Guinea Pig Spay FAQ

Why should I spay my guinea pig?
What are the anesthetic risks?
How is it done?
Will my guinea pig be painful after the procedure?
What should I expect when I bring her home?

Why should I spay my guinea pig?

I do not routinely recommend spaying female guinea pigs if they are not in the same cage with intact male. The major reasons to have your guinea pig spayed are to prevent and/or remove ovarian cysts and to avoid the production of offspring. After 8 months of age pubic bones of a female guinea pig get fused increasing chances having difficulty giving birth (dystocia) which can lead to emergency c-section. Spaying does not change female's behavior or affect smell in any way.

What are the anesthetic risks?

The anesthetic risks for rodents are higher than those for dogs and cats. That is mostly due to their small body size and very small oral cavity which makes endotracheal intubation very difficult. In addition general anesthesia is a big stress for rodents which complicates and prolongs the recovery period. However, a practitioner who is familiar with exotic species makes all the difference since she/he is familiar with medications used in those species and proper anesthetic and pain management.

How is it done? (back to the top)

We do not recommend fasting, because due to their small body size hypoglycemia can occur very quickly. When your pet is admitted to the hospital, she is examined by a veterinarian and an accurate weight is recorded. A premedication containing a sedative and analgesic is administered and 15 minutes later a gas inhalant is administered via mask.

The surgical site is shaved and prepped. An abdominal incision is made and the uterus and ovaries are visualized. Ovaries and uterine body are clamped, sutured and cut. The uterus and ovaries are removed from the abdomen and the incision is closed. We close the incisions with surgical tissue glue to reduce the chance of herniation post-operatively. In general, skin sutures are not used in rodents to prevent self-mutilation due to their fastidious grooming behavior. Although this can be considered a major surgery the guinea pig is ready to go home the same afternoon.

Will my guinea pig be painful after the procedure? (back to the top)

Guinea pigs are very easily stressed and have minimal pain tolerance. With that in mind it is very important to provide a guinea pig with appropriate pain management. In general, pain medication is administered twice throughout this procedure. The first dose is given prior to general anesthesia and the second dose is given 2 hours after surgical procedure is completed.

What should I expect when I bring my guinea pig home after surgery? (back to the top)

There will be no sutures to worry about. However if you notice that the guinea pig licks herself a lot and is uncomfortable we recommend you bring him in for a recheck. For the first week we recommend using shredded newspaper to prevent incision contamination and irritation with shaving.