Previously spayed cat showing signs of being in heat -- ugh!

[browneyedgirl36]

So...let me preface this post by saying that I have already called a vet and have an appointment to take my cat in on Tuesday (when her regular doctor, the one who performed her surgery, is back from being out of the office for a few days). I just wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this, mainly since I think I'm going crazy.

 

I had my female cat spayed over a year ago, when she was six months old (she's now a little over 18 months). She has always been a bit...errr...crazy, to put it mildly -- very hyper, climbing all over everything, jumping off of stuff, etc. -- but in the last few days I'm pretty sure she's gone into heat. I've been out of town for a few days (leaving a neighbor in charge of checking on her), and when I came back, she was fine, until Wednesday. She kept me up all night meowing/constantly making noises -- chirps, coos, and some occasional howls. Then, I noticed the rubbing -- she's affectionate anyway, but she was rubbing herself all over EVERYTHING -- the carpet, the corner of the wall, the tile floor, the furniture, my legs, etc. -- pretty constantly. Plus, she's been more hyper than usual -- moving around a lot -- and a lot more affectionate -- constantly wanting to be near me, sit on my lap, etc. And, though I can't see any discharge coming out of her...ummm...rear end, it does appear a little more "prominent" than usual (I admit, I don't look at my cat's rear often, if at all!) So....I've read online that spayed cats CAN go into heat if the surgery was not performed correctly (i.e. if a piece of an ovary were left intact) and I suspect that this is what has happened. Something similar to this happened a few months ago, but it was just for one day (the howling and noises part, anyway), and I chalked it up to her just being nutty.

 

Has anyone experienced this? The vet tech I spoke to was, of course, reluctant to admit that it MIGHT be a case of their doctor not completely removing everything, but she said it can occur, so I am bringing the little one in on Tuesday morning (would do it sooner by her Dr. is out of the office till them) I am watching her closely to see if there are any signs of illness or pain, and so far, she's eating, drinking, using the litterbox, isn't hiding or being aggressive. The vet is open for emergencies 24-hours a day, so if anything goes wrong, or if I sense the situation is getting worse, I will take her in immediately.

 

Have any of you had this happen with a female cat? If so, what happened? The tech said that the only way to tell if the doctor "missed something" would be to open her up again. Even though she's a young cat, I hate the idea of subjecting her to another surgery unless I absolutely have to. And, I am concerned about the cost (though I am willing to pay for her care even if it is expensive -- though if the doctor messed up the surgery the first time I don't think I should have to pay).

 

Any experiences you might have had would be helpful (and no, I'm not asking anyone for a diagnosis -- I'd just like to know what others have experienced with their pets -- cats OR dogs) to get an idea of what I MIGHT be dealing with here. Thanks!

[BellaDonna]

I've never experienced it, and never knew

spayed cats CAN go into heat if the surgery was not performed correctly (i.e. if a piece of an ovary were left intact)

 

I sure hope that are honest with you because if they didn't perform the spay correctly then any exam, surgery, or anything related to fixing their mistake should be provided for free. If they did make a mistake and try to charge you, switch vets.

 

It's too bad they said it takes another surgery to see if the first one was done correctly....I would ask the vet directly if there is any other, less-intrusive way (ultrasound, bloodwork to detect hormone levels, etc). The vet will know more than the vet tech. I've personally found that sometimes some vet techs like to hear themselves talk a little too much. He/she might not know enough to make that determination about the cat needing surgery and that being the only option to see what is going on.

[abitbroken]

If you were out of town, I would think it would be normal for your cat to be rubbing on you, in you face all the time, etc. The other reason cats could be crying out or howling is when they are deaf or going deaf or something is bothering them. I hope that if she still isnt spayed, or maybe she has an abnormality with an extra ovary, etc, that it is resolved.

[browneyedgirl36]

I've never experienced it, and never knew

 

 

I sure hope that are honest with you because if they didn't perform the spay correctly then any exam, surgery, or anything related to fixing their mistake should be provided for free. If they did make a mistake and try to charge you, switch vets.

 

It's too bad they said it takes another surgery to see if the first one was done correctly....I would ask the vet directly if there is any other, less-intrusive way (ultrasound, bloodwork to detect hormone levels, etc). The vet will know more than the vet tech. I've personally found that sometimes some vet techs like to hear themselves talk a little too much. He/she might not know enough to make that determination about the cat needing surgery and that being the only option to see what is going on.

 

Thanks! I think a blood test CAN be done -- I have read a couple of online articles about all of this, and several have made reference to testing the cat's blood for hormone levels. I'm hoping they can tell from a blood sample, and I am going to definitely ask about it. I am just a little concerned, mostly about ruling out anything worse. If it's an issue with the spaying, I'll be annoyed, but that can be rectified, most likely. If it's something else -- something wrong with her -- well...that will be hard. I'm going to watch her closely over the next couple of days until her appointment and see how she's doing, and if she shows any other questionable symptoms, I'm going to take her in right away.

[browneyedgirl36]

If you were out of town, I would think it would be normal for your cat to be rubbing on you, in you face all the time, etc. The other reason cats could be crying out or howling is when they are deaf or going deaf or something is bothering them. I hope that if she still isnt spayed, or maybe she has an abnormality with an extra ovary, etc, that it is resolved.

 

I thought about that, definitely, and if it were just the rubbing and clinginess, I'd think she just missed me a lot. But...the vocalizations, particularly the howling, lead me to believe it's more than that. The howling sounds exactly like the sound a cat makes when it's getting ready to mate -- identical to that sound. Plus, the rubbing all over everything --floors, carpets, furniture, etc. (as well as my legs, etc.!) makes me think she's not just happy to see me. I'll see what happens and update the post. Thanks for your reply!