[clotho]

I have had two females spayed so far. Both had ovarian cysts and were miserable with being hormonal etc.

The first came through the operation just fine. She was in a lot of pain and required a lot of after care - but she was just fine.

The second died right after I got her home from the surgery :( Apparently she was active and eating at the vet's but when I got her home she was lethargic. I thought it was from being put under, but it quickly became apparent something much worse was going on. I was calling an emergency vet as she died in my arms. A necropsy showed she had a blood clot and a collapsed lung.

After the first surgery had gone just fine - I got a bit cocky and thought no problem - it's no big deal - maybe I'll even spay all my girls preventatively (because so many develop cysts eventually).

However, after losing my poor baby Zoro (she was only 3 months old - YES they can get cysts that young) I"ve rethought my position and will only do it if necessary. It really is a risk and shouldn't be taken lightly.

I've never had a male neutered, but from everything I've read, it's much less invasive but still carries risks. The important thing with any surgery is to have a highly skilled vet who has done tonnes of successful surgeries on guinea pigs. But as I found out the hard way, even having a great vet with a great track record, does not ensure your piggie will survive :(