Preventative Spaying?

[becks715]

Hi there,

I am searching for a second opinion.  We have two adult female guinea pigs who live happily together.  One is just two and the other we aren't sure about (adopted her from the local shelter) but she could be as old as 3 I would think from the state of her when we got her.

Our vet at their yearly exam the other day brought forth the idea of a preventative spay.  More specifically for the younger one as her body shape is VERY pear like and Very fatty in the rump area.  She has always been that way but our vet says that she notices the instance of ovarian issues like cysts more commonly in the ones shaped like our youngest. And suggested a preventative spay.  Guinea pigs are so sensitive to changes and a major operation I worry is too much stress to go through.  But at the same time I don't want to leave her open to painful ovarian/uteren issues if they are going to be more of a risk in her.  

What are your thoughts on a preventative spay in such a delicate animal?  They both are in perfect health other wise (with the exception of a cataract starting in the older one).  I'm just really confused about it and I want to give them the best quality of life I can for as long as they will be here.

[becks715]

Thank you so much.  I will bring these questions to the vet and have a real discussion about it before I make any decisions.  

Much appreciated!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Spaying may be performed on a female guinea pig for the same reasons you would spay female cats or dogs; to prevent overpopulation, to prevent hormonally induced cancers and reproductive issues such as ovarian tumors, cysts, uterine cancers and mammary gland cancers, it also helps with obesity.  Spaying a guinea pig is riskier than spaying a cat or dog however,  but can be fairly safe in the hands of a veterinary surgeon with extensive exotic experience who uses the safest anesthesia protocols, specific to guinea pigs.  

Here is a list of questions to ask your vet before you decide to have your guina pig spayed:
1.  How many guinea pigs have you spayed?
2.  How many have you spayed in the last 6 months?
3.  What is your success rate?
(A vet's success rate should be 98% or better.)
4.  What kind of complications have you experienced?
5.  What kind of anesthesia do you use?
Optimal anesthesia protocol: Isoflurane or Sevoflurane gas only. Injectable methods are not recommended.

Ask for several patient references.

There is no available statistic about the frequency of cancer in the unspayed guina pig as there is for the female rabbit, dog and cat  i.e.: 80% of unspayed female rabbits can get uterine cancer if they live long enough.  Therefore maybe your vet can provide you with an article including statistics about the pros of spaying your guinea pig.