Preparing For Neutering?

[Chubsta]

We have a male rescue piggie (Dave) who is about 2 years old, as well as 2 10 month old girls.

The ideal scenario is that they can all live together in one hutch at night and as free-range pigs in the garden during the day. Clearly this is not going to work unless Dave has the snip!

Having this operation is something that we have really stressed over as we know there are risks involved, but the benefits would be huge, not only to us but also to Dave as he would be able to properly socialise with the girls - he has has a 'quarantine' period of a few weeks but yesterday was introduced to them through a wire fence and judging by the little dances he was doing he is looking forward to getting to know them better...

So, given that there are risks, how can these be minimised? We have spoken to a local vet and they are confident in performing the operation as they are experienced in it, we have an indoor cage with plenty of fleeces to keep Dave warm and safe afterwards, and the cost of the operation and aftercare are immaterial as long as we feel we are doing our best for him.

So, any advice?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! I would make the same decision if I were in your position!

The most important factor is finding an experienced vet with a good track record in guinea pig neutering; that is vital to cut down on any risks during and after the operation, especially abscesses/infections, which can appear weeks after the op. Thankfully, there are much stronger (if still unlicensed) antibiotics available these days that can cut through strong infections better so the mortality rate has gone down a lot in the last few years.

You are also looking at a full 6 weeks post op wait after the operation until your boy is 100% safe to go with your two girls. Just to prove that particular point, I have the surprise baby courtesy of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar at a good rescue; but even though it is rare, it can really happen that late to anybody. I have since heard of more cases. Our recommended rescues with a neutering policy all practice a 6 weeks post op wait and there have been no reports of any pregnancies.

If you wish to prepare for the op, here are tips for post op care. Ideally, your boy should just pick up where he left and none of this should be necessary.
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html

If you want to research more vets, we have got a list of piggy savvy UK vets available: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/