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Risks Of Neutering?

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LydiaMinx

LydiaMinx

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I'm looking into having my boars castrated to eventually get them sows as companions, but how likely is it that something could go wrong?

The potential risks are the only things really putting me off. Also, how old do they have to be before they can be neutered?

Thanks again guys!
 
Dear @LydiaMinx,

You are absoutely right to think about this seriosly as neutering is not without it's risks. Are there any stickys about this subject?

Many of us are keeping boars and it is lovely to have a bonded pair. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong with their relationship which I suspect is the case in your situation.

The first thing you need to do is find a vet you are confident in and discuss the risks with this vet before making the final decision whether to go ahead or not.

I have 2 boars which I have had neutered recently with the intention of pairing them with sows. One is fine but unfortunatley, the other has had an abcess. He is currently on Baytril. It is tearing me apart knowing that Monty is ill because of my decision to have him neutered.
 
The key to neutering is to find the right vet - the risk of post op complications is depending directly on who you use. There are vets that have as close to a 100% success rate as you can reasonably get and those where it is very much a toss up whether you end with problems or not; we have seen some serious botch-up jobs on here. It really is worth travelling that bit further for that reason! Abscesses are the most likely complication, but as there are better antibiotics available than just baytril these days (marbocyl or zithromax), the ultimate survival/success rate has gone up a lot since I joined this forum.

I made that experience myself when I had the successor to my dying patriarch neutered through a local rescue (no longer operating) and their local general vet - and nearly lost Hywel to a rare complication (very painful gut adhesion from a band of swelling behind his testicle area) a few weeks later; no thanks to the operating vets who wouldn't even give him an antibiotic because they didn't have the first clue what was going on! :(
Thanks to some dedicated late night forum support from some very experienced people, having a strong unused antibiotic and painkiller handy at home for Hywel's predecessor and some dedicated round-the-clock nursing by the rescue lady over the weekend, Hywel has made a full recovery and is just coming up to his third "gotcha day".

However, all my other boars that were neutered or spayed by one of the best operating vets in the country have had no problems whatsoever.

Here is more information on neutering:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pig-castration-explained.70606/
http://www.cavyspirit.com/neutering.htm
 
NewPiggieOwner said:
Dear @LydiaMinx,

You are absoutely right to think about this seriosly as neutering is not without it's risks. Are there any stickys about this subject?

Many of us are keeping boars and it is lovely to have a bonded pair. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong with their relationship which I suspect is the case in your situation.

The first thing you need to do is find a vet you are confident in and discuss the risks with this vet before making the final decision whether to go ahead or not.

I have 2 boars which I have had neutered recently with the intention of pairing them with sows. One is fine but unfortunatley, the other has had an abcess. He is currently on Baytril. It is tearing me apart knowing that Monty is ill because of my decision to have him neutered.
Click to expand...

Very much the case in my situation, although I'm still hoping to eventually re-introduce when the younger is mainly past the hormonal stages and I can provide a much larger cage space for them. And don't feel bad about it, these things happen and you were doing it with Monty's best interests at heart! He will be able to have a companion after his abscess heals :)


Wiebke said:
The key to neutering is to find the right vet - the risk of post op complications is depending directly on who you use. There are vets that have as close to a 100% success rate as you can reasonably get and those where it is very much a toss up whether you end with problems or not; we have seen some serious botch-up jobs on here. It really is worth travelling that bit further for that reason! Abscesses are the most likely complication, but as there are better antibiotics available than just baytril these days (marbocyl or zithromax), the ultimate survival/success rate has gone up a lot since I joined this forum.

I made that experience myself when I had the successor to my dying patriarch neutered through a local rescue (no longer operating) and their local general vet - and nearly lost Hywel to a rare complication (very painful gut adhesion from a band of swelling behind his testicle area) a few weeks later; no thanks to the operating vets who wouldn't even give him an antibiotic because they didn't have the first clue what was going on! Thanks to some dedicated late night forum support from some very experienced people, having a strong unused antibiotic and painkiller handy at home for Hywel's predecessor and some dedicated round-the-clock nursing by the rescue lady over the weekend, Hywel has made a full recovery and is just coming up to his third "gotcha day". :(

However, all my other boars that were neutered or spayed by one of the best operating vets in the country have had no problems whatsoever.

Here is more information on neutering:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pig-castration-explained.70606/
http://www.cavyspirit.com/neutering.htm
Click to expand...

