My older cat needs spaying. Will it reduce mammary tumor risk?

Question

I've a 7yrs old Persian cat, never breaded. Recently diagnosed with vaginitis & her vet recon spaying once she is cured. He mentioned the risk of developing mammary tumors in cats, & cats should be spayed during the first 6 months of age to reduce its risk. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware of that fact back then. Read somewhere, spaying in older cats does not decrease the risk of mammary tumors. Should I get her spayed at this age? Will that play any role in reducing the risk of tumors? Pros & cons?

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Great question! Yes, it is true that spaying a cat greatly reduces their risk of mammary tumors when it is done at a young age. Unfortunately spaying them later in life does not reduce this risk. That being said, it's something that I do recommend having done. Cats who aren't spayed are at risk of developing a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. A pyometra is fatal without treatment, and spaying the cat is part of the recommended treatment. It often costs thousands of dollars to treat due to it being an emergency, and a very delicate and difficult surgery. It's best to have her spayed now; not only will the procedure be much cheaper (hundreds vs thousands of dollars), but it will prevent her from developing a pyometra. I highly recommend having your cat spayed once her vaginitis is cured. Good luck, I hope this helps!

My older cat needs spaying. Will it reduce mammary tumor risk?

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