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To neuter or not?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Linden
  • Start date Start date

What experience have you had of neutering boars?

  • Successful - my boy had the op and made a full recovery.

    Votes: 14 70.0%

  • Unsuccessful - my boy had the op but didn't pull through

    Votes: 2 10.0%

  • I consider it unsafe so wouldn't do it

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
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L

Linden

I'm loving the poll facility we have on the forum, so I'm going to use it to get your opinions on ..

How safe is neutering?

A while back I unwittingly bought a pregnant sow. Babies turned out to be boys, but I decided to keep them and have them neutered so that they could live in the big run with the girls. First vet I spoke to said okay but wait till they were a little bit older. When it came time to take them in, got a long lecture from the vet who was to actually going to do the op as to how risky it was; he knew of very few successful outcomes; even the lecturers at the vet school had limited success; there would be a high chance that at least one if not both wouldn't make it! I decided to go ahead, but came home in tears. Thankfully both boys made it.

I'm now faced with a similar situation (adopted pregnant mum - 3 babies this time - 2 males!). Currently keeping the boys in a 2'x4' hutch, but I feel so sorry for them compared to the rest of the crew who get to scamper around in a large run in the garage. So yet again I'm considering neutering.

What do you think? Please click on my poll for each piggie that has had the snip.
 
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you do know that both the boys couldn't go in with the females right?
It's one male per group or the boys will end up fighting and breaking any sort of bond...

sorry I just got the impression from your post that you wanted to put both the boys in your group of girls :red
xxxxxx


I'm voting I consider it unsafe so wouldn't do it BUT this for many reasons. One of which is the fact I wouldn't want my current vet to do and and I am on the hunt for a new one with much more pig experience - if a highly experienced rodent vet was going to it I MAY reconsider.

I would much rather just have two boars together, which I have done, rather then get jensen neutered and maybe lose him :( I got Kawada and they are so happy I'm so glad I did =D

x
 
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You should keep only one male per group, unless you have OODLES of space, for more than one - 10m sq or more; otherwise it is better keeping two (or in some cases when temperaments suit, three) unneutered boars together.

I have to add that in the time I have been on the forum, there have been two deaths of boars who have died from complications after the op and at least three who had problems with abscesses.
 
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Thanks for you comment Kira. You did interpret my post correctly, I was considering adding the boys to my current group if they were neutered. I used to have 2 males in the group and everyone got on okay. However, they were brothers and had grown up together, and there was a mature female in the group who I reckon kept them in check. I often wondered how things would have developed when she was no longer with us. As it turned out Max died due to tooth problems before Muffin, so it never became an issue.

I will take your comments into consideration though.
 
Oops just realised smilie I used in above post is a 'nose picker' - not the emotion I meant to convey! I thought it was someone rubbing their chin in a thoughtful manner!rolleyes
 
I have to add that my very first own piggy was successfully neutered back in the eighties and that I have an (already neutered boar). However, despite the best of care, any operation IS a risk - though the odds are FAR better than what the vet was telling you; from my observations on here, I'd say you stand about a chance of 20-25% of complications and perhaps a chance of 10% of death.
 
I had a boar neutered in the 90's with no problems but didn't rush to have any of my other boys done until this Feb when i had Toddie neutered but only after trying him (unsuccessfully) with baby boys.
He was fine & made a complete recovery, however, i still try to pair my boys with younger boys before neutering & only consider it as a last resort as there are no guarantees how they will be with the anaesthetic or wether there will be any post-op complications :)
 
I have never had any boar neutered. I either pair boars together or, if not, then I keep the assertive boars in individual cages next door to one another.
I consider neutering to be an unnecessary operation, unless performed for a medical reason.
 
Hello
I have had 3 boars neutered this year all had no problems age 6 months to 2 years and i would recommend,Charter Vets in Congleton, Cheshire.My vet is called Amber and she is very good.
They were all rehomed from a single life in a cage alone.They now have a female companion and are all very happy healthy boars.Yes i know boars can live with boars and i have two rex brothers who are fine with one another,but its lovely to see the interaction between my couples.
My advice would be check out your vets and have a good chat with them.
Best wishes
Helen and 12 happy cavies.
 
Its a decision I have given some thought to as well. As I mentioned in another thread I have very seriously considered (and am still mulling it through) about getting a neutered boar for my girls. I said no more boys but then I saw a boy I was concerned about and brought home with either the intention of seeing if I could bond a male trio or get him neutered. In honesty I was scared of having the op done in case he didn't make it and luckily he is living with one of my pair of boys now.