I believe the vet in the town over from me is very good with Guinea Pigs. When I did work experience there, there was a pig in nearly everyday having ultrasounds, x-rays - so they take them seriously, unlike some vets! I rang and enquired on price (£70, not too bad) and I believe they carry out the procedure fairly regularly, so when the time comes it will most likely be there :).

I'm glad to hear Hywel recovered, and sorry if I sound stupid - 'gotcha day'? Is that a bad term? :( I hope not!
 
LydiaMinx said:
Very much the case in my situation, although I'm still hoping to eventually re-introduce when the younger is mainly past the hormonal stages and I can provide a much larger cage space for them. And don't feel bad about it, these things happen and you were doing it with Monty's best interests at heart! He will be able to have a companion after his abscess heals :)




I believe the vet in the town over from me is very good with Guinea Pigs. When I did work experience there, there was a pig in nearly everyday having ultrasounds, x-rays - so they take them seriously, unlike some vets! I rang and enquired on price (£70, not too bad) and I believe they carry out the procedure fairly regularly, so when the time comes it will most likely be there :).

I'm glad to hear Hywel recovered, and sorry if I sound stupid - 'gotcha day'? Is that a bad term? :( I hope not!
Click to expand...

"Gotcha day" is an American term for the anniversary of the day you've got your pet - an alternative for a birthday in those cases you don't know the birth date. ;)
 
I am having the same dilema at the moment. My two guinea pigs have fallen out and I have started doing research on the subject. I cant help with decision making at the moment, I havent made my mind up yet! The horror stories seem quite low though. Good luck in your decision.
 
Thank you @LydiaMinx . I wanted people to know what happened to me & Monty. The vet I went to was recommended to me by other guinea pig owners. They assured me that they had a very good success rate. I can't turn the clock back. I just hope he recovers.
 
Even with the right vet, complications can still occur. One of my boars was neutered by a very experienced vet. He developed abscesses in the surgical area in the first 6 weeks...these were treated and cleared up....then six MONTHS after, he sprouted another one! It had to be surgically removed and was deemed to be as a result of his neutering.
 
I'm also weighing up the risks and benefits with my young boar, Wilbur. Those who have had boars neutered: did your vet give antibiotics routinely after surgery? My vet is not keen on preemptive antibiotics because of disturbing the gut flora and possibly putting the pig off his food. It's hard to know what to do for the best!
 
Rigby said:
I'm also weighing up the risks and benefits with my young boar, Wilbur. Those who have had boars neutered: did your vet give antibiotics routinely after surgery? My vet is not keen on preemptive antibiotics because of disturbing the gut flora and possibly putting the pig off his food. It's hard to know what to do for the best!
Click to expand...

Yes and no - different vets have done mine. Some did, some didn't. They obviously make an incision in the scrotum, and if you think about it, this is so close to the floor, and they drag their bums around (especially boars!) so prophylactic antibiotics aren't such a bad idea.
 
I'm leaning more toward getting Boris neutered first, as he sufferes with Sperm rods quite regularly that cause him quite a fair amount of pain. Although, hearing all these problems is making me more hesitant! :(
 
Any neutering op is a leap of faith that you have to make with your eyes open to the possibility that there is always a chance that things can go wrong - it is the same with any elective operation whether it is a human one or an animal one.

You can do your best by trying to minimise any risks with research and careful choosing of a vet, but you cannot completely eliminate them. In the end it comes down to whether you think that the risk will be worth the potential gain.

Personally, I think it is - seeing how happy my husboars are - but I will be ever so careful about which vet I use if I have another boar neutered on my own again!
 
If you have a local rescue who have a neutering policy why not ask them where they get their boys neutered. The vet who does them will obviously have more experience if doing these operations on a regular basis.
 
Wiebke said:
Any neutering op is a step of faith that you have to make with your eyes open to the possibility that there is always a chance that things can go wrong - it is the same with any elective operation whether it is a human one or an animal one.

You can do your best by trying to minimise any risks with research and careful choosing of a vet, but you cannot completely eliminate them. In the end it comes down to whether you think that the risk will be worth the potential gain.

Personally, I think it is - seeing how happy my husboars are - but I will be ever so careful about which vet I use if I have another boar neutered on my own again!
Click to expand...

Yes the fact that they'd both have a happy relationship with another guinea pig is the one factor that is making me really want to, despite the potential risks, so I'm almost 100% that I'm going through with it, just going to do a bit more vet questioning :P

Stewybus said:
If you have a local rescue who have a neutering policy why not ask them where they get their boys neutered. The vet who does them will obviously have more experience if doing these operations on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

I don't believe my local rescue does it by policy but I will ask them where they go when they do :) Thank you :)
 
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