spaying for behavior

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Aug 17, 2019
Messages
12
Location
north carolina
so i have a four month old girl who i'm considering spaying because she has some problems with aggression, and unprovoked biting and anger. I’ve read a few places that it can help stabilize their hormones. I believe this is the problem with her as she seems to be moody? it’s almost like she acts out for attention, but the wrong kind.
regardless, i was thinking maybe spaying her could help her handle her emotions better! but as i was reading up on it,
i realized there seems to be a lot of heath benefits to spaying female rats as it can eliminates the possibilities of certain tumors. If this is the case i think maybe spaying both my rats would be a good idea.
however, i have heard it’s risky to put rats under. has anyone on here spayed their female rats? and if so was it helpful? does anyone think it’s too risky?
 
If you think her aggression flares up during her heat cycle it's very possibly a hormonal issue, and spaying might help. As for spays being beneficial they really really are! As long as your vet is experienced, uses gas anesthesia, and sends you home with oral pain meds you should be fine. I've had many girls spayed from full ovario-hysterectomies, emergency spays due to pregnancy, and ovariectomies (remove ovaries through the flank incision, less invasive by far).
 
i think so because it’s almost like she’s having mood swings! one second she’s just her regular little aloof slept and then the next she’s bullying her sister and and running up to me for nips. I definitely look further into it! thank you for ur advice :)
 
Spaying is incredibly beneficial but don't be disappointed if you don't see a change in her behaviour. We've spayed hundreds of rats and honestly, not one has changed her behaviour due to it. But I only had a handful of female bullies. It's still worth it and she might very well be one that will also benefit behaviour wise from it.
 
I think she's just very very mean during the beginning of her heat. She seems very high strung and jumpy, so I was thinking maybe it would help her relax at the very least. But regardless I'm going to look into it because I read such good things about the health benefits. Although I'm having a bit of trouble finding a suitable vet
 
Last edited:
Back
Top