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Neutering

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frost1375

I found a guinea pig who I absolutely fell in love with. The problem is, I think he's a boy and I have three girls at home. I know neutering is an option, but just thinking about putting a little piggy through that seems selfish. Any ideas on this? How would the male after being neutered get along with the females? I've always had females so I'm not too sure about male behavior. Any ideas or suggestions would be great. Thanks!
 
Your problem would be if one (or all) of the sows didn't get on with him. The boars seem to take to the girls (only had one who didn't and that was a particular sow) but sows can get choosy with boars. But, as you have 3 perhaps trying as a group of 4 is an option then, if it doesn't work, as pairs?

Personally I don't think its selfish, lots of boars only find homes because they are castrated and there are far more invasive ops than castration you can put a guinea through where the outcome is uncertain. Done by a vet experienced in castrates it shouldn't be a problem, its not a complicated op- or so I've been told!

Male behaviour isn't always different from sows :) You will just have boars bits to clean at his monthly bath :)
 
hello,
i am in aussie land, so please don't be afraid by what i say as the vets here aren't very knowledgable on guinea pigs! :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff:
first, i was told and it is in many guinea pig books you only bathe a guinea pig if you have too as they don't like water! as far as desexing a male guinea pig was told by our vet that they don't use stitches as their is not enough skin, and if you pick them up before it is healed their stomachs will fall out. shows you how igorant the vets here are! :tickedoff: :tickedoff:
but on a serious note, any surgery on a guinea pig is risky and if it isn't needed don't do it! guinea pigs suffer easily with stress so why put a guinea pig under unnescressary stress by getting him desexed? this is just my opinion. he is your guinea pig so the final decision is yours. if you have concerns talk to your vet and weigh up the pros and cons.
sending love and hugs to you and your piggies. :) :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
if you do get him done put like a cooling tray to half up the cage so the girls can see and smell him but can't touch him. then slowly at play time let the girls play with him and slowly make it longer each day, until you can take the barrier out of the cage. good luck! :) :smitten: :smitten:
 
Thank you for the replies. I've decided not to do the surgery. It's just too mean, I think. But thank you so much for responding.
 
hello again,
i think you have made the right choice! :) :) i can't see any reason to put a piggy under unnescressary stress! :) :) we're hoping you get another cage for him or find him a nice home. as it would be sad if he lived alone. :'( :'( please keep us updated on what you do. after our piggy had surgery to remove her reproductive organs due to a mass :'( :'( our vet then wanted to desex jessie and faline(faline a bunny). :tickedoff: :tickedoff: we decided not to go with surgery, we believe if it aren't broke don't try to fix it. and the stress factor weighed heavily. our vet was off the opinion as it is very common for females bunnies and guinea pigs who don't breed to get cancer of the uterus more people should get them desexed. :'( :tickedoff: we totally don't agree! like i said please keep us updated :) cuddles and hugs to you and your piggies. :) :smitten: :smitten:
 
I've had 2 boars castrated. Both were fine. I was on work experience at the vets when the second one was done so I watched it, and it isnt a very complicated op. My vet is very experienced with guinea pigs, and has castrated quite a few, and hasnt lost any, or had any with side affects.

It all depends on how experienced with guinea pigs your vet is! I wouldnt let a vet I didnt know anything about do it!
 
Choloe: Bunnies do get uterine cancer and it is best that they are spayed. Our local rabbit rescue regularly spay their buns because of this but we don't do the guineas for medical or other reasons. See: Spaying Rabbits Look at reason number 4 :)

Frost: did you get this boar or not? I was under the impression (probably wrongly ::) ) that you hadn't got him?
 
I have to agree with Karen - spaying bunnies is far less risky than spaying piggies, and there is a huge risk of uterine cancer in unspayed female rabbits. I wouldn't put them in the same category at all.
 
i only put them in the same category because we was told 1 in 3 female guinea pigs and rabbits who have never had a little get cancer of the uterus. as for faline getting the surgery, there are very few vets here who know a lot about bunnies and piggies, and a lot refuse to do it. :tickedoff: :tickedoff:faline is eating, drinking and is happy and for now won't be having any surgery.as zoe had cancer of the uterus we now know the signs and we are watching faline and faline extra closely. i am sorry if you don't agree with me, but we feel surgery for faline and jessie isn't needed at present! :)
 
If you feel you cant get a vet who knows what he's doing with guinea pigs, then I think you are making the right decision. Done by the right vet, I'm all for it, but I wouldnt let a vet with little experience castrate or nueter my pets.
 
