Hi, one of my guinea pig is coming on to three years now and I first got him from a pet store not doing my research. Now after his original cage mate passed he has one a bit younger that was adopted and came desexed. I want to desex my boy Percy because I can finally afford it myself but have been putting it off because I read once that it's more dangerous to desex them when they're a bit older? I don't know where to find this info again and was wondering if it was true? Because I don't want Percy to develop any kind of infections or testicular cancer. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Desexing a three year old boar?
- Thread starter Emma03
- Start date
Obviously nothing in this life comes with a guarantee, but if you do your research and Percy is healthy there is absolutely no reason not to go ahead and get him desexed.
This will actually give you a lot more options when it comes to finding a friend for him.
You need to make sure that the vet you choose is experienced with guinea pigs and has preferably desexed boars with good results.
If you have a rescue nearby it is always a good idea to start by asking them what vet they use.
And make sure you ask the vet lots of questions too.
Good luck, and remember that if you do go ahead you will receive lots of support and information on here becasue many of us have been in the same situation.
This will actually give you a lot more options when it comes to finding a friend for him.
You need to make sure that the vet you choose is experienced with guinea pigs and has preferably desexed boars with good results.
If you have a rescue nearby it is always a good idea to start by asking them what vet they use.
And make sure you ask the vet lots of questions too.
Good luck, and remember that if you do go ahead you will receive lots of support and information on here becasue many of us have been in the same situation.
D
DMS260820
3 years old should be fine, with a vet experienced at neutering. Are you wanting to do it to put him with a female? You havnt actually mentioned this
Thanks so much, he has a friend and I don't have room for more then two boys ahaha so they're good on that spectrum. When you sau that its not guaranteed do you mean that it is more dangerous for an older piggie to go through that operation?
No no he has a desexed male cage mate I've just been thinking about his original cage mate that passed from many health issues and want to eliminate as many for Percy as I can. But I will definitely make sure it's with an experienced and trusted vet.
To be honest 3 isn't actually that old for a male to be desexed. It is a far less invasive procedure than spaying a female.
So I don't think that his age is really a factor - the expereince of the vet is certainly the most important thing here.
I only say that nothing is 100% becasue even with the best vet noting can ever be 100% sure - it is the same with any medical procedure on any animal (or humans for that matter).
But if he already has a male friend (which is great) then why does he need ot be desexed?
This is usually something you would do if you want to be able to introduce him to females at some point.
So I don't think that his age is really a factor - the expereince of the vet is certainly the most important thing here.
I only say that nothing is 100% becasue even with the best vet noting can ever be 100% sure - it is the same with any medical procedure on any animal (or humans for that matter).
But if he already has a male friend (which is great) then why does he need ot be desexed?
This is usually something you would do if you want to be able to introduce him to females at some point.
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DMS260820
Sorry i was reading de sexed as not yet sexed haha
. My fault.You dont need your boy de sexed then, its pointless really
D
DMS260820
When i got my boar neutered, the vet told me there is always a risk, its very low with a healthy pig. And the only very very few he lost were the old age boars that were on the larger size.
I was using one of the best vets for small animals in the uk.
Like I said in a previous reply I read that male guinea pigs can get testicular cancer if not desexed.
Hahaha no worriesSorry i was reading de sexed as not yet sexed haha
You dont need your boy de sexed then, its pointless really
Is it really? Ive read a few things about testicular cancer in un-desexed boars
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
Neutering is an operation that involves general anaesthetic. Given such small animals there will always be some risk element with this. This is not dependent on age and the risk is there from when they are young. A good, experienced vet get greatly minimise this risk. I am not aware of cancer as a post operative risk so would be interested in which research paper found this if you have a link?
As for whether to neuter your boy first you need to consider reason. If he is only ever going to be kept with males then it is an unnecessary risk and a waste of money. Neutering does not change behaviour at all just the ability to reproduce. If you are planning on splitting them in future to put with females then it is a must. Secondly you need to consider a vet check for his current health. A vet will be able to check his current health and advise on the likelihood of a smooth operation with minimal risks.
As for whether to neuter your boy first you need to consider reason. If he is only ever going to be kept with males then it is an unnecessary risk and a waste of money. Neutering does not change behaviour at all just the ability to reproduce. If you are planning on splitting them in future to put with females then it is a must. Secondly you need to consider a vet check for his current health. A vet will be able to check his current health and advise on the likelihood of a smooth operation with minimal risks.
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DMS260820
I only mentioned old age, because thats what my vet said to me. Just to clear that up , could have just been a pattern he noticed, but wasnt actually anything to do with age
I can't find it now omg I swear I'm going insane. I read a while ago that boars can develop testicular cancer if they aren't desexed. Is this not true at all? I am soooo confused right now ahaha
I would think it'd be more difficult for old guinea pigs to come out of the anesthesia
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DMS260820
Are you sure it wasnt about Rabbits, i know rabbits are done for health reasons. Well thats what i have heard anyway, not a fact to me
Whilst technically any animal that has testicles can develop testicular cancer, I can't find any scientific research indicating that this is a common occurrence in guinea pigs.
Also testicular cancer usually presents as a lump, swelling or hardening in the testicle area, which if you have your boys out for a weekly general health check should be quite easy to detect.
Once detected (if caught early) it will involve desexing, and that should hopefully be the problem (quite literally) gone.
This is very different to sows who have a well documented and extremely high chance of developing ovarian cysts later in life.
Based on this I personally wouldn't choose to put my boar through a costly operation on the off chance that he might one day develop testicular cancer.
Of course if you have already had direct expereince of this then it is natural to feel differently, and you should always do what you personally feel is the right thing for your piggies.
Thank you so much for this information, I do health checks every week so I think I'll be safe. This has definitely put my mind at ease. Thank you again