Incidence of short-term complications after sterilization between pre-operative antibiotic versus pre- and post-operative antibiotic administration in female cats

Abstract

A sterilization program is implied to control the cat population and set up as national rabies control activities. In Thailand, a few studies have been conducted on postoperative complications and undesired incidents after massive sterilization. This study determined the incidence of short-term sterilization complications in cats with or without postoperative antibiotic administration and the risk of short-term surgical complications. The investigators conducted a clinical trial study. Female cats (n=492) who participated in Chiang Mai municipal birth control activity were assessed and recorded those complications between with and without postoperative antibiotics. The risk factors were analyzed using risk ratios (RR) with a 95% confidence level. Twenty-five cats (5.08%) showed short-term complications in the study. The incidence of short-term complications was not significantly different between cats with postoperative antibiotics (4.92%) and without postoperative antibiotics (5.24%). Cats with external parasites had 2.35 times a short-term complication (RR=1.05-5.27;95%Cl). Duration in captive area, this factor showed that prolong of a cat kept in cage or indoor area play role as a protective factor which less than 2-day in a cage or indoor as the baseline, the risk ratios were 0.38 in 5-day and 0.18 in 7-day, respectively. In conclusion, cat sterilization without post-operative antibiotic administration could be performed under ordinary operation with an aseptic concept.