Do I need to neuter my boars?

[o&b]

Hi!

Some people have said that they have neutered boars. I thought spaying/neutering only applies to dogs and cats...
My piggies are 4-5 months old and I'm not sure the exact age but they are not adults yet. Is it necessary to neuter them?

 

[poggle]

Depends what you'd like to do. If you want to house a boar with sows, or have the option to later, you must neuter beforehand in order to prevent pregnancy. If you've been advised to neuter them to change their behaviour, this is incorrect - in guinea pigs neutering has no bearing on behaviour / aggression. If you did need or want to neuter, I believe by four months they would be old enough for both the more invasive (used for very, very young boars) and the less invasive procedures.

Desexing certainly applies to animals beyond dogs and cats - most often to avoid pregnancy, but also sometimes for behavioural reasons (I believe rabbits are an example here). There can also be medical reasons for it, for example guinea pig sows can suffer with ovarian cysts sometimes and spaying may be the best way to resolve the issue.

 

[Piggies&buns]

No its not strictly necessary to neuter them.

However, doing so can be of benefit in the future. If one of them passes away, then if the survivor is already neutered, then their options in finding a new friend will be increased as he would be able to be bonded with a sow

 

[piggieminder]

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

You may find the above link interesting.
I've never had any of my boars neutered as I've never intended to keep sows.

 

[o&b]

Depends what you'd like to do. If you want to house a boar with sows, or have the option to later, you must neuter beforehand in order to prevent pregnancy. If you've been advised to neuter them to change their behaviour, this is incorrect - in guinea pigs neutering has no bearing on behaviour / aggression. If you did need or want to neuter, I believe by four months they would be old enough for both the more invasive (used for very, very young boars) and the less invasive procedures.

Desexing certainly applies to animals beyond dogs and cats - most often to avoid pregnancy, but also sometimes for behavioural reasons (I believe rabbits are an example here). There can also be medical reasons for it, for example guinea pig sows can suffer with ovarian cysts sometimes and spaying may be the best way to resolve the issue.

Thank you! I honestly didn't care about which gender I was getting because I only wanted guinea pigs. When I found out we were getting boys, I didn't want girls. And I don't really want to neuter them because seeing them after surgery is heartbreaking