Neutering
What is Neutering? Neutering is the surgical removal of a boars testicles to make it infertile.
At Barmy 4 boars we recommend that boars are not neutered unless it if for a medical reason. But below we explain reasons you might want to neuter and what you need to know if you go ahead with the operation.
Reasons you might be considering Neutering
Your boars do not get on
Neutering will not change this. Unlike with dogs and other animals it will have no effect on the temperament and behavior of the guinea pig. Warring boars who have been separated will not get on once they have been neutered. They will have the same problems they had when they were 'intact'.
You want your Boar to live with a sow.
In our experience the many other options for providing company for a boar without resorting to surgery are preferable to neutering a boar so it can love with a sow. For one thing, even post op there is no guarantee that the boar and sow will get on smoothly, if your boar has ever run (or bred) with sows before the operation, there is a possibility that after he is neutered he could still pester the sows, mounting them & such like. However we do recognise that if you have a lonely boar who you have not been able to pair up there is no mistaking that a neutered boar would have a lovely life with a 'wife' or two or that keeping guinea pigs in this way is closest to the way they exist in the wild if he survives the operation & recovery period.
What we would say is if you do decide to go ahead and neuter then there are a few golden rules you need to follow to minimize the risk to your boar and maximize the positive outcome of his being able to live out the rest of his days with a lady friend!
This is because like any operation guinea pig might under go there is a danger you will loose your pig during or as a result of the procedure. I am told it is rare that a guinea pig is lost during a neutering operation but it does happen. It seems that deaths of post operative abscesses and infections are the most common cause of neutered boar deaths, rather than deaths on the operating table.
The Golden Neutering Rules
1) Research - Know your stuff
You want to know as much as you can about what is involved in the procedure so you can prepare for it and more crucially care for your boar after the operation. Below are a few links to other web sites that have useful information about neutering, owner testimonials etc.
Knowing a little about neutering will also really help with our next tip- finding a good vet.
2) Find a good Guinea Pig Vet
This is the single most crucial decision you will make after you have decided to go ahead with the op. Unfortunately not every vet you take your guinea pig to will have enough experience and specialist knowledge about guinea pigs to operate on it. Though sadly they will no doubt agree to do the operation for the financial benefits, whatever the outcome. This is not what you want of course, you want to pass your precious piggy into capable hands and have him returned to you safely when the job is done. The best way to do this is to 'shop around' for a cavy savvy vet, this could involve ringing surgeries and asking questions, ringing the CCT or local rescues and asking if they could recommend a vet near you or traveling further than you would normally do for the operation. See our 'finding a vet' page for more details, you might also like to make up a list of questions to ask specific to Neutering
3) Preparation
Make sure your piggy is 100% healthy. If you suspect that your piggy might be having any kind of health problem its best to postpone the operation, until he is fully recovered. A good vet should always check our piggy over before the day of the operation, they may even do a blood test.
You also need to make sure your piggy is a suitable age and weight to undergo the operation. Your vet will be able to tell you about the minimum age and weight. Although most vets do not set an upper age limit it is best not to subject an elderly guinea pig to the stress and risk of any surgical procedure if it is not necessary for a medical reason. I would carefully consider Neutering Piggy's older than four years of age.
One important thing you need to know about preparing for the operation is that you should not be asked to withhold food from your guinea pig in the run up to the operation. Because guinea pigs are unable to vomit they can usually continue to eat as normal before the operation, and do not need to be starved for a set period as with other animals and us humans. With holding food from a guinea pig when this was not needed might lead to health problems in itself.
4) After Care
Keep your boar on vet bed or towel bedding for at least 3 days, preferably longer, and definitely longer if his would is not healing. White is the best colour for this so that you can monitor any blood or discharge from the surgery. Towels should be changed at least twice daily and vet bed once a day.
Check the genital area regularly, at least once a day. Look out for signs of a problem such as swelling, discharge such as pus, and that the incision stays sealed and has not opened. This monitoring should continue even after the stitches/staples have been removed to ensure the area totally heals up. If you should spot any of the above, or if you are concerned in any way do not hesitate to contact your vet and get it checked out.
Ensure that your vet gives you suitable pain medication to help your piggy cope with the post operative pain, boars who are not given pain relief can suffer from loss of appetite and 'give up' on life so it is best that this is provided. Would you want to be given pain relief following surgery? I now I would! It must be a guinea pig safe form.
Antibiotics and a pro biotic may also be prescribed for 5 days to ward off/treat any post operative infection. These again should be guinea pig safe must NOT contain penicillin. Although it is not usually good to subject guinea pigs to a course of antibiotics unless strictly necessary due to its effect on their gut flora a case can be made that the nature of a guinea pig castration , with the wounds being on the underside of the piggy on parts that are often in contact with the cage bedding and which he habitually rubs on the ground which makes the risk of infection that much higher. Antibiotics should always be given with a pro biotic to maintain the balance of flora in the gut, good ones to use include biolapsis and avipro which should be given to the piggy mixed with water about 30 minutes after the antibiotic via a syringe so you know the pig has had it, (not mixed into the drip feed water bottle as the piggy may not get enough/at the right time).
Monitor your piggy closely, is he eating and behaving as normal. Keep a record of his weight to ensure he is not loosing weight.
5) Introducing your neutered boar to a sow/sows
You must wait a set period before introducing your boar to your sow after the operation. Advice on this varies. It is usually 3-6 weeks. Its possibly better to air on the side of caution and wait the longer time to avoid any question of unwanted pregnancy. When you do introduce the boar he will probably pester the sow for a week or so, trying to mount her and so on and she will be very vocal in her protests. Usually this then settles down, however on occasion a neutered boar will continue his advances and this causes the sow stress. In these cases the boar should be separated.
And lastly...
Please think about what is best for the animal, not what is best for your circumstances. Some rescues do neuter boars who cannot be paired up with other boars to enable them to find homes more easily & to prevent them living lonely, solitary lives any longer. You could ask the advice of a rescue about this issue if you are unsure as they will have experience on the matter and may be able to help. Please also look at this page from cavy spirit to help you establish the facts to help you make your decision.
And don't forget the other Options, including some none surgery ones for Boars and Sows
