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Rat Spays
Why
should I fix my female rat if she is not broken?
- One potentially expensive and
common health problem in unspayed female rats are breast tumors. Spaying reduces but does not eliminate the
risk of these tumors.
- Unspayed female rats can also
get life threatening uterine diseases. Treatment for these conditions is usually a spay.
Frequently
Asked Questions about Rat Spays
1. Why
should spays be performed at 3-4 months of age before the first heat cycle?
There is less fat in the uterine support
structure and makes it an easier surgery with less risk of complications.
2. How long
will my rat be in the hospital?
Surgeries are done on an outpatient basis. Pets are dropped off between 7:30 and 9am and
discharged in the evening of the same day. Surgeries are admitted by
appointment only.
3. What do
I need to do to prepare my rat for surgery?
Do not feed her the morning of the surgery but
she can have water until she arrives at our facility
4. Will she
be in pain?
Before surgery, she will receive a pain medication
and a mild tranquilizer. After about 20
minutes, she will receive a general anesthetic and be kept asleep with oxygen
and isoflurane anesthetic gas. Prior to
surgical incision, local anesthesia is injected and a different long acting
local anesthetic is injected in the area once surgery is completed. Most rats will receive and additional
injection of pain medication once they are waking up from anesthesia. All patients are monitored closely for
comfort once they are recovered. In the
rare instance a rat seems to be in pain, additional medications are given to
make them comfortable.
5. What can
I do to make it easier for her the day of surgery?
We have been using Laser surgery (instead of a
scalpel blade) for over 12 years with great success. The Laser reduces pain, swelling and bleeding
as compared to a scalpel blade. Use of
Laser is an option provided to you. To learn more about Laser surgery click here.
We strongly recommend the use of some pain
medications at home for about 7 days after surgery. This is an option provided to you.
6. What are
the risks of surgery and anesthesia? How can I reduce that risk?
The risks of surgery include bleeding and wound
infection. These risks are minimized for
an experienced surgeon and our veterinary staff has over 30 years of experience
with surgery. The Laser reduces bleeding
and sterilizes as it cuts; it is a great option to choose.
The risks of anesthesia include the development
of abnormal heart rhythms, decreased blood pressure (may exacerbate kidney
problems), and in very rare cases, death.
We offer to you a preoperative EKG (checks heart rhythm) and
preoperative blood tests to check for anemia and kidney or liver disease. These tests tell us if your pet is as healthy
as possible to undergo elective surgery. Both the EKG and the blood tests are
offered as an option to you.
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Lakeside Veterinary Center, LLC
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