We met with our vet recently and are seriously considering spaying Solana.
The vet says in all, it's a 4-8 week recovery, but that's because of the skin/incision healing more than anything. She will be off pain meds within a week and can eat a small meal starting about 4 weeks out. She will be 100% after 8 weeks.
He also said that in a healthy snake (like Solana) the surgery is relatively low risk. It would definitely be less risk than her having another bad egg laying.
He is concerned, as we are, that egg laying does not seem to go well for her and we run a high risk of losing her that way.
Depending on how long the surgery takes and how many days she spends in the hospital (he recommended 1-2 nights, but we may have him keep her for 3-4 to keep up with injectable pain meds and then we can give oral pain meds at home), the cost is $1,400-$2,200. We figure somewhere in the middle is likely but we've spent close to $3K the past 3 years (2/3 emergency vet visits) keeping her alive after she got egg bound.
We would probably do it in the next 2 months. That is well before she would start thinking about laying.
I will try to keep everyone posted and welcome thoughts.
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