# Female rats - to spay or not to spay?



## Claireglynn (Dec 9, 2011)

Hi,

I bought 2 "male rats" in december from [email protected] adoptions (i know... But they were just to cute) however it became very quickly apparent that they were infact girls, these are the first female rats i have ever owned.
I now have 4 girls, and have been reading up about the high chance that they may develop tumours in the future, being girls compaired to boys.
Alot of sites say they have a 50% chance, where as spayed girls have a 4% chance of tumours after 18 months of age.

What i would love to know is do you all think that major surgery is really worth the risk?
They are healthy at the moment and if they didnt pull through the surgery i wouldnt forgive myself, however if they got tumours in the future i would always be thinking i wish i'd of had them spayed.

Also i know getting 4 girls spayed would not be cheap and would take a chunk out of my vet bills funds, for something that isnt essential.

I know people like b3rnie have alot of girls, do you get your girls spayed when they are fairly young as a precaution or would you not take the chance of major surgery when it is not essential?

Sorry for the long winded post.

Claire


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2012)

Personally I'm not a fan of routine spaying and neutering of rats, especially as does can still develop tumours after they have been spayed. However if any of my girls did develop tumours I wouldn't have any doubts about getting them spayed whilst they were having the tumours removed.

If you did go ahead you need to make sure you find your self a very good rodent vet that has preformed many spays/neuters


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I agree with what B3rnie says, I wouldn't spay without a good reason, although if a girl with a mamm lump was a good candidate for surgery I would get it done at the same time as the lumpectomy


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

I have 9 girls none are spayed 

One does have a large Tumor under her arm which is sadly making me think about pts as she's not a young girl either  
I think I only have a week max to really think about it at the rate it's growing


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## Claireglynn (Dec 9, 2011)

Thank you all so so much for your replies.

I never would of thought of getting a rat spayed until i went on a rat forum (before i found this one) and if you say you have a female rat that isnt spayed you are treated like dirt with a 20 page thread telling you why you should.
That is why it had me thinking, maybe i was doing something wrong not getting them spayed.

I have been looking up what is involved and although it isnt the surgery itself that is the most worring thing it is putting a rat under general when it isnt neccessary.

I was really hoping you would say that you didnt think it was a good idea, as i didnt want to have to have it done, but i do think alot of what you all say on here so if you had said yes 100% then it would of swayed me.

Thank you all again so much. Holly, Eve, Charlotte and Bella say thank you to, dont think they would of appreciated it to much. :thumbup:


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## Claireglynn (Dec 9, 2011)

LostGirl i am so sorry for you and your little girl, and having to make a decision like that. It really cant be easy at all.

I'm sure what ever you decide will be for the best x


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Really wow was it a uk forum? I think the risks of them
Dying while under would put me off doing it as a normal routine thing

And thanks hopefully once I've spoken to the vets again it'll be easier for me to decide x


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2012)

LostGirl said:


> Really wow was it a uk forum? I think the risks of them
> Dying while under would put me off doing it as a normal routine thing
> 
> And thanks hopefully once I've spoken to the vets again it'll be easier for me to decide x


This really, I'm shocked


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## Claireglynn (Dec 9, 2011)

No it wasnt a UK forum. They were all very helpful but very into spaying on there.


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

We've had one of our girls spayed because she was bleeding from her minny and it was to do with her womb so had to remove it. Touch wood not had a problem since from her or the other one.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

I'm guessing it was an American forum? They are very into spaying/ neutering rats for some reason, but from what I've seen they seem to have quite unhealthy 'stock' over there. They also have a lot of very fat rats from what I've seen, which would explain why they have such a problem with tumours.

I would only spay a rat if it was life saving. For example, I would spay a rat with pyometra and a young rat who kept getting tumours. But I wouldn't spay a rat just because they may get tumours, or to have a mixed group as it is a big risk for a tiny animal.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Yup, I've seen the same thing as Snippet. I've been trying to sort of sneak it in where I can so they get that we really don't have the same tumour rate they do.
Nearly every single one of their females get tumours, but out of 15 I've not had a single one.
I think the US tumour rate has been quoted at 80% sometimes 
Stand your ground though- I know what you mean when they think you're not taking care of your pets but over here there's a greater risk of them not recovering from the surgery that probably wasn't worth it in the first place.
We think Lilly may have one, but 1/15 is still not bad.
I don't routinely spay my girls- 15 x £60= broke Maltey.
As previously said, if they were viable for a spay whilst under for a lumpectomy I'd go for it because if they get a tumour once then there's a very high chance of it reoccurring, but I don't do it as a precaution.


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## Claireglynn (Dec 9, 2011)

Matley, i know you will know what forum i am talking about 
And yes if your female rat is not neutered you are a very bad owner that doesnt deserve to have a pet, that is why i was surprised it wasnt talked about on here when i joined, their forum is every other thread.

It is amazing how different they view spaying, it is just like having their claws trimmed, no big deal at all.
I am so glad that i asked, i have completely decided against spaying, unless of course it is neccessary for health reasons alone.

Thank you everyone :thumbup:


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

wow 80% thats huge! i have noticed their rats tend to be massive My girls excpet 3 are small built two are rescues (one being the one with the lump!) oddly enough all 3 are Blues two russian and one british they are my only large ones


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

I think it's mostly due to how fat they keep their rats. I've seen photos of bucks that puddle even when they're stood up, and I've seen a lot of girls that are very boyish looking. Mind you, they seen to put about a million hammocks in each cage, and few to none climbing toys.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

Just wondering if you could PM me the name of the forum Claireglynn? I'm feeling nosey


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I did ask my vet about the possibility of having Cookie spayed when she was having her second tumour removed, she said that there were only reductions in the risk of tumours if the rat was spayed before she was sexually mature, as that was very young its unlikely many vets would operate on such a young animal anyway, any neutered after they reached sexual maturity would be just as likely to develop tumours as unneutered females. Im only quoting what my vet told me though, I havent actually looked into it further.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

I have never heard of spaying rats. The smallest animal I would have spayed is a rabbit and even then I think twice and am on tenterhooks about it. No way would I put a rodent under anastetic unless essential, not worth it IMO, a risk is a risk however small. I have been unfortunate enough to have an animal die whist having a "routine operation". If they get ill they get ill, sods law and all that, and whilst I'd try to cure them, if I couldn't, at least they'd have had a good life up to then, whereas if I sent a perfectly healthy animal that was running around no problems that morning for surgery they 'need' because I say so, it would be all my fault if they weren't running around again in the evening. Too much guilt there, I'd have as good as signed a death warrent, I couldn't hack it, would rather take a risk instead - at least if something goes wrong it's fate's doing not mine.


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## rattiedee (Jun 3, 2012)

Maltey said:


> Yup, I've seen the same thing as Snippet. I've
> 
> I don't routinely spay my girls- 15 x £60= broke Maltey.


15!!!! I want to come live with Maltey :thumbup:


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## rattiedee (Jun 3, 2012)

Oh and I agree too hun, I wouldnt spay unless something made you really really have to.
I have 2 girls and 2 boys and unless something happens to their health that changes things, mine will be left alone to enjoy a healthy happy life :thumbup:


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