Getting a boy neutered.

*Gemma*

*Gemma*

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My friend sent me a link to a little boy piggy, in a tiny cage with just a hidey. No space for zoomies, no friend, he is being sold with cage. I can’t stop thinking about him, stuck in this cage all alone for the rest of his life.

I have been thinking about rescuing a neutered boy to add to my two girls, they are in a 2x5 c&c cage. Do I get this boy and get him neutered myself? I have space to keep him while he isn’t neutered and the recovery period. I’m so conflicted, I feel so sorry for him :(:(

Any advice on getting boys neutered, are they okay on there own until then?
 
You need to think about a number of things. He will need a health check and quarantining in a separate room to your girls. Do you know his age? Neutering with an experienced cavy vet is relatively low risk but this risk increases with age. You also need to consider what you will do if you have him vet checked and there's an underlying issue which causes your vet to recommend that you don't go ahead with the neuter. Do you potentially have space for a second cage and another guinea pig so he isn't alone?
 
Well done for trying to help this little boy - his current situation sounds awful.:no:

I think neutering is pretty straightforward, but the key is using a vet who has expereince of this op in piggies.
If you have a good vet, and have the space, then I would say it sounds like a great idea.
He will be fine for a couple of months on his own while you sort out his operation and then wait for 6 weeks before introducing him to your girls.
As long as his cage is very secure he could even live side by side with your girls for a little interaction through the bars while he waits for the all clear.
 
I had a boar neutered a few years ago.
It was fine.
Just make sure you have a vet who has cavy experience.

Let us know how things go.
 
Lady Kelly said:
You need to think about a number of things. He will need a health check and quarantining in a separate room to your girls. Do you know his age? Neutering with an experienced cavy vet is relatively low risk but this risk increases with age. You also need to consider what you will do if you have him vet checked and there's an underlying issue which causes your vet to recommend that you don't go ahead with the neuter. Do you potentially have space for a second cage and another guinea pig so he isn't alone?
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It says he is around 8 weeks. I could keep him in a separate room then make a temporary cage until he is ready for his operation and the period after that.

I just don’t know what to do. My heart hurts for him :(
 
Lady Kelly said:
You need to think about a number of things. He will need a health check and quarantining in a separate room to your girls. Do you know his age? Neutering with an experienced cavy vet is relatively low risk but this risk increases with age. You also need to consider what you will do if you have him vet checked and there's an underlying issue which causes your vet to recommend that you don't go ahead with the neuter. Do you potentially have space for a second cage and another guinea pig so he isn't alone?
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I think if he does end up not being able to be neutered because he is very old or isnt in the best health to go ahead with it, then atleast he could be rehomed again to a rescue, where he will get a better life anyway. Its not like the @*Gemma* has only got the pig just to pass him straight on. Just an idea ☺.

The problem is, is how do you health check the pig without "owning" him first? Unless something is obvious or he is clearly old, Its one of those things where its all or nothing maybe?

Correct me if I'm wrong please, i havnt been in this situation before
 
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*Gemma* said:
It says he is around 8 weeks. I could keep him in a separate room then make a temporary cage until he is ready for his operation and the period after that.

I just don’t know what to do. My heart hurts for him :(
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Maybe the first logical step is to contact your regular vet.
Ask about costs of neutering, the age at which they would be prepared to do it, and how many guinea pigs they neuter a month/year.
This might help you decide how realistic taking on this new boy is.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
I think if he does end up not being able to be neutered because he is very old or isnt in the best health to go ahead with it, then atleast he could be rehomed again to a rescue, where he will get a better life anyway. Its not like the @*Gemma* has only got the pig just to pass him straight on. Just an idea ☺.

The problem is, is how do you health check the pig without "owning" him first? Unless something is obvious or he is clearly old, Its one of those things where its all or nothing maybe?

