Bonding to neuter or live solo?

[kyneO]

hi im looking for honest advice. im still new to guinea pigs, please tell me what's best for their long-term health.

we have a mom and a dad who are very well bonded. mom had 2beautiful healthy sons a few weeks ago.
so we have 3 boys (father and sons) and 1 girl (mum).
i feel bad that mum will live seperated/solo her whole life. i am considering neutering the dad so they can be a pair and the brothers can be a pair (yes i realize they may need to be seperated at some time, but i'm hoping they will get along. it's already clear which one is more dominant). i am not bothered by the cost to neuter the dad, but i am worried because the vets here aren't great and it seems like it is a risky surgery anyway for them and we really love the dad. so...? opinions. ? is it mean to have mum solo (she is in a covered 1x2 right now inside the boys large cage. they can't get at her but she doesn't get to cuddle anybody or follow them around etc.). am i over thinking this?

 

[CudsGwennyPash]

hi im looking for honest advice. im still new to guinea pigs, please tell me what's best for their long-term health.

we have a mom and a dad who are very well bonded. mom had 2beautiful healthy sons a few weeks ago.
so we have 3 boys (father and sons) and 1 girl (mum).
i feel bad that mum will live seperated/solo her whole life. i am considering neutering the dad so they can be a pair and the brothers can be a pair (yes i realize they may need to be seperated at some time, but i'm hoping they will get along. it's already clear which one is more dominant). i am not bothered by the cost to neuter the dad, but i am worried because the vets here aren't great and it seems like it is a risky surgery anyway for them and we really love the dad. so...? opinions. ? is it mean to have mum solo (she is in a covered 1x2 right now inside the boys large cage. they can't get at her but she doesn't get to cuddle anybody or follow them around etc.). am i over thinking this?

I would want to keep them together, because I would feel bad for the mom.

 

[kyneO]

i had thought about spaying the mum so they could all live as a family but i'd feel simply awful if she died and it seems like alot to put her through. but it seem sad to think that she will spend her whole life seperated from the rest of them

 

[CudsGwennyPash]

i had thought about spaying the mum so they could all live as a family but i'd feel simply awful if she died and it seems like alot to put her through. but it seem sad to think that she will spend her whole life seperated from the rest of them

Can you find a more experienced vet to neuter the male.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Spaying the mom wouldn't be a great solution, since she can't live with all three males (they would fight over her, even if she was spayed).

Neutering would work, but only if you can find a vet that's experienced.

 

[kyneO]

thank you for taking the time to reply.

i didn't realize that even spayed it wouldn't be a good idea for her to live w all 3 males. so thank you for that!
i give mum alot of floor&lap time and some outdoors time in a safe pen, i have space and materials to make her a nice big cage to live in.- i dont plan to have her live in such a small space, it was just since weaning the boys i wanted her to be close to them so i put her in there to be near them. i have kinda been rotating them around. sometimes mum gets the whole big cage while buzz has floortime w my son and the babies have treats in the small cage. the babies still squeal alot for her when she has been out of sight for any length of time. i had to cover the little cage because she would find a way to climb out of it to go be with them!
and there's not much choice in vets here. it's a small place. i have not been impressed with the care my other animals have received since moving here. i haven't actually called around yet about neutering, i wanted to see what the experts on here advised first
thanks again!

 

[kyneO]

the vets said they have never neutered a guinea pig. one had neutered a rabbit once. they quoted me the price for a dog spay if i still wanted to have the guinea pig neutered.

yeah.
so i spent that money on materials and made them a really big awesome cage with a divider! so babe can be near the boys (they all sleep right up next to the divider. so adorable. boys on one side, babe on hers, everybody pressed as close as possible. really sweet). everyone seems extremely happy

 

[bpatters]

Please don't have your male neutered by a vet who's never done the surgery on a guinea pig. You need an experienced exotic surgeon to do it. Can you find another female guinea pig to live with the mom?