Should I spay all three?

[AnonymousPigParent]

Recently (and currently) I'm in a situation where my oldest girl needs to be spayed. She's had so many lumps appearing and disappearing, vets not knowing what to do, and antibiotics failing her. Thankfully we're getting things under hand and she's improving a little.

I really don't want to go through this again with her two friends. They're a month or two younger and in good health. Should I consider having them both spayed as well? They have at least one shared parent, an elderly and very ill at the time sow, rescued all three from a breeding-for-profit household.

I don't want to lose any of them to the surgery, but the risk of having this lump and tumor and internal mass issue down the line scares me. They're 4 years and 6-10 months old. I think the sooner the better, as the lump situation happened out of the blue for my longterm issue piggie.

Please tell me your thoughts. Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

Recently (and currently) I'm in a situation where my oldest girl needs to be spayed. She's had so many lumps appearing and disappearing, vets not knowing what to do, and antibiotics failing her. Thankfully we're getting things under hand and she's improving a little.

I really don't want to go through this again with her two friends. They're a month or two younger and in good health. Should I consider having them both spayed as well? They have at least one shared parent, an elderly and very ill at the time sow, rescued all three from a breeding-for-profit household.

I don't want to lose any of them to the surgery, but the risk of having this lump and tumor and internal mass issue down the line scares me. They're 4 years and 6-10 months old. I think the sooner the better, as the lump situation happened out of the blue for my longterm issue piggie.

Please tell me your thoughts. Thank you.

Hi

I have had several 4-5 year olds sows successfully emergency spayed, so the age is not necessarily an issue - two of those sows have lived to 8 years (one of them just 9 days short of her 8th birthday and her sister, who would have otherwise developed cancer, is still going - just about).

It is however a major operation so you want to be able to fully trust your vet as at the moment preventative spaying is still hanging somewhat in the balance in terms of the success rate. Ovariectomy (just removing the ovaries) from the back is a somewhat less invasive procedure but it depends on what your girl is battling as the womb can also go wrong.
This is something you would like to discuss with your vet and whether they think that there could be a genetic disposition in play. Also ask your vet how confident they (or the operating vet) are feeling about spaying all three sows.
Without knowing the country you are in, this is as much general advice we can we give you.

Here is a little more information:
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[AnonymousPigParent]

Hi

I have had several 4-5 year olds sows successfully emergency spayed, so the age is not necessarily an issue - two of those sows have lived to 8 years (one of them just 9 days short of her 8th birthday and her sister, who would have otherwise developed cancer, is still going - just about).

It is however a major operation so you want to be able to fully trust your vet as at the moment preventative spaying is still hanging somewhat in the balance in terms of the success rate. Ovariectomy (just removing the ovaries) from the back is a somewhat less invasive procedure but it depends on what your girl is battling as the womb can also go wrong.
This is something you would like to discuss with your vet and whether they think that there could be a genetic disposition in play. Also ask your vet how confident they (or the operating vet) are feeling about spaying all three sows.
Without knowing the country you are in, this is as much general advice we can we give you.

Here is a little more information:
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Tips For Post-operative Care

Thank you for your reply. I'll try and find a time when I can discuss it with the vets I see, I trust her greatly as she performed two successful lump removals for the same piggie currently in a bout of lump troubles. She mentioned before being very sure it is a routine procedure, and this is the best time to do it as they aren't getting any younger, also that the main worry is the recovery as complications are a real concern.

Thank you again for your reply. I appreciate it a lot.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply. I'll try and find a time when I can discuss it with the vets I see, I trust her greatly as she performed two successful lump removals for the same piggie currently in a bout of lump troubles. She mentioned before being very sure it is a routine procedure, and this is the best time to do it as they aren't getting any younger, also that the main worry is the recovery as complications are a real concern.

Thank you again for your reply. I appreciate it a lot.

If your vet is very confident about it and experienced with the op, then I would personally go for it.
It means that they will take less time in operating, which means a smaller risk of GA-related problems.
However, we cannot make any decisions for you and I would strongly recommend to discuss the pros and cons with your vet and ask for her own honest opinion. If you ask politely, a vet will usually give it.

 

[Sasco]

I'm dealing with exactly the same dilemma at the moment, so completely understand how hard it is to make the decision. I definitely agree with Wiebke that you need a very open discussion with the vet, particularly about how often they do this kind of surgery and how experienced they are with guinea pig anaesthetics. My vet recommends considering a spay for all females because of the risks of cysts and how much more complicated the surgery becomes once cysts develop, but I am still struggling to decide! I had Ethel spayed at about 5 years old due to severe cysts - the surgery was complicated and long, but her recovery was amazing and I have absolutely no regrets about having gone for it with her.