Which gender is best to get neutered ?

[Indiajagger]

I have 2 Skinny Pigs, a boy and a girl. One of them will have to be neutered so I can keep them together again. I have heard it is best to get the girl done as it is an easier op. However, she already gave birth to 3 dead babies and she is quite skittish so I am reluctant to put her through an operation. Also, would getting her neutered stop the boy from trying to mate with her or would this only be the case if he was neutered ? They are brother and sister and only about 8 months old. Thank you

 

[PigglePuggle]

Neutering a male is a much easier, safer and less invasive operation, they would still mate regardless of who gets neutered, but there would be no babies which is the important thing! After neutering you should keep the boy separated for 6 weeks until he is no longer producing viable sperm, there have been pregnancies from boys 5 weeks post neuter so this is important! Do you have an experienced vet locally?

 

[Piggies&buns]

 

[Siikibam]

Can I ask is that an old photo? You can't put them together (even supervised) at all until the boar is 6 weeks post neuter.

 

[VickiA]

Please keep them separate at all times until you have successfully neutered one of them and waited the safe period.

Neutering boars is a relatively simple and safe procedure in the hands of an experienced vet. It is far less invasive than neutering a sow. So I would opt for neutering your boar. but you must wait a full 6 weeks after his operation before they can live together again, as the sperm can live that long in his system and he could still make her pregnant.

 

[Wiebke]

I have 2 Skinny Pigs, a boy and a girl. One of them will have to be neutered so I can keep them together again. I have heard it is best to get the girl done as it is an easier op. However, she already gave birth to 3 dead babies and she is quite skittish so I am reluctant to put her through an operation. Also, would getting her neutered stop the boy from trying to mate with her or would this only be the case if he was neutered ? They are brother and sister and only about 8 months old. Thank you

In my own experience with having both neutered boars and spayed sows, boar neutering is by far the less invasive and easier to recover from operation. However, since the tubes are not removed, you face a 6 weeks post-op safety wait with boars to make sure that there is no life semen left; with sows you only have to wait 2-4 weeks post-op depending on her recovery.

However, for either operation finding a good vet with plenty of experience in the operation is absolute key as that is making all the difference; if you have a vet who is more confident with a spay, then go for that as that will help to keep the operation/post-op complication risk down. The age is a good one as they are both young.
I know that some people, especially in the USA swear on a spay where here in the UK it is mostly performed as a medical procedure if there are ovarian cyst problems and boar neutering is practised on a wider scale, especially by guinea pig rescues and welfare organisations to minimise any breeding that is adding to the glut of pets and the rising tide of no longer wanted pets clogging the free-ads or the wide scale dumping/abandonment of pets. A neutering operation in the UK is a lot cheaper than a spaying op.

Recommended UK vets: Vet Locator
Recommended vets in some other countries: Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[Indiajagger]

Thank you all for your advice. I have Piglet (the male) booked in for his pre op. Yes, that is an old picture. They’ve been separate ever since I found the babies and I’ve been waiting for the vets to book my appointment (due to Covid they weren’t seeing any pets other than emergencies).
I will be keeping them separate for the advised amount of time afterward but I am looking forward to them being back together. Luckily I was in the process of moving them from 2 store bought cages (that I made into one cage), into a C&C cage, so I had somewhere to put them both. However, there’s not much space for me at the moment lol!

 

[Freela]

Neutering is much easier and less invasive surgery. A spay is major abdominal surgery with greater risks. Hope this helps!

 

[VickiA]

Good to hear you’ve got him booked in for pre op assessment. And great to hear you’ve got space to house him separately until he’s 6 weeks post op. It will all be worth it in the end.

 

[alpacasqueak]

Hope it all goes well! Sorry to hear your little girl went through that bless her, I’m glad she’s ok.
They’re both beautiful! Love skinnies!