O VARIO TOMY IN THE CAT. 131 



32. OVARIOTOMV IN THE CAT. 



Instruments. Same as for the bitqh. 



Technic. The cat may be spayed' by either the flank 

 method or through the linea alba. The point of incision in 

 either case is the same as in the bitch but owing to the 

 smaller size of the animal it is necessary to make the wound 

 quite small. The abundance of fur renders it essential that 

 an ample area be shaved and the surrounding hair be 

 saturated with a disinfectant and carefully brushed away 

 from the operative area. The cat being more subject to 

 infection than the bitch the aseptic precautions must be of 

 the strictest possible character. The operative area must 

 be thoroughly disinfected and cleansed and equal care must 

 be taken not to introduce irritant disinfectants into the 

 wound. A great danger also exists in the tendency of the 

 abdominal muscle layers to readily become separated by 

 pressure from the finger and form a pocket in which wound 

 discharges accumulate and constitute a dangerous seat for 

 infection. Great care must therefore be taken to make a 

 clean incision directly into the peritoneal cavity and to 

 avoid separating the peritoneum from the muscles or the 

 muscular layers from each other. The uterus and ovaries 

 of the cat are naked and far more easily distinguished than 

 in the bitch, there being no extra deposit of fat in the broad 

 ligament. The sutures are to be applied to the wound in 

 the same manner as in the bitch. 



