Rat spaying seems to be a subject that creates a lot of heated discussion among rat lovers.
There seem to be two camps, those that think it's beneficial, and those that believe because it's preventative surgery, for something that might not even happen, that it's an unnecessary risk..
Of course it's a risk.. medical procedures on rats always are.. but for me, the potential benefits, and my belief in my veterinary surgeon outweighed that risk.
Why would I put her in for costly, potentially life-threatening surgery, if she's not ill?
Good question, and one I still have the occasional mind-wrestling session with.
The fact of the matter is, aside from the occasional foster, and stolen moments with friends rats, I stopped having rats as pets back in '08. The only reason for that, was because watching them become addled with tumours and cancers, and seeing them gradually go downhill, some at stupidly young ages, hurt too much.
Aside from my beloved Korn, I have lost all of my girls, sometimes years before their time, to cancer, and it broke my heart, and I couldn't watch it happen anymore. So I 'simply' stopped keeping rats.
The trouble is, it wasn't simple.. not for me anyway.. something in my life was missing.
I ''get'' rats. I'm a ''rat-person''
My world doesn't feel the same without shoulder buddies, and my home isn't the same without them.
So what could I do?
It was the chance discovery of another persons blog about rat spaying, that produced a glimmer of hope.
I knew people often had boys 'fixed' but I'd honestly never heard of people 'fixing' girls..
When I did my research (and believe me, I did many weeks of research) I discovered that in some cases, spaying reduces the risk of mammary tumours by around 92%.. it also reduces the incidences of Pituitary tumours, and removes the chances of Uterine cancer completely.
Anyone who has had the joy of free-range time with their rats, obliterated, by the bombshell of discovering a lump on their pet, will understand why that information meant so much to me.
It doesn't reduce the incidences of all cancers, and I know, all too well, that it's usually the things you can't think of, that go wrong.
But for me, the knowledge that whatever happens in the future, I could do something to fight back against the helplessness, I could provide a chance, however likely or unlikely, that my babies could die, warm in their beds, at a ripe old age,is what matters..
My home, I decided, would become a ratty zone again.
My girls, I decided, would be spayed.
Spaying is a dangerous operation, but everything rides on the person you get to perfom the surgery.
You wouldn't let a person who's read a web page on how the heart works, perfom open heart surgery on a human?
So why on earth, during my research, did I see people saying:
''well my vet said it's just like cats, so I said go for it'' or
''My vet has never done it, but she's been online and checked the procedure, and she's willing to give it a go''?
No. Just no.
If your vet has never performed the operation, and isn't used to treating rats, alarm bells should ring instantly, your rat is better off not having the procedure done at all. This is just common sense...... surely?
I am VERY lucky to have a wonderful vet, called Jo.
She greets every animal she sees like an old friend, and many of my practices fellow clients talk about her going 'above and beyond' for their furry friend.
The whole practice is rated very highly, by everyone who uses their services.
When I rang up to enquire about getting my girls spayed, it was a far cry from ''bring it in, we'll have a go''
Jo was honest with me from the off - It wasn't something she'd done since graduating, and although she was specialised in small furries, she would need to do her research, before committing to it.
And research she did.
I enquired well in advance, and Jo spent the weeks up until the procedure, going over her notes, and discussing it with her colleagues.
She mentioned that, although spays are fairly standard procedures, with rats so often things fall down when it comes down to things like anaesthetic and pain medication and after-care, and that vets often didn't realise how dangerous the medication they give to most animals can be to them.
Having already done my own research, this sentence alone allayed so many of my fears.
Jo was taking this seriously. This wasn't ''just another money-making op''
When I took Nova in for her surgery, she had a full pre-op health check, with Jo.
She asked me any questions, and was impressed, rather than irritated when I produced a booklet filled with my frantic worried scribblings.
Did she use gas, rather than injectable anaesthetic?
Did she prescribe pain meds?
Did the practice have a policy of specialised, post-operative care?
The patience with which she answered every single one of my questions, was unfaltering.
I left Nova there, worried obviously, but a lot less frightened than I would have been.
The surgery was a complete success.
Nova came through it brilliantly, aided by the amazing Jo, and her equally amazing nurses.
Nova didn't suffer any effects at all, except initial drowsiness.
Her scar was checked the day after, and then a week after the surgery, all included in the price, but it healed so quickly it was never an issue. (A fact I put down to the internal stitches, and external gluing, and my own ban on her climbing for five days.. which did not go down well, but was absolutely necessary..)
Is it expensive?
Price wasn't an issue. I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination, quite the opposite, but I'm firmly in the ''if you can't afford to do your very best for them, don't a have a pet'' camp, and it's a personal thing, but for me, that goes for preventative surgery too..
I do however realise that people who might come across this blog looking for rat spaying info, particularly here in the UK, where it's still a rare-ish procedure, would probably like to know.
The whole thing cost me £63. That's Pre and Post Operative checks, and all medication, including the painkillers she came home with.
With my cat Alistair being a member of their Healthy Pet Club, I got money off.. and then I found out that, during the first two months of 2012, all surgical procedures were 50% off.
It ended up costing me under £30.
Madness really, considering how much effort Jo put in..
(I know Freyas will be around £60 - because she's a little younger, I wasn't able to get her in for the same half price offer, but as I said before.. not an issue)
I know no-two operations ever go the same way, and I know that with rats all procedures are touch-and-go.
I'm happy with my decision to go through with it as soon as they were old enough, and I guess in a few years time, I'll see what effect it had.
Will it stop them from dying early?
I don't know.. Nobody does.
For now though;
Was it worth it in my opinion?
Yes. Absolutely.
Would I do it again?
Yes. Absolutely.
xx