Yes, I do agree with that - I'd only let a vet spay a rabbit if they were confident about it. If they were telling me it was highly risky surgery, I certainly wouldn't go ahead with it. My vet actually recommends the surgery.
 
choloe said:
hello,
i am in aussie land, so please don't be afraid by what i say as the vets here aren't very knowledgable on guinea pigs! :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff:
first, i was told and it is in many guinea pig books you only bathe a guinea pig if you have too as they don't like water! as far as desexing a male guinea pig was told by our vet that they don't use stitches as their is not enough skin, and if you pick them up before it is healed their stomachs will fall out.
Click to expand...

that happened to my piggy :( the vet used glue not stitches, I didnt even hold him! he was found the next morning sitting next to his insides :'( :'(
he had to be put down...

I will NEVER neuter another one of my pigs ever again! there is absolutley NO NEED! :)
 
All my boars are glued externally and stitched internally, never had a problem. Just wouldn't spay a sow whatever the reason or whoever the vet :) Just like others won't castrate :) Each to their own :)
 
As a rescue I'm really glad I have the neuter option, for some boars it's given them the opportunity to be happily rehomed with sows rather than spending months and months here with us just waiting.

Sadly many rescues are full to bursting with boars, often single, the neutering makes a massive difference so I would never rule it out. Fortunately I have a piggie savvy vet too.

If boars were never neutered the number remaining in rescue would be quite overwhelming.
 
summerleaze said:
As a rescue I'm really glad I have the neuter option, for some boars it's given them the opportunity to be happily rehomed with sows rather than spending months and months here with us just waiting.

Sadly many rescues are full to bursting with boars, often single, the neutering makes a massive difference so I would never rule it out. Fortunately I have a piggie savvy vet too.

If boars were never neutered the number remaining in rescue would be quite overwhelming.
Click to expand...

I just wouldn't be able to take any more in if I couldn't get them castrated, mine wouldn't suffer but the ones waiting to come in would ::)
 
choloe said:
i only put them in the same category because we was told 1 in 3 female guinea pigs and rabbits who have never had a little get cancer of the uterus. as for faline getting the surgery, there are very few vets here who know a lot about bunnies and piggies, and a lot refuse to do it. :tickedoff: :tickedoff:faline is eating, drinking and is happy and for now won't be having any surgery.as zoe had cancer of the uterus we now know the signs and we are watching faline and faline extra closely. i am sorry if you don't agree with me, but we feel surgery for faline and jessie isn't needed at present! :)
Click to expand...

It is common for unspayed,unbred rabbits to develop cancer of the uterus,but this does not apply to gps.I have been keeping gps for many,many years,and have never had a sow with cancer of the uterus.A few ovarian cysts yes,as these are more common.
 
hello again,
i am only going by what i have been told by vets here, i am sorry if their information was incorrect. :'( :'( while faline(bunny) is eating and is happy she will not be having surgery. O0 O0 as for jessie she is on heat and rattling and wobbling her butt, luckily we still have the cage divided so zoe is safe. guess it must be hormonal as jessie is eating less than normal. even refusing her favourite foods. will keep an eye on her. again sorry for the information if it is wrong. but i still feel male guinea pigs should not be desexed unless it is for medical reasons as unnescressary stress isn;t good for GP's. that's my opinion and sorry if you all don't agree with it. :'( :'(
 
I agree with you 100% that gps of either sex should not be neutered/spayed unless for a very good medical reason and I cannot think offhand why a boar should be neutered for health reasons.If I had a sow with a tumour,as did your Zoe,I probably would have her spayed but it would depend on age,general condition.

A lot of rescues have the boars routinely neutered and I can understand the reasons for that,up to a point.

If Jesse is a bit off her food,consider having her teeth checked.Being on heat does not make a sow go off her food,and neither do ovarian cysts,unless they start to press on another organ.

It is possible that Jesse is a bit stressed because she is seperated from Zoe,but for obvious reasons you cannot put them together untill Zoe is heald.

How is Zoe now?
 
hello,
zoe is doing well, eating and drinking. think the wound is healing as she seems a bit itchy. jessie and zoe are in the same box but have a cooling rack halving the cage so they can see eachother but not touch eachother. as jessie is a real bully. as for jessie she is eating a little more yesterday and this morning, so whatever it was seems to have gone now. as they are indoor piggies will keep a sharp eye on her. sorry for hijacking the thread. love and hugs to your piggies. :smitten: :smitten: :)
 
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