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To chop herbie's bits off or not that is the question

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shard25

I took Herbie to the vets today to get his claws clipped and for a general check up. Well I asked the vet if he had mites and she said that he didn't and he seemed a perfectly healthy guinea pig with a lovely coat (how smug was I pmsl) anyway I asked her is she could tell me how old he was and she said that it is quite difficult to age guinea pigs.

I asked her if she could kind of have a look and she said he could be between 1-2 years old (he has definetly got to be 1 as I have had him since September of last year). Anyway I also asked her if she could check to see if Herbie still had all his bits and he has got everything.

The question i'm finally getting to (lol) is is Herbie too old to have his bits chopped off as I am worried that he won't come out of the anethsetic (sorry I don;t know how to spell it) or not. I would like to get him a girlfriend but will not get him one if he is too old to go through it as at the end of the day I really don't have a clue how old he is at all.

Oh and Herbie left the vet a nice little puddle of wee and I am in the dog house with him at the moment he is not happy I made the lady vet look at his bits lol.

Sarah
 
I realy do not recommend neutering.As you say,there is a risk from the aneasthetic,and neutering l makes boars prone to prolapse and other health problems.

I can understand you wanting to get a companian for Herbie and that would be good.

There are two options here-- take Herbie to a rescue and try and find a boar that he would bond with, or - try and get an already spayed sow from a rescue.
 
Hi Sarah, I agree totally with everything Mary has said. Although the vast majority of these operations go without any problems what so ever, there is always a risk. Herbie's age isn't the issue here it's just the fact that something may go wrong, rare as it may be it can happen.

Being social animals it is a good idea to get him a pal. I have recently introduced a new adult boar to my adult boar after my other boar died in April. I went along to a rescue center with my boy & that way he could choose. :) Going to a rescue is a good idea as you can take Herbie along just as I did with my Murran. There is no guarantee they will get along but if problems develop when you get them home you have the option of taking the rescue pig back. Mine get along great I've had no problems at all but it's all down to the personalities of the piggies.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do O0
 
I have decided not to get Herbie done as I don't want the risk of possibly losing him as I adore him and would be gutted if he died. I am now trying to find a neutered sow in Wolverhampton so that I can try and get him a girlfriend to keep him company. It has to be Wolverhampton as I don't drive and can't ask my dad as he would have a fit at me having another animal.

So if anyone knows of a female neutered female guinea pig going free in Wolverhampton please could you let me know.

Thanks All Sarah
 
Are you near Rugby? Pretty sure there's a rescue there which spays all their females...someone else will come along and tell you more probably ;)

edit: http://www.rngp.org/ I read in one of your other posts you wanted a free spayed female, but I highly doubt you'll get one for free - from there piggies are £28, not the cheapest in the world but you're rescuing and this pays for her to be spayed too.
 
I agree, please dont get Herbie "done". The risks outweigh the benefits in a lot of cases and he seems such a happy chap with you as his mummy :) Either leave it at that or get a spayed female....Herbie is soooocute, I followed his story about being found in your mums back garden...so no, dont do it :( Just my opinion, up to you of course :)
 
If you do get him "done" ask the vet to use a gas anesthetic, not an injectable one. Recovery rates are much better, he's not completely "under" and you can take him home the same day :)
 
After my vets managed to lose one of my piggies post-operatively, I wouldn't take the risk again - the consequences can be utterly appalling.
 
I am totally for neutering! A neutered boar and a sow(or two) is the perfect combo in my opinon :smitten: :smitten:

Its a lot down to you, how much you trust your vet...etc etc...I have never had any problems with neuters! O0
 
PerfectPiggies said:
I am totally for neutering! A neutered boar and a sow(or two) is the perfect combo in my opinon :smitten: :smitten:

Its a lot down to you, how much you trust your vet...etc etc...I have never had any problems with neuters! O0
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I am glad you posted, was begining to think everyone was anti neutering. ! . I too am in favour of neutering. I have had many a piggie done, with only one developing a slight post op complication (abcess) which healed nicely after treatment.

I agree it depends on how good the vet is that does the op, as have heard of piggies not doing so well aftewards. Fortunately I all mine have been ok and are now living happily with several females.

But on the whole, I think its better to have a male (who wont live with another male) done rather than live on his own. :)
 
PerfectPiggies said:
I am totally for neutering! A neutered boar and a sow(or two) is the perfect combo in my opinon :smitten: :smitten:

Its a lot down to you, how much you trust your vet...etc etc...I have never had any problems with neuters! O0
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100% agree with you Perfect piggies ;) my vet has 100% success rate on piggie neuters users glue instead of stiches. He will be doing my new darling boar when the time comes. Yes I will worry but trust my vet but know Oakley has two ladies to be happy with once the op has been done.
 
My vet is the one who does all the neutering/spaying for Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare so therefore very experienced but I still wouldn't want to put them through an unneccessary op. Just my opinion, and I guess I have been lucky in that all my boys have been successfully paired. :)
 
Hi All, thank you for replying I have decided to try and get Herbie a little netuered guinea pig girlfriend if I can but at the moment I am not having much luck. I can't get to Rugby as it is too far away from me as I don't drive. I will keep you all updated on how my search goes.

Thank you all very much for your advice

Sarah and Herbie (who seems grateful I didn't chop his bits off lol)
 
Neitering a female is a lot more risky than neutering a male, so good luck with your search!
 
do you think getting him a male friend would work as well? I wasn't sure to be honest I just thought getting him a little girlie was best but if you reckon getting him a male friend works too maybe i should try that. I just thought that if they were both not neutered then they would keep humping each other and that just worried me. So now i am even more confused lol which is best then?
 
Yes Sarah getting him a male friend could be an answer. When one of my boys died in April I decided to get Murran a new pal so I contacted rescue centres in my area, then then took him along so he could choose his new pal. :)

Now I have Gilbert & both get on great, I've had no problems. Of course there is no guarantees that it will workout, but if you get him from a rescue they can be introduced there & if things go wrong when you get them back home you have the option of taking the rescue piggie.

What you would need to do if both pigs are going to live in the cage Herbie is currently in is sterilize the cage (bars aswell), dishes, etc. with baby sterilizing solution. Also move things around in the cage when you put them back so they are in different places to the lay out Herbie is used to.

It's all down to the personalities of the pigs, they need to workout for themselves who is going to be top pig, or if they are as laid back as my two then neither of them wants to be top pig so all runs very smoothly!

Good Luck with it all Sarah O0
 
shard25 said:
do you think getting him a male friend would work as well? I wasn't sure to be honest I just thought getting him a little girlie was best but if you reckon getting him a male friend works too maybe i should try that. I just thought that if they were both not neutered then they would keep humping each other and that just worried me. So now i am even more confused lol which is best then?
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My male/male combinations work great. :) They really get on brilliantly. I even have three males together now and they all get on really well too. I think too many people are under the impression that you can't keep males together but thats so not true. Generally one of them will be the dominant one. I do have two brothers living together who are both as dominant as one another and by putting them each their own little house in the cage they get on just fine. They can be together when they want to, yet also have space apart. It works really well! :)

I really think a little male friend for Herbie could be the answer :)
 
I have always kept groups of boys together with little or no problem.The biggest group I had was 5,and I currently have a group of 4 .It all depends on the personality of the boars.
 
Depends on his personality, you know him best!

If you get in touch with a rescue, they might be able to let him have a sniff and see how he gets on! Its definatly worth a try! O0
 
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