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Neutering Boars?

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Ezry_Dax

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Checking out options at the moment, and just wondering what the bit is with neutering piggies. Is it too dangerous? Is it ok for middle aged piggies or is it really only for younger dudes? Just some questions I have, as I might introduce a boar to the sows, if I can, but I'm not wanting any little piggies running around. Thank you!
 
I personally wouldn’t put a piggy through any operation that wasn’t absolutely necessary. You just don’t know how they will react to the anaesthetic. But this is just me. Lots of people do. And most come through it fine. Good luck.
 
Ezry_Dax said:
Checking out options at the moment, and just wondering what the bit is with neutering piggies. Is it too dangerous? Is it ok for middle aged piggies or is it really only for younger dudes? Just some questions I have, as I might introduce a boar to the sows, if I can, but I'm not wanting any little piggies running around. Thank you!
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Hi

It depends on access to a good operating vet and recovery nursing team with ideally plenty of boar neutering experience and on the operation cost. Here in the UK boar neutering is often done at cost or is subsidized. This is not the case in the USA where a neutering operation can cost well over $1000-1500 upfront with an exotics vets trained in operating on small furries. It is a lot cheaper with a general vet but they may not have much experience with guinea pigs.

In the UK you will pay ten times less depending on the vet, so boar neutering is much more of an option and common practice over here. Guinea pigs are also a much more common pet over here. I only payed ca. £120 each for having my two 4 months old youngsters de-sexed in March by a vet who specialises in guinea pigs and has several decades operation experience - that equals about $150 at the current exchange rate, just to put things into perspective.

At US prices elective surgery is something you want to think about twice. When reading this thread, please have a look at which country the posters are from and whether they are taking the difference between the two countries into account in their answers. Our forum is UK based and so is the majority of our members although we have enquiries and members from all over the world.

The de-sexing trend in US rescues seems to be currently rather going for ovariectomy in sows (i.e. removal of the ovaries through small incisions from the back) than in boar neutering, which incidentally also removes the risk of hormone related ovarian cyst problems in adult and older sows. This new way of de-sexing sows is a lot less invasive and risky and puts the operation on a comparable par with boar neutering but with an added long term bonus.

With a good vet boars of all ages can be neutered successfully. Overweight is a greater operation risk rather than age, as long as the piggy in question is healthy. I have adopted several boars that were de-sexed in rescue as adults. The oldest I know of is a 6 years old single Australian boar who has found happiness in old age and by all accounts enjoyed it very much!
 
Thank you all for the info!
Unfortunately, I live in a very rural part of the US, meaning a drive to the closest vet that could perform the procedure is hours away and incredibly expensive, so I think I'll keep things as they are for now.
But, again, thank you so much!
 
My gentle boar got properly beat up by a feisty sow who didn't like the looks of him! If your boys are happy together (or even as bar-neighbours) they are still getting stimulation from each other ☺️
 
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