Spaying A 4+ Old Sow How Dangerous I S It?

[Tinkoz]

Hi as some of you may know we lost our little apple on the 12th of this month leaving her sister behind. while Apple was I'll we had soo many tests done, one of these was an ultra sound & x- ray which showed she had very small polycystic ovaries (early stages & no symptoms showing). while doing my normal monthly health check on Peaches I've noticed the same sort of lumpy feeling. I'm taking her to the vets on Monday.
Does anyone know how much more dangerous it is to have this procedure done on an older piggy?

P.S our girls were adopted & their age is only guessed

P.P.S if we have to have it done she will get the best so the 2½ hour drive to get Simon to do it will be our only option for us.
Thank you

 

[Lady Kelly]

My bumble was 4 when she was spayed and managed fine with it. Obviously GA is dangerous to all animals more so if they are elderly and if there's an underlying medical condition which could be affecting their immune system.

I would first visit Simon with a view to looking at your options as there are hormonal treatments available now that could treat the cysts without a need for an operation but you need to know what your options are and what the best route of action is, only a vet after examining her will be able to tell you this.

 

[zombieprincess]

Y 61/2 year old girl was spayed with no complications. I was very lucky that I took her to the vet for a ultrasound to confirm she had cysts as a previous vet practice had taken over a month to get back to me. The vet who did her scan, (who had been rrccomended by one of her colleagues to do such a procedure on a piggy) had already spayed piggies successfully a number of times. The main reason I opted to spay Perri was because hormonal treatments hadn't worked out with her. On ocassion they can have allergic skin reactions to the injection/implant site and this is a hat happened to her. Also her cyst was so massive (weighed nearly 800grams!) That I wanted to just be rid of the chanc of it happening again gone.

So I would agree with Kelly, look into hormone treatment and possibly try them out first. Then go down the spay route if she has confirmed cysts. If done by an experienced vet, I don't think you should have to much to worry about.

 

[Wiebke]

It is possible to spay at that age, but it is a major operation and you want a good operating vet.
My tiny Cariad needed an emergency spay at that age when her womb went horribly wrong (enlarged, fluid filled and borderline infectious plus lump); thanks to a very good vet (Simon), she sailed through hers.

However, you may rather want to look into hormone treatment (HCG) and see wether that would be a valid, but much less invasive and risky alternative to a spay.

 

[MintyAndGarry (TEAS)]

@Tinkoz - just to let you know, Simon is on annual leave this coming week.

 

[Tinkoz]

My bumble was 4 when she was spayed and managed fine with it. Obviously GA is dangerous to all animals more so if they are elderly and if there's an underlying medical condition which could be affecting their immune system.

I would first visit Simon with a view to looking at your options as there are hormonal treatments available now that could treat the cysts without a need for an operation but you need to know what your options are and what the best route of action is, only a vet after examining her will be able to tell you this.

Oh that's good to know my vet oversaly dies not know about them because with Apple my only option was to spay her but she was too I'll at the time and with the thought she would get better we would have waited till she was fully recovered. Thank you

 

[Tinkoz]

Thank you all I feel a lot better that there are other options that I may have rather than having to puty baby through an operation. To be fair I'm probably wording about nothing but I want to make sure if she does have them I vrt them Earlie the lump I can feel I could not feel or missed last month when I checked her. She's not showing any symptoms at all and is happy in her self but I'm an over partitive mum. Thank you all again

 

[biscandmatt]

hopefully she won't need any treatment if they aren't causing any problems (as you probably know, most sows over a certain age will have cysts and won't all have problems ) but if at some stage she did need treatment, then hcg injections are a good option. a spay is slightly riskier in older sows and there is always a risk with anaesthetic in any animal, but in the hands of an excellent exotics vet, the risks are still very low. our vet said they see and spay alot of older sows and the operation is generally straight forward and successful, but aftercare is a really important part of treatment.

 

[Tinkoz]

hopefully she won't need any treatment if they aren't causing any problems (as you probably know, most sows over a certain age will have cysts and won't all have problems ) but if at some stage she did need treatment, then hcg injections are a good option. a spay is slightly riskier in older sows and there is always a risk with anaesthetic in any animal, but in the hands of an excellent exotics vet, the risks are still very low. our vet said they see and spay alot of older sows and the operation is generally straight forward and successful, but aftercare is a really important part of treatment.

