Neutering/Spaying Should I neuter?

from what i have seen, a lot of people air on caution from complications that can come later on and during recovery. here are some links to give you some more info. hope they help https://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
Guinea Pig Neutering, How to Neuter your Guinea Pigs

good luck.

Depends on age of piggy, health etc as to what the risk is. I got a male from the rspca and had to get him neutered (that's their policy) but as it turned out he was much older than he appeared and died coming out of the anaesthetic, so yes there is risk of complications but really you have to weigh up your options, talk to your vet, then make a decision. Good luck figuring it out.

Nix16 said:

Depends on age of piggy, health etc as to what the risk is. I got a male from the rspca and had to get him neutered (that's their policy) but as it turned out he was much older than he appeared and died coming out of the anaesthetic, so yes there is risk of complications but really you have to weigh up your options, talk to your vet, then make a decision. Good luck figuring it out.

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that is a HORRIBLE policy to have when it comes to small animals. the risk is SO much higher with them. i understand they want to keep pet population down but they should be thinking of the risks involved with an animal and increased age is ALWAYS a factor when it comes to being put under. even for humans. that seems like it was HIGHLY unnecessary. i am so sorry that he passed.

Thanks guys. I really don't think I am going to do it. I will just make him a per infant cage and get him a buddie. It seems silly to risk his life just so I can put him with the girls. I didn't really want another cage, but he didn't ask to be abandoned either. He is so darling. I hope he cheers up when he gets a nice big cage and a house mate.

I've had many successful neuters (and spays). It depends a great deal on the anesthetic used and the competence and experience of the vet, in addition to the age and overall health of the animal.

What will you do with your female then?

and I don't ever recommend neutering, it such a delicate procedure for such little bodies. They had to shave most of felix for his surgery, and I could so the iv marks after and I felt awful.

Plus forcing pain meds, antibiotics and then ultimately syringe feeding him made me feel like an animal torturer.

madelineelaine said:

What will you do with your female then?

and I don't ever recommend neutering, it such a delicate procedure for such little bodies. They had to shave most of felix for his surgery, and I could so the iv marks after and I felt awful.

Plus forcing pain meds, antibiotics and then ultimately syringe feeding him made me feel like an animal torturer.

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A typical neuter should not involve any of the things you mentioned. I will say again that the competence of the vet performing the surgery is key.

madelineelaine said:

What will you do with your female then?

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mommykingx3 said:

It seems silly to risk his life just so I can put him with the girls.

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The OP says girls... so I'm guessing there is already more then one.

Paula said:

A typical neuter should not involve any of the things you mentioned. I will say again that the competence of the vet performing the surgery is key.

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Technically it was a hernia repair, as a result of a neuter. Which is why the idea of neutering when it isn't necessary is something I don't agree with.

The competence probably had something to do with it. My vet is cavy savy, she has guinea pigs herself and she has done many neuters. She had never done a hernia on a guinea pig before though.

madelineelaine said:

Technically it was a hernia repair, as a result of a neuter. Which is why the idea of neutering when it isn't necessary is something I don't agree with.

The competence probably had something to do with it. My vet is cavy savy, she has guinea pigs herself and she has done many neuters. She had never done a hernia on a guinea pig before though.

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I recall and must say the delay in the time it took between your discovering the hernia and actually getting him in likely contributed to the complexity and complications.

Realistically, neutering is a surgery and like any other carries complications and risks. Those can be minimized by the things I've mentioned and attentive after care and prompt attention to oddities or issues that may crop up after surgery.

Yes, well given the circumstances at the time we did the best with what we could and got him in as soon as we got back from vacation, and then the surgery had to be booked which meant more time.

There is always a risk, but why take it if it isn't necessary.

