Opinions on Spaying?

[Cuddles With Cavies]

I’ve had 5 girl guineas now as three of them have had issues with their reproductive system. Ovarian cysts, ovarian tumours and uterus infections. By the time these problems have developed my girls have been older and more suspecable to complications with spaying.

So my question is, is it worth getting any and all female guinea pigs spayed as young as possible or as soon as you get them, regardless of whether there is any problems present? Similar to the way dogs and cats are spayed as a preventative rather than a cure?

Does anybody do this or feel like it’d be a worthwhile thing to do?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Until very recently the risk of complications and even fatality in spaying ops has been about as high or even higher than acute problems with the reproductive tract, so it has been very much a weighing up of risks. You have been on the unlucky side with your sows. Thankfully, in the majority of cases cysts don't cause a major problem. In my own experience with my own sows, the problems that needed treating/operating have stayed at about 10-15%.
Hormone injections and draining large fluid filled cysts in older/frail sows are also being used as a less invasive alternative to a spay, which not everybody is happy to undergo.

Of the 3 sows that I have had to spay (two of which had trouble with fast growing large cysts and one had a fluid filled enlarged borderline pyometric womb), one didn't wake up from her spay 8 years ago (general vet mistake with getting the GA wrong once a second unknown large cyst had been removed as well); the other two sows did make a good recovery courtesy of me using a good operating vet after that rather harsh lesson.
Two further sows have been adopted as spays that had been operated by the same vet I have used for my piggy ops since.
I have currently got another sow I am saving up for a spaying op in the next year as she has a hard ovarian cyst, which I have been advised could go wrong and cause problems in a year or two. I have two more sows with developing fluid filled cysts which I have been advised to have drained under no/minimal anaesthesia if necessary as they are unlikely to cause any problems.

But if you have a good operating vet you trust and if you strongly feel that you'd rather not have any more worries about potential problems, then I would recommend to operate at around 5-6 months of age once your girls are a weight that your vet is happy to operate on.

 

[Freela]

Because there are risks with anesthesia/surgery and risks with having an intact reproductive system, it's kind of a judgment call or a gamble either way, and it's impossible to know what's the 'best' decision without hindsight. I would just say if you do a preemptive spay, make sure it's with a vet who routinely does spays on small animals and uses inhaled anesthesia to minimize the likelihood of any complications. I've been lucky enough not to run into many reproductive systems issues with my sows thus far, but can see the appeal of doing a procedure on a young, healthy animal rather than waiting for a problem to arise in old age, so I do see where you are coming from.

 

[VickiA]

I have every faith in my vets who have spayed 4 of my sows (all on health grounds). I’d give consideration to spaying my future sows at a young age to prevent problems but only if the vets felt it in the best interests of the piggies.

 

[Mackers]

I've just had my 2.5 year old sow spayed due to having very enlarged ovaries. It was a case of do nothing, wait and see and then risk having to spay a poorly and much older piggy. Or spay now.

I have an excellent piggy vet who has experience of carrying out many, many sow spays successfully and this alone persuaded me to go ahead. She had the op on Monday and it was only after 5 days that she started to pick up. I had to syringe feed her for 3 days straight as she was making no effort to eat or drink, despite being on pain killers and Zantac. By day 4, she was showing interest in fresh grass and lettuce so I stopped syringe feeding. By day 5, she started knawing on the barrier that separated her from her friends, so I removed it. She immediately perked up being back with her buddies. Today (day 7) is the first time I've seen her eat pellets and come rushing out for her veg.

If you have a good vet who is experienced in sow spays, then I'd consider an elective operation. It's a huge shock to their little bodies and not to be undertaken lightly. If you decide to go ahead, I'd highly recommend Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton - he has spayed SO many sows, mostly for a rescue organisation. Girlie piggies couldn't be in safer or more experienced hands. It's still risky but if anyone can do it then Simon can!

 

[DMS260820]

I've just had my 2.5 year old sow spayed due to having very enlarged ovaries. It was a case of do nothing, wait and see and then risk having to spay a poorly and much older piggy. Or spay now.

I have an excellent piggy vet who has experience of carrying out many, many sow spays successfully and this alone persuaded me to go ahead. She had the op on Monday and it was only after 5 days that she started to pick up. I had to syringe feed her for 3 days straight as she was making no effort to eat or drink, despite being on pain killers and Zantac. By day 4, she was showing interest in fresh grass and lettuce so I stopped syringe feeding. By day 5, she started knawing on the barrier that separated her from her friends, so I removed it. She immediately perked up being back with her buddies. Today (day 7) is the first time I've seen her eat pellets and come rushing out for her veg.

If you have a good vet who is experienced in sow spays, then I'd consider an elective operation. It's a huge shock to their little bodies and not to be undertaken lightly. If you decide to go ahead, I'd highly recommend Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton - he has spayed SO many sows, mostly for a rescue organisation. Girlie piggies couldn't be in safer or more experienced hands. It's still risky but if anyone can do it then Simon can!

Just has my boar neutered by simon on friday and burnie is doing very good. Infact you wouldnt know he has been done

 

[Mackers]

Just has my boar neutered by simon on friday and burnie is doing very good. Infact you wouldnt know he has been done

It's a much less invasive op for a boar, to be fair. Obviously there is still the risk of an anaesthetic but the boys generally bounce back pretty quickly. It's the poor girls who suffer .

 

[DMS260820]

It's a much less invasive op for a boar, to be fair. Obviously there is still the risk of an anaesthetic but the boys generally bounce back pretty quickly. It's the poor girls who suffer .

Yea i know yea . Simon told me the sows seem to do better on the anasthetic So thats a bonus. But yea seems as the boars op is less invasive is a real head start anyway for recovery.

I put the comment anyway, basicly saying yes the cat and rabbit care clinic are very good whilst giving even more evidence to back it up. ( although yes it wasnt a spay it was a neuter but still)