Thank you

 

[Tinkoz]

Just a quick update
We saw the vets today to get Peaches results and it shows she has large overian systs she's not showing any symptoms at this stage. She is eating well & bright in her self. Were going to be looking into the HCG treatment that biscandmatt mentioned. If any of you have more information on this treatment or know a site I can read up on it that would be great please thank you.

 

[Alanaf]

Hope everything is still going ok with you tonight.

I have just been through the hormone treatment with my girl scruff pot, her cyst has been causing her to have some intestinal issues and bloating.

Unfortunately as the bloating is still there it doesn't seem to have been successful with her, however I know of many people who have had great success with it.

She's still bright in herself but still has the bloating issues.

We are going to the vet on Wednesday to have another ultrasound scan, her last hormone injection was last week - and then we will be looking into the other options for her.

One thing we may try is aspirating the cyst - drawing the fluid out with a needle. If this doesn't seem possible after her scan I think I might have to be going down the spaying route with her - I'm nervous but our bet has been very supportive and listens to all of my concerns.

I'll let you know how we get on on Wednesday - I hope things are okay with your girl xx

 

[Tinkoz]

Hope everything is still going ok with you tonight.

I have just been through the hormone treatment with my girl scruff pot, her cyst has been causing her to have some intestinal issues and bloating.

Unfortunately as the bloating is still there it doesn't seem to have been successful with her, however I know of many people who have had great success with it.

She's still bright in herself but still has the bloating issues.

We are going to the vet on Wednesday to have another ultrasound scan, her last hormone injection was last week - and then we will be looking into the other options for her.

One thing we may try is aspirating the cyst - drawing the fluid out with a needle. If this doesn't seem possible after her scan I think I might have to be going down the spaying route with her - I'm nervous but our bet has been very supportive and listens to all of my concerns.

I'll let you know how we get on on Wednesday - I hope things are okay with your girl xx

I really hope everything goes well with your girl on Wednesday.
Can you tell me how many HTC injection you have had & over what period of time? Please x

 

[Alanaf]

We have done 3 injections with 7 days between them - depending on Wednesday we may possibly try some more injections, if we aspirate the cyst the injections she could have another cycle of them afterward.

My thread on Bloat a few under this one goes into much more detail about everything that's happened with us over the last 5 weeks - it starts with the initial bloat and gut statis issues through to the eventual cyst diagnosis and her treatments

 

[Abi_nurse]

I've just had my 5 year old sow spayed last week. She's doing very well. Almost ready for back into the herd this week. Ate and poo'd well from an hour or two after surgery and continued to do well.

It is much safer if you have a good vet (and nurse) team with experience and knowledge and your piggie is relatively well before surgery and eating well.

Yes, aneasthesia is risky, but I think risk is far too overrated as often small furries die at the hands of the inexperienced or not knowledgable. Finding a good experienced and trained vets is your key here. Of course, things can and do happen, but risk is greatly reduced with a good team and well pig.

Let us know how you get on.

x

Ps. My take on the implant is that they can be hit and miss depending on the exact reason why you have the ovarian cyst. In some cases it can work well, but in others it has no effect at all, reverting back to the spaying option as the only cure. Thought I would put it put there for you.

 

[Tinkoz]

@Alanaf thank you I'll try and find your thread & have a read through.

@Abi_nurse thank you to know a piggy a year older than peaches is making a good recovery puts my mind at rest a bit. I have to say my stomack is in knots over this for 2 reason
1) I'm a VERRY over protective piggy mummy
2) we lost Peach's sister (biological) on the 12th of this month she was also diagnosed with very small cysts when we had investigations into an illness she had & was told these would not be the cause of her illness however after doing research into them it very well could have been the reason she become so I'll & resulted in her long sleep
You can see why I'm so worried :-( I'll be talking to our vets later this week to see what her opinion is on the course of treatment recommended & I'm also going to see if I can get in touch with simon to see what he thinks & if nessasary make the long trip to him to have the opp done or have him have a look at her. Now we know there there, while they don't seam to be causing any problems & she's eating well & is bouncing all over the place I would like to get it sorted to give her the best chance & reduce any discomfort she may be in now & deffently stop any that she would be in the future x
Thank you both x

 

[Abi_nurse]

It is very normal for all older sows to have small cysts develop on their ovaries and them to cause no problems. It's only once they become huge etc that they become unwell and need intervention. I can understand being protective, I am about my pets too.

Hope you get her sorted.

x