I would really appreciate any help or advice. My girl has given me two beautiful litters and I would like now to have her spayed in the hope of avoiding any health problems further down the line. She is 4 years old and very very special. She came to me as a puppy after my partner had been killed at work and she got me through an awful awful time. Through this we have this amazing bond. I have two other girls now, one her puppy and a rescued girl who I love dearly but my first girl is something special. I am sure you all know what I mean. I treat them all the same but I have to admit that she is  my little soul mate.
Its just that I have discovered, while I was researching spaying, that my breed (tt's) are susceptible to something called anesthetic idiosincrasy which basically means that they are prone to reacting adversly to  general anesthetics and they can even die when they are under. My vet has asked me to find out what I can about the breed and this problem and she will do the same. I have approached my breed club, but have not as yet had a reply, (second enquiry).
I just wondered if anyone out there had decided agains spaying and gone for injections or the pill? (if there is one) and what, if any problems there may have been with these. I am anxious to protect my girls against pyometra when they are older and wondered if the alternatives protect in the same way?
I had the girl I rescued spayed before I knew about this problem and she was fine.
Obviously I will discuss all this with my vet but from what I have read over the past year or so, the experience you all have definitely outweighs mine and maybe even my vets (dont tell her I said so. lol).

Hi my breed is said to suffer from this too, but i havent heard a case of it happening in any of the many owners and breeders i know, although a friend was worried about it so she has her dog heart tested beforehand to see if she could cope for the scoring GA, dont know if its related to the heart as i havent read up on it but i will now. I wouldnt worry unecessarily, much worse for her to have a pyo and it be an emergency spay. I think its vrey rare and your girl is young fit and healthy.

Hope this helps a little

Louise

why dont you ask your practice for a referral to a specialist. i used to work at glasgow university small animal hospital, and we have anaesthetists who monitor all anaesthetics and are very highly trained. may cost you a bit more, but means your girl would be in the best hands possible.

Thank-you both. I too am wondering if it is quite a rare thing but am so scared that she might be the one. dont know if i'd cope. The specialist thing is something to think about too. thank-you. No reply from the breed club yet but they will probably be busy getting ready for Crufts. Luckily I have a couple of months to come to a decision.
Thanks again.

I'm no expert but I would NOT recommend injections and pills. They will increase the risk of pyometra and cancer. When I was a vet's assistant a few years ago in France, we would strongly discourag people to use these. The doses of hormones are so massive, unlike our human pills, they can't be good in the long term. I don't know how it is nowadays, maybe things have improved, but 5 years ago or so, they were nasty.

I agree with other people saying that pyometra in such a dangerous condition that it might be worth taking a little risk to prevent it?...
But then, who am I to say that? I have a very precious GR boy who, a bit like you, represents a lot to me because of what we went through together, and I've never resolved myself yet to put him under general anaesthetic...
Thankfully in France (where I'm from), we were able to take Xrays without knocking dogs out, so he's never needed it, even when he broke a toe a few years ago or when I had his hips checked (not officially, but just to give me an idea. Not breeding him anyway). He even had his teeth cleaned (tartar) while fully awake, he's such a good 'un. I know I was lucky to be working with a vet then who let me do all this!
When I came to the UK, he hurt his paw in the first couple of months and I remember going to the vet's and ask how much an Xray would cost me in case I had to check that nothing was broken, and they told me he would need to be under GA! I couldn't believe it - I'm now more familiar with English Health and Safety craziness! So I decided against it and just rested him and used homoepathy instead. Obviously, it was nothing, and it turned out fine otherwise I would have gone to the vet's of course.

But, basically, what i'm saying is, I understand how you feel 100% and if you feel too worried about it, then don't put yourself through it. I've come to feel that what matters is what you have NOW, as your own terrible life experience has probably taught you too. She's here with you now, just enjoy it, and when her time comes... But no one wants to think about that!!! Sorry about the cheap philosophical rubbish, but I find it works for me.

Thank-you so much Gaelle for your thoughts and support. I actually looked up a vet-on -line service via google, just to get another opinion and I got the most amazing reply from a vet in the US. She just about covered everything I was worried about. I expected a short, non emotional reply from a service you have to pay for (9$ it cost me cos I'm on low income and I didnt have to pay if I wasnt satisfied) The reply covered everything. she even contacted the experts she knew in anesthesia just to check out what she thought was right, and told me that she was a basket case when her own girl was spayed. The result of her input and my own inner feelings is that I will definitely go down the road of having my lovely girl spayed. The alternatives are not what I want for her at all. She, the US vet, herself, has anethetised tt's during  her 23 years of experience and never had a problem and also said that she had been told that most breeds could be sensitive to anesthetics. Thank-you once again for all your replies.