I'm gonna chime in to mention one other factor about neutering that nobody else has mentioned: it can be very expensive. You may get lucky and find an experienced, skilled vet who will do the surgery for a low cost...but you also may wind up paying up to $300, plus the costs of any medications given. Costs vary from vet to vet, city to city and you definitely shouldn't choose a less experienced vet just because they're cheaper. If you have to shop around for the lowest bidder, neutering is probably a bad idea.

If it was me...I'd put that money into my emergency vet fund instead and simply get same-sex buddies for the male and female. I personally wouldn't spend a large amount of money on an avoidable surgery because I just don't have those kinds of funds. The money I'd spend neutering is money I wouldn't be able to spend on a genuine emergency.

It also depends if you have the capacity to take another piggy and if you can cope with 5+ years of cleaning 2 cages. You don't have to decide anything right away, just have a serious think about what you want long term. I think it's a personal decision, and while @Lovecraft makes a good point, I suspect you would spend more than the cost of a neuter on getting and caring for another pig anyway.

Cost is a good point. The vet I see for complex things charges $200+ for alterations but there is also a vet near me that has a spay/neuter clinic and they only charge $60 per animal so it's been easier on my wallet for my recent spays and neuters. If it's a possibility that you might have to choose between an elective surgery versus having a good vet fund built up for emergencies, opt for the latter, always.

I was going to get Borat neutered so he could live with Amy. Sadly, he had to be put to sleep because of genetic problems, but if he'd lived, I'd have gone ahead with the surgery because they got along (lived next door and had a divided playpen) so I wanted them to be able to be together.

However, I made that decision because I don't really have the room for four pigs. I ended up with a boar and sow because of missexing; otherwise, I would simply have had two same-sex pigs, which was the original intent.

Ok thanks everyone. But her is an update. Bernie is quite depressed but tomorrow I am getting two more males and they are getting a large cage for them. I feel neutering just so I don't have two cages is selfish. He is my piggy now and I owe him the best life possible and putting him through all that is wrong. So I hope a large cage and two friends and lots of love will be just what he needs.
And to clear up the girls. I have three in a 3x6 with a huge loft. They are very happy and spoiled. The boys will be next to them.
I never wanted two cages but I am dedicated to rescuing pigs and sometimes that means changing your plans.

hi @mufasa... i'm having the same dilemma....don't really want to get patches neutered, right now he's in his own cage across the room from the girls... is that enough? should i maybe try moving him right beside them? i've had them together for floortime with a divider and he REALLY wants to make babies something fierce.... i wasn't sure if moving him closer would wind him up even more? would neutering settle him down or does that just come with age or is it an individual thing? i've read alot on this site but would like a personal opinion.... thanks for any help!

@Triksey I asked two vets about keeping Bo and Amy next door to each other because I didn't want to drive him crazy. They said it can, but it depends on the pig. Borat was an extremely laid back pig in general, so other than when Amy was in heat, he wasn't too insane about trying to get to her. They interacted a lot through the grid divider in the playpen, though. I'd just be very, very careful that the way you separate them leaves no way for the boar to get to the sow. A desperate male piggy can get pretty innovative in his methods to get to the "prize."

mommykingx3 said:

Ok thanks everyone. But her is an update. Bernie is quite depressed but tomorrow I am getting two more males and they are getting a large cage for them. I feel neutering just so I don't have two cages is selfish. He is my piggy now and I owe him the best life possible and putting him through all that is wrong. So I hope a large cage and two friends and lots of love will be just what he needs.
And to clear up the girls. I have three in a 3x6 with a huge loft. They are very happy and spoiled. The boys will be next to them.
I never wanted two cages but I am dedicated to rescuing pigs and sometimes that means changing your plans.

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Why are you getting two more males? Just one would be enough. I will tell you, though, that having three males next to a cage with females will not work very well, unless all access is blocked (including making sure they can't see each other). Otherwise they will be spending all their time trying to get at the girls and fighting each other.

Honestly, I would do a neuter instead. Neutered male/intact female pairings work really, really well. So much better than trying to get three males to get along.