Correct me if I'm wrong please, i havnt been in this situation before
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I don't think you understood my post. I never said he should be health checked before ownership just simply pointing out something that will need to be done to stop any potential infections for the existing sows and to consider whether neutering is a viable option or not. There is then the consideration of what to do IF neutering isn't an option, it can be very difficult to hand on a piggy. I took one from a reputable rescue but was unable to bond her with my lot. I only had her two weeks but taking her back was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I don't think you understood my post. I never said he should be health checked before ownership just simply pointing out something that will need to be done to stop any potential infections for the existing sows and to consider whether neutering is a viable option or not. There is then the consideration of what to do IF neutering isn't an option, it can be very difficult to hand on a piggy. I took one from a reputable rescue but was unable to bond her with my lot. I only had her two weeks but taking her back was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.
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I wasnt going against what you said. I was just thinking of ideas. Basicly i wasnt saying that you did say that. I was just asking how would you. I'm confused, and my post was confusing. I just wanted gemma to avoid ending up in a bad situation rather then getting the pig and regretting it if he cant be neutered because of health. But you cant tell until you have the pig
 
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Do what you think is right for your circumstances. It is a sad situation and if you have the room and the finances to support another pig i would do it.
Just observe good quarantine standards and find a guinea pig savvy vet to do the neutering. Our vet neuters at 4 months and at least 500 grams but i know it does vary.
Also be aware that he may not bond with your sows.
 
Thank you for you advice everyone.
I have got the funds and vet to do so. More worried about the operation, I’m a worrier and I don’t know if I should put him through that. It says on the post he is a few months old, so young.

Ideally he would go in with my girls, if not I could stack the c & c cages. I would make room.

I’ve contacted the owner and if she still has him I will go and get him. I can’t stop thinking about the poor little one and I don’t want him falling into the wrong hands, if he has already gone then there is nothing I can do, I’m letting fate decide :nod:
 
I’d go for him, you can give him a wonderful life and he sounds like he deserves it after living like that, poor little dude x
 
Good luck, hope you get him.
I had my skinny pig boar neutered and he was fine. I used one of the forum recommended vets and read all the post op care guides on here too. It really helped me to be prepared.
Do tell us if you he comes to live with you.
 
*Gemma* said:
Thank you for you advice everyone.
I have got the funds and vet to do so. More worried about the operation, I’m a worrier and I don’t know if I should put him through that. It says on the post he is a few months old, so young.

Ideally he would go in with my girls, if not I could stack the c & c cages. I would make room.

I’ve contacted the owner and if she still has him I will go and get him. I can’t stop thinking about the poor little one and I don’t want him falling into the wrong hands, if he has already gone then there is nothing I can do, I’m letting fate decide :nod:
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Go for it 👍
 
*Gemma* said:
My friend sent me a link to a little boy piggy, in a tiny cage with just a hidey. No space for zoomies, no friend, he is being sold with cage. I can’t stop thinking about him, stuck in this cage all alone for the rest of his life.

I have been thinking about rescuing a neutered boy to add to my two girls, they are in a 2x5 c&c cage. Do I get this boy and get him neutered myself? I have space to keep him while he isn’t neutered and the recovery period. I’m so conflicted, I feel so sorry for him :(:(

Any advice on getting boys neutered, are they okay on there own until then?
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This is the exact same situation like when we got our lovely husboar Theo! He was 14 weeks old supposedly and living alone, in a tiny cage with no hay and nothing to do, advertised in the free ads because his owner got bored of him after a month.
We brought him home and took him to the vet who said he was either about 11 weeks old or very underweight. We quarantined him in his old cage for 2 weeks in our bedroom then he lived next door to the girls for about 10 weeks while he got big enough to be neutered and did his 6-weeks post-op wait...

And by then we'd adopted 2 more ladies and got a big c&c cage and Theo is now almost a year old and generally a very contented and chubby little husboar (except when he annoys his ladies and they tell him off!).

