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Spaying..

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BonBon2010

BonBon2010

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Just a query really. I'm taking Humbug to the Vets tomorrow for her nails to be trimmed and also have a couple of suspect pea sized free moving lumps on her abdomen. I also suspect she may have ovarian cysts, down to her behaviour, so for that, I may have to explore having her spayed to decrease any risks of cancer.
What are the success rates for spaying? She's 3 years old and other wise healthy.
 
We always tell owners there is a higher risk of an anaesthetic because they are smaller. The main thing with small furries is keeping them warm. A lot of deaths after anesthetic with small animals occurs on recovery due to hypothermia. But vets and nurses are aware of this so we make extra effort to keep them warm on recovery, using hot hands, warm beanies etc to keep them warm. If she is fit and healthy, there's no reason why anything bad should happen. But as with any an anaesthetic, now and then deaths do occur and no body knows why, dogs is 1 healthy dog in 1000 I believe. Small furries is more, but if its for her own good and she's in good health, then you can't ask for more than that :) xx
 
There is not the link with ovarian cancer that there is in rabbits. Spaying is usually only performed if there is an acute problem with the reproductive tract; for that reason it's not practised as a prevention. Ovarian cysts are pretty common in older sows, but in the vast majority they are actually not causing any problems.

In the last 2-3 years, hormone treatment has become more accepted for ovarian cysts that cause problems instead of a much riskier operation. it might be worth researching into that instead.
 
Well it's not a cyst, but i'm going to keep an eye on the lump to see if it gets any bigger. She's been given a clean bill of health :)
 
Both my 2 old ladies (4yrs) were spayed last year - they were spayed by an exotics specialist in dursley who has 7 guinea pigs of her own and spays all her females - the more experienced a vet is at spaying the shorter the op time will usually be - both of my girls were done and round within 20 mins ,both also had tumours removed as well at the same time - they recovered far quicker than a simple external lump removal with a less practiced vet - I would personally find the most experienced vet you can who has spayed guineas - many have rabbit experience but not guinea experience - it is true that things have moved on with hormone injections and implants,but my vet said that in the majority of cases the injections and implants tended to be a short term solution.
 
I agree with TAN that with a really good vet, spaying is a good option; but if you don't have access to one, then alternative solutions should be taken into consideration!

I have lost one 4 year old sow in a spaying op by a general local vet (they underestimated the weight loss from the huge, fast growing cysts she had and the sow basically didn't wake up again) four years ago and have had one very smooth and actually much riskier emergency spay (womb was grossly enlarged and borderline pyometric, fluid filled with a lump growing in it) undertaken by a a very practiced piggy spaying specialist in Northampton from which my low weight 5 year old has just bounced back without any weight loss at all (apart from the missing body parts).
I agree that the quick operating time is the mark of a truly excellent vet, as that cuts really down on post op problems as well as a good anaesthetist and nursing team.
 
Wiebke said:
I agree with TAN that with a really good vet, spaying is a good option; but if you don't have access to one, then alternative solutions should be taken into consideration!

I have lost one 4 year old sow in a spaying op by a general local vet (they underestimated the weight loss from the huge, fast growing cysts she had and the sow basically didn't wake up again) four years ago and have had one very smooth and actually much riskier emergency spay (womb was grossly enlarged and borderline pyometric, fluid filled with a lump growing in it) undertaken by a a very practiced piggy spaying specialist in Northampton from which my low weight 5 year old has just bounced back without any weight loss at all (apart from the missing body parts).
I agree that the quick operating time is the mark of a truly excellent vet, as that cuts really down on post op problems as well as a good anaesthetist and nursing team.
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Wiebke that's really interesting re the weight loss. I just had my girl spayed, she was losing 50g a week in weight but looked healthy (. Little hunched maybe) and was eating like crazy, we tried chorulon (3 times) in the end her weight loss was so bad I just called it a day and we decided to spay. I was really worried that maybe something else was causing it but your post makes me much more confident. The vet is very guinea competent, she showed me a photo of her ovaries, one had a 3 cm cyst, the other a smaller one and her uterus was enlarged so I am really hoping spaying will resolve her issues. 48 hours after the op she seems good so far but don't want to jinx her!
 
If your girl is good at 48hrs then you should be fine - it is often after the first 24hrs that they can bomb down - but you are past that - am sure it will all be o.k x
 
Guinea Slave said:
Wiebke that's really interesting re the weight loss. I just had my girl spayed, she was losing 50g a week in weight but looked healthy (. Little hunched maybe) and was eating like crazy, we tried chorulon (3 times) in the end her weight loss was so bad I just called it a day and we decided to spay. I was really worried that maybe something else was causing it but your post makes me much more confident. The vet is very guinea competent, she showed me a photo of her ovaries, one had a 3 cm cyst, the other a smaller one and her uterus was enlarged so I am really hoping spaying will resolve her issues. 48 hours after the op she seems good so far but don't want to jinx her!
Click to expand...

48 hours post op, her body should be settling down and she should be starting to heal, so you are past the most critical phase where bad reactions to the anaesthetics and op can happen.

As always, keep an eye out for any sudden loss of appetite/weight - it is usually the sign of an infection setting in, but don't panic over the possibility! With a prompt vet visit and the much greater selection of stronger antibiotics, this is much less of an issue than just a few years ago when most vets would only prescribe baytril...

Weigh daily for a couple of weeks to be on the safe side; by 10-14 days the wounds should have fully knitted up.
 
Thanks guys! She is definitely looking ok. Still a little hunched but very perky and eating well. Been weighing her and she's holding her own.

But to give you an idea of the cysts impact...she was a healthy 1020g ( she's not a big girl) she now weighs 810g :-( why do the cysts do this to them? Are the cysts taking all the energy from the food to grow? This was over 21 days with 3 chorulon injections...you can see why I was panicking!

I am popping her over for a post op check this morning as she has been nibbling at her wound naughty girl.
 
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