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Getting my boys neutered (don't tell them they don't know yet. . . . )

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Tallulah

Tallulah

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Hi, I've decided to get my boys neutered. One of them is a little older and although he's looking great i'm more concerned about him undergoing the op and anesthetic than the other. The vet i usually go to has always been reliable but every time i go it's a different vet, and i really feel I'd like the advice of a good vet i know i can rely on before i book them in. The older boy in particular is a bit of a favorite if i had them and if anything happened to either of them i'd be gutted. So i was wondering if anyone could recommend a good vet in Cornwall?
 
Why do you want to have them neutered?
If it is because they live together and are fighting neutering will not change anything, it will only make them sterile.
 
I use highertown in Truro which is near Sainsburys. They are specifically a small animal vets and in my opinion are very good. They are always happy for you to ask questions and take on board things you have to say if you don't agree on something. They are about an hour away from me but its worth the travelling.

As above, neutering doesn't change a guinea pigs behaviour like it does on a dog. So if it's because they fight it would be an unecessary procedure.
 
Thanks for that I wondered about highertown someone had mentioned them to me before. I know it won't change behaviour but i've tried bonding them and I just didn't feel I could confidently leave them. At the moment they have contact witi girlies through wire mesh and i know they'd enjoy the company so i'm hoping to have them neutered and then put them with girlies. So i'll have little groups. A bonus would be if having a male in the group would mean my girls who will not tolerate company would integrate into the group but that would be a bonus. It'd be so lovely for them to be in groups rather than ones or twos
 
Maybe the contact they are having with your girls through the wire mesh is giving them some behavioural issues. They could be frustrated and only each other to take it out on and get narky with. x
 
Thats exactly what happened to my three boys, they all lived together peacefully and then i had to transport them to a boarding facility so they got into close proximity with my girls and after that one of the three boys became dominant with the other 2 boys and i had to separate them. I have also recently neutered a male guinea pig which is Jacob in my avatar picture and he was fine for a week and then picked up a post op infection and sadly died, so i would think very carefully about neutering your boys unless it is totally necessary. I am surprised that your girls are not overly sociable because i have a group of nine girls that have been added on to in dribs and drabs over time and i have never had a problem with them not getting on. I do have one neutered boy in with them that i got ready neutered from a rescue facility. Also if you are thinking of putting both boys in with your girls you need to make sure that each male has at least 3-4 girls each otherwise this can also lead to fighting. Hope this advice helps and i wish you all the luck in your decsision.
 
If your boys can see/smell the girls have you tried putting them together completely away from the girls (if its feasible or you havent already done it). Some males are upset by just being able to smell the sows on your clothes.

I think you just have to have a good chat to your vets and get loads of info before deciding. Just to let you know, although highertown are really good on the medical side they told me that my two boys would never get on (which is not the case, the squeak like crazy if they are separated) so may try to persuade you towards neutering. It may be that your boys are happy being separate and seeing the girls through the mesh. It isn't an easy decision.
 
Have a read of this, Vikki's post has a comprehensive list of questions to ask your vet -the main one being - how many guinea pig neuters have they done before, and what is the success rate?

Sophie
x
 
thanks all for all your advice, I really appreciate it! I know there may be complications and that's one of the things that's held me back. It would be good to bond them but there's no way i can get them far enough from my girlies to keep them from being over excited! Bless them. I've tried a few days keeping the girls in and letting them out, and it's only recently they've had contact with girls through the wire. The other reason is the girls that won't bond with the others, i'm thinking that if i do get them neutered they could have a girl each but separately. So each boy'd be in a hutch each, with a lady or two rather than together with girls. This would mean they all have company whereas at the moment i have two girls living individually and two boys living individually. Would be nice to pair them. I can't understand why the girls won't get on either, i've kept guineas for over twenty years, i must have had forty or fifty at least over the years and only in the last few years have i had this issue. It's very odd but if i put jem or red with another piggy they fight. I've tried all combinations, quiet ones dominant ones, nothing works and they end up so upset. So this is my plan. . . Thanks again for the advice and link, will have a good read.
 
I am wishing you all the best; under the circumstances, it's not a bad idea, especially in view of your lonely ladies. I would probably have made the same decision.

I have come across such a problem girl when the small rescue I had her from hadn't checked her out before putting her up for adoption; and things went horribly wrong. Hopefully, those two ladies will appreciate a boy in their life! I'm sure the boys will be only too happy once they have recovered.

I hope that you can find a good vet; it might be good idea to also ask your closest rescue where they have their boars neutered - that vet should have experience!

The most frequent complication after neutering seem to be abscesses forming; perhaps you can have a look in the health/illness section for threads about that. We have had two or three in the last few months.
 
thanks for that, i was thinking abcesses may be an issue, will have to prepare for that possibility. I asked today at my local rspca but they said they couldn't recommend one. My boyfriend is friends with a vet so i may ask her, since there are always risks with any op i'm concerned that some vets may use that as a get out excuse if something goes wrong and recommend neutering just for the money. Which is maybe cynical of me but i'm going to be so careful before i risk a piggy!
 
Unless neutering is for health reasons I would never recommend it.
 
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