Husboar Theo thinks you should rescue the little boar and give him a whole new happy life, neutering is usually very straightforward if you have a healthy piggy and a good vet! Of course there are risks with neutering, but if it means this little lad has many happy years ahead of him in a big cage with good puggy care and lady friends I think its a risk worth taking :)
 
It sounds as if this boy has already grabbed a place in your heart.
Try not to worry- with a good vet neutering is a straightforward op.
Give him time to settle in first to minimise his stress when he goes for his snip.
Looking forward to hearing more
 
I've offered to pay £20 for all my free ads piggies just to make sure they were kept for me, its tricky to judge if thats the right thing to do of course, but I reckoned that isnt enough that the owner is making a profit and might do it repeatedly, but enough to stop them giving the piggies to just anyone!
One lovely owner refused the money and just handed over 2 fatty piggies, another looked a bit ashamed and said they'd donate the money to an animal rescue... the third just took the cash then gave us a piggy with ringworm and bad teeth who needed £300 of vet care... hope you get your boy!
 
PigglePuggle said:
I've offered to pay £20 for all my free ads piggies just to make sure they were kept for me, its tricky to judge if thats the right thing to do of course, but I reckoned that isnt enough that the owner is making a profit and might do it repeatedly, but enough to stop them giving the piggies to just anyone!
One lovely owner refused the money and just handed over 2 fatty piggies, another looked a bit ashamed and said they'd donate the money to an animal rescue... the third just took the cash then gave us a piggy with ringworm and bad teeth who needed £300 of vet care... hope you get your boy!
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I really don't want to judge anyone but it's such a small cage. £30 for him and the cage and all accessories, I'm worried he will get sold like that and that's it, that's his life. The cage has barely enough room for the hidey he can't even come out of the hidey and do a full circle. Just waiting to see if they reply, if not I just hope he's gone to a good home :(
 
Aw I do hope you get him! Can you collect him tonight if they asked you to? Sometimes its first come first served and most folks will go on the weekend... but hopefully if the owner cares at all they will hear about your big cage and other piggies and want the best for him, we got Jezzy floof and Clover because their previous family said they had a good feeling about us- they said some weirdo offered them £60 but they didnt trust the bloke!
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
I wasnt going against what you said. I was just thinking of ideas. Basicly i wasnt saying that you did say that. I was just asking how would you. I'm confused, and my post was confusing. I just wanted gemma to avoid ending up in a bad situation rather then getting the pig and regretting it if he cant be neutered because of health. But you cant tell until you have the pig
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I kind of want to facepalm emoji this but I need to clear my cache again to be able to use them. I think we are both saying the same thing (things to think about if getting the piggy to make sure the op is prepared) but it's coming across as crossed wires :))
 
PigglePuggle said:
Aw I do hope you get him! Can you collect him tonight if they asked you to? Sometimes its first come first served and most folks will go on the weekend... but hopefully if the owner cares at all they will hear about your big cage and other piggies and want the best for him, we got Jezzy floof and Clover because their previous family said they had a good feeling about us- they said some weirdo offered them £60 but they didnt trust the bloke!
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I will go whenever they want me too to get him :drool:
I've got the essential stuff, I have spare fleece so I don't need to rush out and get anything. I'm just hoping they are at work or busy and that's why they haven't replied.
 
Hugs and supportive wheeks! Waiting to see if you get a random piggy you've started planning for is almost as hard as waiting for the vet to call about a sick pig... I remember when we were getting Blodwen and piggy daddy drove all the way to Wales, I was waiting, everyone on the forum was waiting... then when she arrived she had ringworm and did a weird playing dead fear thing and I thought she'd had a seizure! But she's fine now :)
Really hope you get him and he's ok! X
 
Lady Kelly said:
I kind of want to facepalm emoji this but I need to clear my cache again to be able to use them. I think we are both saying the same thing (things to think about if getting the piggy to make sure the op is prepared) but it's coming across as crossed wires :))
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Lol , yea. It looked like i was challenging you, then when i read back through both our replies, my brain melted. So i gave up after the even more confusing reply of mine. I do get told i speak in riddles by friends and family. Maybe i should be a poet or something🤔☺
 
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