Some vet advice I'd like to run past you

[Teejay]

Ok, so Squeak & Pudding have now been castrated, so I'm starting (tentatively) to think of the future.

At their pre-op check, we were chatting to the vet and she asked why we'd decided to get them castrated; I explained that, as they were living on their own due to fighting, eventually, I'd like to get each of them a girlfriend or two to improve their quality of life.

She suggested that, maybe, once they'd been castrated and all the testosterone had subsided in their bodies (after about 4 weeks she said) they may be happy to live with each other again.....I said that, from what I'd learned, castration made no difference to a piggy's behaviour.....if they'd not got on before, then they wouldn't get on after. She poo-poo'd that a bit.......said that, as long as they were introduced on neutral territory, they had a chance of being reintroduced successfully; she reckoned it was worth a try.

What do you think to that? My feelings are that it might be worth one last shot.......that would the perfect outcome for all of us!

Also, the vet said something that immediately rang warning bells in my head......she reckoned that introducing in a very confined area was a good idea.....by 'confined area' she meant something as small as a cat carrier box. I immediately thought "noooooooo" to that; it seemed to me like the worst possible idea ever! I thought the idea was to have as big an area as possible, with hidey places, so they could get away from each other if need be.

But, of course, I'm a novice owner, and know very little of piggy behaviour, but what do you all think about that?

Tracey

 

[nicola1989]

I haven't got my boys castrated, but I have looked into it a lot, and it seems to be one of those things where people's opinions vary on whether or not it changes their behaviour. I would definitely say in this case though that it must change their behaviour towards each other as there is no 'competition' but I could be wrong

In terms of the small space, I bonded my girls in a cardboard box but they were babies so I think they would have gone together anyway. I've done a lot of bunny bonding and the small space is essential for them. If you give them too much space too fast they start to fight over it. I know piggies are different, but in a large space with hidey holes they could both get in a tube and fight and you couldn't get at them, or they could spend ages avoiding each other. The small space would bring them together.

Like I say I'm no expert but I'm adding new piggies to my group soon and I'll be bonding them in a small space.

 

[Teejay]

Hi Nicola, so there may be some truth in what the vet said.....like I say, I really wouldn't know what was right or wrong!

Interesting....I'll have to do some more research about it. I've got ages yet til I can try them together, though (she reckoned to give it 4 weeks for the testosterone to reduce).

Thanks for your reply, Tracey x

 

[flintstones]

What have you got to lose? If it works fabulous news, if not it's not a big deal as you aren't expecting it to work anyway!

X

 

[mikulinek]

I think it's certainly worth a try.

You know, for every vet, owner or piggy lover that says that neutering can help behaviour you can find at least as many who say that it won't. The conclusion I draw from that is that it depends on the piggies in question.

We all know every piggy is different and so will react in different ways. Indeed, it's not only testosterone which causes the problems but personality clashes too so there are other factors.

I think it's worth a shot and if it doesn't work out for Pudding and Squeek then, since they are neutered, you've got the option of a girlfriend each for them

Best of luck!

 

[Teejay]

Hi Flintstones, that's very true! The two boys living together is definitely my set-up of choice, and it's definitely worth a shot.

It was more the 'very confined space' thing that puzzled me.

My 're-introduction' plan was to set up a biggish C&C run with a mesh-grid divider, so they can see and touch each other, and leave them in there for a few days to get used to each other again. Then, we'd strip out the run and replace it with clean fleece, bowls, cosies, etc and quietly remove the mesh-grid divider.

That way, I was hoping the re-introduction would become a bit of a 'non event'!

Tracey

 

[Teejay]

Hi mikulinek, thanks for that; you speak a lot of sense!

From reading forums and websites though, I'd got it firmly in my head that there was no way castration allows boars to re-bond.......but like you say, each piggie is different. They certainly got on really well together before they started hitting sexual maturity, so I dont think it's an out-and-out clash of personailities. Maybe taking testosterone out of the equation might be the deciding factor!

Tracey x

 

[katiepops]

You've got nothing to loose by trying as Flinstones said but I don't mean to sound cynical but I'd rather take the advice of a rescue who bond guinea pigs everyday than a vet who (big assumption here) probably hasn't even owned a guinea pig let alone bonded them.
We can but keep all fingers and paws crossed. x

 

[piggiemumma]

Id tend to aggree with what the vet said, but like you would be warey about doing it in a confined space... personally (and i used to work at the blue cross, and this is what we advised for pig intros) was not to use a massive area, and nothing too small. i.e a sofa would be good, providing theres enough people to guard the edges incase things get manic (in a popcorning good way or.. if things dont go to plan. more hands available is always better!) but ensure they each have a hidey space (like you mentioned) and also make sure theres at least 2 doors on the hideys, so one cant get chased in and isn't allowed out!

I have no experience with reintroductions with pigs that used to not get along.. but castration may have changed their opinions on eachother.. i guess its your shout Lety us know what you decide

good luck xx

 

[Teejay]

Hi all, thanks for the input......piggiemumma, what you've described is exactly what I had in mind. I'll try out the theory in a few weeks....that's going to be a long few weeks! LOL!

 

[CiaraPatricia]

You could try.

I kinda think that, because they've already reached sexual maturity by the time they're castrated, that their behaviour won't change a lot, but they might calm down a bit. So it's worth a try if you like. But you could also just get them girlfriends if it doesn't work

Same with dogs and other animals really. With them it might change their behaviour a bit, but it would change it more if you do it young, before they reach maturity. Obviously with guinea pigs you can't neuter them that young cos they'd only be like 4 weeks old!

That's what I think anyway.