Overweight buns and GAs, advice please?

Ok, I'm a little unsure where to go first with Sally.

She is unneutered, and as she is 6 years old, I would normally have said it was a priority. However, what risk is involved in putting a fatty bun under GA? I dont want to risk her health any more by going ahead. But, at her age, she really needs to be neutered PDQ. Heart, or uterine cancer. :?

If I need to get her weight down first, is there anymore I can do, other than Lite pellets, unlimited hay (she has imprinted behaviour, total panic if she cant see food, so I have to give her hay in every form there is) and exercise.

I am panacuring her now, then will start with vaccs next week.

I got Summer as a foster back in August. She was disgustingly obese and needed to be spayed. She is also not a young girl, I would hazard at guess at 5-7, but maybe even older.

I started to diet her down and got her down a bit when the RSPCA booked her spay. She was still horrendously obese and she did struggle. Not so much with the anaesthetic, but with the procedure. There was so much fat to cut through that they struggled to get to the uterus (bear in mind these vets are less than spectacular) and she had a pretty horrendous time. she did pull through but then had weeks of post op complications.

I would suggest dieting her down before the spay. I dieted Summer with just minimum pellets and unlimited hay and obviously a lot of exercise. She is now slightly underweight (due to being ill) but it didn't half make a difference when she shifted the weight. She was a nervous dollop and now she is a soppy bunny who sleeps by your feet.

At her age I wouldn't neuter until she has had a full course of panacur, I think you need to get her weight down first as this could compromise when having a GA, you can also work with her regarding the food and she will quickly learn, good luck

If you need any help you know where I am

Thanks Sky-O and Theo. :wave:

I started Panacuring yesterday, and I am gradually changing her diet over (and down). I can start getting her vaccinations out of the way first then, while she is dieting. Then I will tackle getting her spayed.

CarmenCole said:

Ok, I'm a little unsure where to go first with Sally.

She is unneutered, and as she is 6 years old, I would normally have said it was a priority. However, what risk is involved in putting a fatty bun under GA? I dont want to risk her health any more by going ahead. But, at her age, she really needs to be neutered PDQ. Heart, or uterine cancer. :?

If I need to get her weight down first, is there anymore I can do, other than Lite pellets, unlimited hay (she has imprinted behaviour, total panic if she cant see food, so I have to give her hay in every form there is) and exercise.

I am panacuring her now, then will start with vaccs next week.

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I would hold off spaying until she is at a healthy weight and has maintained it for at least a month. Being overweight will put her at greater risk of Liver problems (Hepatic Lipidosis). At 6 any UC issues are likely to progress more slowly than in younger Does and IM(unqualified)O the risk over neutering her whilst she is overweight are greater than waiting til she has slimmed down and is at a health maintainance weight. Having a lot of excess fat would also make the actual spay proceedure more complex.

The weight loss needs to be slow, again to avoid Hepatic Lipidosis.If she is unused to exercise this too will need to be introduced gradually. If she has had a bad diet and little exercise for 6 years her bone density may be poor (osteoporosis) and she could damage herself if she charges about too soon.

Well done for taking her in

CarmenCole said:

Thanks Sky-O and Theo. :wave:

I started Panacuring yesterday, and I am gradually changing her diet over (and down). I can start getting her vaccinations out of the way first then, while she is dieting. Then I will tackle getting her spayed.

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That's good and you are doing it right so well done, don't think about her spey yet just concentrate on her weight and exercise and getting her panacured, good luck

Jack's-Jane said:

I would hold off spaying until she is at a healthy weight and has maintained it for at least a month. Being overweight will put her at greater risk of Liver problems (Hepatic Lipidosis). At 6 any UC issues are likely to progress more slowly than in younger Does and IM(unqualified)O the risk over neutering her whilst she is overweight are greater than waiting til she has slimmed down and is at a health maintainance weight. Having a lot of excess fat would also make the actual spay proceedure more complex.

The weight loss needs to be slow, again to avoid Hepatic Lipidosis.If she is unused to exercise this too will need to be introduced gradually. If she has had a bad diet and little exercise for 6 years her bone density may be poor (osteoporosis) and she could damage herself if she charges about too soon.

Well done for taking her in

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Thanks Jane and everyone else! :wave:

I have her indoor at the mo, in my kitchen. She is so fat, she cant fit down the ramp of the hutch into the run, so I lift her out and let her wander around the kitchen floor. She is capable of flicking her feet at me after panacur, and likes to hop over for snuggles, but she does get out of breath.

When Nick and Miffy go outside, I need to decide if she will move into the lounge with us until she has a home, or if I move her into the garden. Either way, any exercise is at her pace.

Her food was cheap mix, which I am cutting down to 1 bowl a day, with a few excel lite pellets in it. I am planning to slowly wean her off mix, and down to pellets over the next 2-3 weeks. I have now discovered that the old lady's son used to put a bowlful in every morning before work, then she would go out at midday and refill the bowl, then the old man would refill it in the evening. The gave her honey popcorn sticks and carrot biscuits, which I am replacing with the Excel cigar looking things, hay cakes and wood chews.

She has 1 Verm-X pellet (pro & Pre-biotic) snuck into her food every day too, as her poos are still appalling, but she seems to be improving on that front already.

I dont know how long it will take to get her back to normal, any ideas?

It took Sarah about 6 months to go from this (4.75kg)



To this (2.85kg)

Thanks again Jane.

That gives me a good idea of how long it's gonna take. That is a wonderful pic of Sarah at ideal weight. She is so beautiful, how is she today?

CarmenCole said:

Thanks again Jane.

That gives me a good idea of how long it's gonna take. That is a wonderful pic of Sarah at ideal weight. She is so beautiful, how is she today?

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She's doing OK thanks
She's a hopping Pharmacy, but remains very very happy

xx