I would still like a neutered boy but would prefer to find one in a rescue who has already had the op. I'm a wimp on taking the risk and I know my vet has done the ops and will perfom it but is always very concerned when doing it.

I didn't vote as my answer doesn't really fit in but wanted to explain my thoughts.
 
Have you read through this thread about neutering?:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31509

Now the "facts" are out the way - rolleyes - I can add my personal experience. I have had three boars neutered. Two were "snipped" at the age of not-quite-4-months six years ago - back then I believed neutering would stop them fighting but I soon learned that was not true when I ended up rehoming one due to fighting a few months later! Their surgeries went well though, no problems at all.

The third boar was neutered just over two years ago. Again, surgery went well. He did develop a very small post-op abscess but luckily it cleared up after just one lancing.

I do see how neutering can be seen as an unnecessary surgery bar for medical reasons, and I do agree. Having said that, my neutered boar and sow groups are truly wonderful groupings and the boys do appreciate having wives to call their own.
 
I would consider it only as a last resort - and after careful checking of your vets experience with guinea pigs.

I've had a 50 / 50 success rate with guinea pig neuturing. Lopy and Iggy came around well with no problems, Punky developed a large absess but recovered well after a dose of antibiotics, and Earl and Dumbledore didn't come round from the anesthetic. Would be very reluctant to do so again.
 
My Scout had the op but didn't pull through :( I was left feeling devastated and guilty. Some ops (I would say the majority?) are successful but I personally won't risk it again.
 
This is freaking me out a bit as I am sending my chap for the op next week.

I know the vet is experienced and excellent with piggies. I have to keep my fingers crossed as he needs to be housed with the girls.
 
I had this dilema a few months ago & went to discuss it with my vet. He seemed pretty confident in doing it (although, I can't say that I would trust him to do it) but in the end I chickened out. I would just feel too guilty if anything did go wrong :(
 
Generally I prefer to pair boar with boar and I have had very successful pairings. In fact my boars give me a lot less trouble than the sows. However I have occasionally had a boar neutered, usually when there isn't another I could put him with and I have explored all options. In fact when Berby lost his cagemate Ralfie earlier this year, I successfully put him with Pixie and Dixie and the trio get on so well together. Patch was neutered a few weeks ago after his cagemate Ben went to Rainbow Bridge, and he will soon be choosing which girl group he would like to live with. My vet is very experienced in neutering as he does all the ops for Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare (both boar and sow), but as with any operation (animal or human) there is a risk and this needs to be considered very carefully.
 
I've had my boy Yoshi neutered 2 weeks ago and everything went really well. I did a lot of research before making the decision and I only had it done because I didn't want any more guinea pigs at the moment and I had rescued two girls he could live with and I thought he would be much happier than living on his own (I was planning on getting him a male as companion at first but then fate decided to give me the two girls).

I think the most important thing is to find a good vet and ask them the questions in the thread Laura mentioned, my vet has neutered quite a few guinea pigs and talking to her before the op and asking her a few questions about the procedure put my mind to rest. I was still worried about him on the day of the op as there is always a risk that something can go wrong but all went well. Another 4 weeks and he can go with the girls and I am sure he will be a very happy chap.
 
Lisajazz said:
This is freaking me out a bit as I am sending my chap for the op next week.

I know the vet is experienced and excellent with piggies. I have to keep my fingers crossed as he needs to be housed with the girls.
Click to expand...

I totally understand how you're feeling, but while all operations have risks, the odds do seem to be in your favour. Hope everything goes well, and your chap makes a speedy recovery.

I've decided not to rush into neutering my two - hopefully they'll be able to co-habit happily together in the upper hutch (although I do fell guilty about them not having constant access to the run .... still with a little reorganisation possibly another hutch/run combo {:|)
 
We had our 2 boars neutered a few months ago as they started fighting when we had them a few months after reading the posts on here and asking questions at our vets we decided to have them both neutered and find girls for each of them as once we had seperated them we could see they were unhappy alone. They both made it through fine with no complications and now live with a girl each the change in them from when they were alone to now they have the girls is fantastic to see as they are now popcorning all over the place and although it was a worrying time we are glad we did it.

kev an d caz xxxxx
 
I have had 2 boars in my life and had them both neutered to live in pairs with girls and both developed post op absesses and one had to be re-operated on for a hernia.

Luckily both boys pulled through no worse for it but I would be VERY reluctant to put another boy through it.
 
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