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Help! Spaying for Uterine Cancer?

2475 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  ChloëMali, 
P
Penelope had blood in her urine earlier this week, so I took her to the vet. I just received all her test results, and the vet says that she has uterine cancer. Luckily, it looks like the cancer has not spread yet, but they can't be 100% sure since they see some weird blip in her bladder which might be cancer. The vet suggests spaying her, but also keeps talking about the possibility of having to do a complete abdominal explore if they find more masses. Right now, Penelope is still acting herself, running on her wheel, and eating and drinking like normal. I don't know if surgery is the right route to go... I don't want her to be in pain nor do I want her to go through a surgery if it is not going to extend her life dramatically. I love her so much and it is killing me to know that she is sick!

Has anyone else spayed their hedgies after they found out that they had cancer? What is the life expectancy after the surgery? Are there any complications I should be aware of post-surgery? Did your hedgie get cancer in a different part of their body even after the surgery? Any and all advice is welcome. This is a really tough decision to make.
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M
Yes, you should spay her.
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So after talking to the vet more, they are very optimistic that the cancer has not spread and that Penelope has a good chance of having a long, happy life after the surgery. She is having her surgery tomorrow morning, and hopefully everything goes well! :)

Does anyone have any tips post-operation? Is there anything you did to make your little one more comfortable as they healed?
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Lilysmommy
Good luck with the surgery!

Your vet should be able to give you information on what she'll need post-surgery. :) Make sure you know how long to have the wheel out of her cage, make sure she doesn't start climbing her cage (block any easy climbing routes & give her other things to do), and you'll likely get pain meds for her as well.
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Michelle Strohm
PenelopeTulip said:
Penelope had blood in her urine earlier this week, so I took her to the vet. I just received all her test results, and the vet says that she has uterine cancer. Luckily, it looks like the cancer has not spread yet, but they can't be 100% sure since they see some weird blip in her bladder which might be cancer. The vet suggests spaying her, but also keeps talking about the possibility of having to do a complete abdominal explore if they find more masses. Right now, Penelope is still acting herself, running on her wheel, and eating and drinking like normal. I don't know if surgery is the right route to go... I don't want her to be in pain nor do I want her to go through a surgery if it is not going to extend her life dramatically. I love her so much and it is killing me to know that she is sick!

Has anyone else spayed their hedgies after they found out that they had cancer? What is the life expectancy after the surgery? Are there any complications I should be aware of post-surgery? Did your hedgie get cancer in a different part of their body even after the surgery? Any and all advice is welcome. This is a really tough decision to make.
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How did she do after surgery? How old was your hedgie when she got surgery? I am in a similar situation with my hedgie Luna and don't know whether or not to do surgery or not.

Michelle
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ChloëMali
Michelle Strohm said:
How did she do after surgery? How old was your hedgie when she got surgery? I am in a similar situation with my hedgie Luna and don't know whether or not to do surgery or not.

Michelle
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This is an older post, so it would be best to make your own thread with your situation so that others can help you. I know we have a couple of members who have spayed their hedgehogs because of tumors, and so hopefully they can help you out. :)
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This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
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