08/09/2025
Spay Day for Lena
Lena is a 6 month old British shorthaired kitten belonging to the head nurse Ruth at Hadleigh.
Lena was weighed and admitted to the ward by her owner. She received a pre-operative health check from vet Richard to ensure she was fit for surgery.
Nurse Ruth then calculated and prepared Lena’s anaesthetic, pain relief, and reversal agents.
Lena was administered her injectable anaesthetic, and an intravenous catheter was placed in a vein in her front leg.
Richard intubated Lena by placing an endotracheal tube into her airway, and nurse Jess connected her to oxygen. Jess then prepared Lena for surgery by clipping a patch of fur from her left side and surgically cleaning the area.
Lena was transferred into theatre, where Richard performed her spay surgery, removing both her ovaries and uterus. Local anaesthetic was applied to the ovaries and muscle tissue to provide additional pain relief. The muscle and skin layers were then sutured closed and some surgical glue applied to the skin.
Throughout the procedure, Jess monitored Lena’s vital signs, including her blood pressure. She also administered a intra-operative pain relief injection.
Following surgery, Lena received K-Laser therapy on the surgical site to promote healing. Jess then dressed Lena in a camo pet shirt to prevent her from licking her wound.
Lena’s anaesthetic was reversed, and she was placed back in her kennel for recovery. She recovered smoothly and was later offered food and water, which she accepted well.
At the end of the shift, Ruth took Lena home. Lena is reportedly recovering very well and is already keen to play with the other cats.
