Is spaying dangerous?

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bruxxy

bruxxy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
Messages
668
Location
Toronto
I was just wondering if spaying girl rats is concidered a high-risk operation. I know that neutering a boy is fairly straight forward if the vet knows what that are doing, but since spaying is internal, is it dangerous?
 
I was terrified when two of mine went in - but the vet did a great job and they recovered quickly. Theres always risks with putting animals under for surgery, but the actual spay done by an experienced vet isn't a high risk operation in my opinion.
 
Hi Jo

Over here in the UK, a rat is not normally spayed unless there is pyometra (or somethign similar) or if they have a C-section.

You say that you have had 60 spayed, can I ask why? (not that I am nosey, just really curious (which may be the same thing lol) )

Jules
 
Jo,

I know you're in Ontario so the price shouldn't change too too much. If you don't mind my asking, how much is it to get the operation done?
 
Jules, when we first started having girls, we didn't know much about girls. Then they started popping out tumours. We discussed with our vet our options on how to prevent these damn things to develop. She told us that spaying may help but there wasn't much data on it to actually say it works 100%
So we decided to bite the bullet and get all 13 girls spayed. Some needed tumour removals at the same time. Out of the 13 girls, I believe only 2 had a tumour recur but the rats were very old and passed on of pituitary tumours. Since then, any females that enter out home are spayed, first to help prevent mammary tumours, second so they can mingle with the boys. ;)
Our vet is absolutely amazed at how well spaying works. In fact, anytime a customer comes in with a rat with a tumour, she's going to push a spay at the same time. I need to check my records but the numbers are amazing. Our rats live longer and no more mammary tumours to bring them down.
Anne Hanson of http://www.ratbehavior.org is documenting our progress and using it as a study of spaying in pet rats. A good comparison to those studies done in lab rats. She's quite happy with the results.

I know it's a different way of thinking for those on your side of the pond. In fact, I've been called a few names on a newsgroup because I have all my females spayed. I guess you guys rarely deal with mammary tumours?
I should also mention, I have a most excellent exotic vet so the risk to our rats is minimal. Recovery is usually within a day, sometimes, hours. I consider myself very lucky.

meghan, it costs us $250 for a spay. :(
 
Hi Joanne

Thank you so much for that .... we do have a tumour problem with girls here - a big problem, I would say that most people with girls see tumours at some point.

I am sorry that you were "shouted" at on a newsgroup - I find it all very fascinating.

Would you be able to give me any more information you may have - will look at the link you have given me too.

You may have seen the soap box on the Ratville forum, and be surprised to see that debates such as "does God exist?" and "does your sexuality define you as a person?" with no nasty posts and everyone with complete respect for each other.

I would love to start up a topic on female spaying and wonder if you would be happy to contribute? Looking at differing views across the world would be brilliant.

Jules
 
Count me in! I'm always up for a good debate, and having the experience to back me, up, shoot, I'd say I'm in a good position. lol
 
Of course you can use it - we are in the process of trying to compile videos of rats with things like heat tilt, or PTs etc to help people see the condition rather than just read up on it.

We are happy for you to use anything on RV or on Acrorats - would you mind if we exchange with your links etc?
 
Acrorat Jules said:
Of course you can use it - we are in the process of trying to compile videos of rats with things like heat tilt, or PTs etc to help people see the condition rather than just read up on it.

We are happy for you to use anything on RV or on Acrorats - would you mind if we exchange with your links etc?
Click to expand...

I have videos of PT on ratguide.com for my 2 girls...

If you need medical photos as well, I have a library...ask anyone. :oops:
 
ooo fantastic - I can see when I have more time (like next week) I can post a topic.

We have a new health care section just started on our forum, and it would be fab to use information gathered from here, where obviously as far as the UK in concerned there is a whole load of information that we could tap into.

Do you have twin towns in Canada? We do here - like Gloucester is twinned with somewhere in Germany and France. Maybe we could twin the Rat Shak with Ratville?

Jules
 
Acrorat Jules said:
ooo fantastic - I can see when I have more time (like next week) I can post a topic.

We have a new health care section just started on our forum, and it would be fab to use information gathered from here, where obviously as far as the UK in concerned there is a whole load of information that we could tap into.

Do you have twin towns in Canada? We do here - like Gloucester is twinned with somewhere in Germany and France. Maybe we could twin the Rat Shak with Ratville?

Jules
Click to expand...

There's a Sudbury, Suffolk, England
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, 15 miles from Colchester and 60 miles from London.
 
Yep, and we (Sudbury) are named after the England town. According to our history, the prospector named our city after his wife's hometown in England: Sudbury.

It'd be fun to be your twin. :wink:
I'll put it in our links section.
 

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