Ovarian remnant syndrome.

Dr. Marie replied:

If Kitty is truly in heat again then it's possible that she has something called ovarian remnant syndrome. This happens when a piece of ovary remains in the body after the spay.

Sometimes this can be the fault of the veterinarian. In these cases, it is because not all of the ovary is removed during the spay. However, a lot of the time, the cause is not the vet's fault. Rather, the cat may have had what is called an ectopic piece of ovarian tissue. This could be because part of the ovary fell off at some point and, for example, implanted on the spleen.

Most likely Kitty will need to have another exploratory surgery. It is important that this is done when she is in heat. The reason for this is that the ovary (or piece of ovary) will be at its largest during a heat and easier to see.

If this were my case, if I did find a piece of ovary that looked like I had not removed all of it then I likely would not charge for the surgery. But, if there was ovary in another part of the abdomen then there would definitely be a regular surgery charge.

I can say though that in 13 years of practice I have never had an animal where I had left a piece of ovary in. It is not something that commonly happens!

I hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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