worried that she would cause an infection, then one night we found her upstairs without a cone and yes she had given it a good chew, but her stitches remained on the whole, where they didn't the wound was sealed fairly well, this would have been after only a couple of days. You have to remember the glue is only for the surface of the skin, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if she did remove the glue, but I imagine that might be a tough job anyway. As long as it looks clean and isn't red I wouldn't be too worried. 

Aisha struggled to eat with a cone, we used a narrow topped glass for her food and water so she didn't have to stoop as much and so her cone fit over most of the glass so she could easily get her mouth to her food/water.


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## mmariec (Feb 27, 2015)

Hi Chillmix  I think you are probably right and her scar is itchy... I am absolutely sure it is healing well. The wound did not leak at all and it very neat. She had her first post-op check up on Friday and the vet was very happy with it. She did not even react when he was examining the wound.

that's exactly what I do at the moment. I take out the cone and stay with her until she has eaten. The problem is that she is a grazer... she never eats her food in one sitting. She eats a bit, then nothing for half an hour, and then she repeats the same patter again and again, which makes it very difficult for me.

I like the soft-e-smart collar. It seems wider and much more comfortable than the one she has now. She might even be able to eat with that collar on! I am gonna get one of those and try it  thanks!

Hi Waterlily! She is not only licking it though. She is biting and pulling!  

Hi Vanessa, good to know that the stitches might hold up even if she chews them! I guess I (and she) need to be patient until the healing process has progressed a bit more before we can remove the cone. Good idea to use a narrow glass to put her food on! thanks!! :Happy I am gonna try that too. So far I tried to put the food on a very flat surface, but she was hitting the cone against the ground and getting discouraged so easily!!


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