Gastrointestinal Surgery Dismissal

Your cat has just had surgery on either their stomach or small intestinal tract, or both.  Because of this, there are a few things you will need to do for the next week to help prevent complications.

Activity:

1. Please keep your cat's activity restricted for the next week.  If they are normally indoor/outdoor, please try to keep them indoors.  Do not engage in any strenuous play or exercise.

2. After a week, your cat may resume normal activity.

Things to watch for:

1. Please watch the incision area for any discharge, redness, or swelling.

2. If your cat acts lethargic, stops eating, or is vomiting, please call us immediately.

3. If you notice that the sutures are coming out within the next 10 days, please bring your cat back in and we will decide if the sutures need to be replaced.

Diet:

1. For the next week, please feed your cat a moist diet.  This is to minimize any sharp edges of dry food catching on sutures in the lining of your cat's stomach or small intestine. 

• If your cat will absolutely not eat wet cat food, you can try either moistening down dry food until it is slightly soggy, or you might also try human meat baby food such as Gerber's chicken or turkey baby food.  For short term, it is okay to feed exclusively.

2. Please make sure that you cat is eating every day.  Gastrointestinal surgery can result in some degree of nausea, but if your cat is not eating, please let us know as it could be an indication of a complication.

Medications that may have been sent home:

Pain medications. 

• Please follow label instructions and give these until they are gone.  Cats do not tend to show signs of pain, but that does not mean that they do not feel it.

Antibiotics. 

• These are to help prevent secondary infection.

Sucralfate.

• If this was dispensed, then please give it until it is gone.  This medication will help to coat and heal ulcerated areas in your cat?s stomach and small intestine.  This medication needs to be given at least an hour separate from other medications, as it can prevent absorption of other medications. 
• If you are having a hard time getting this medication down your cat in pill form, you can dissolve it in water, chicken broth, or tuna juice and then syringe into your cat as a liquid.

Follow-up:

1. The sutures used were absorbable unless otherwise specified, so will not need to be removed.  They will dissolve and fall out over the next 2-8 weeks.

2. If we sent tissue into a pathologist for histopathology, it can take up to a week for us to receive results, at which point we will contact you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at All Feline Hospital at 402-467-2711 or info@allfelinehospital.com.

Printable Gastrointestinal Surgery Dismissal