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Post by KarenPlanetGuinea on Aug 18, 2008 11:51:38 GMT
The only reason to get a guinea pig castrated (male) is if he is going to live with a sow or for medical reasons ie tumours. Rescues often castrate their boars as it increases their chances of finding a new home. It is wrong to think that getting a boar castrated will change his behaviour ie aggression, this does happen in other animals but not in guinea pigs. Any changes in behaviour that occur are likely to be due to the age of the guinea pig.
Sows no longer need spaying for cystic ovaries. There is a Chorulon Injection available or the cysts can be drained. Spaying is a very invasive surgery that most vets will not be keen to perform on a sow. A few rescues also successfully spay their sows to prevent them from being bred from but the neutering operation is less invasive for the males.
As with all surgery there are risks. The only risk to a boar undergoing a castration op should be an undetectable underlying health issue (usually respiratory).
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Post by KarenPlanetGuinea on Aug 21, 2008 10:59:42 GMT
There are many ways of performing a castration, the one that you want is a successful one.
Firstly find a vet that a rescue uses successfully, at least you will know that they are seeing lots of guinea pigs- but check to see exactly how many! The rescue may not like getting boars castrated so this op may not be done regularly.
There are different places incisions can be made with, it seems, varying degrees of success so do quiz vets on the amount of successful ops they have done, also ask them what they consider to be successful.
I expect my guineas to be 'up and eating' when I go to pick them up (which they are save for about 4 of the 60+ that I've had done, who didn't perk up till I got them home and put them back in the shed with a pile of grass and their friends around them.)
Guinea pigs do not need to be starved at all. A competent vet will simply flush the mouth out with water pre op to guard against guinea choking on any food that is left in the mouth. It is important to continue to feed them in case there is an emergency that comes into the vets and the op is put back until later, the shorter the time without food the quicker recovery will probably be.
Giving Rimadyl pre op will ensure that guinea is not in pain when he wakes and will start eating straight away. We have given Metacam but it has made some guineas drowsy and now only give Rimadyl- both are NSAIDs, work in much the same way (anti inlammatory and pain killer).
The closed method of the operation should be (and is used by most vets) used as this carries less risk than the open method.
At Active Vetcare Tilehurst and Maidenhead (and probably the branches) Vicryl is used (not catgut) and glue for the outside wounds. Catgut should never be used in any operations on guinea pigs because it can cause inflammation, it is just a few pence cheaper than Vicryl so this cannot be used as an excuse!
Quiz the nurses on what they will do if a guinea pig is not eating the post op lunch that you've brought in (Grass is great to gert them eating again). They should reply that they will syringe feed Oxbow Critical Care within an hour of him coming round and not eating.
This summer I have had 5 boars castrated because only one person has come forward this year wanting a single boar- despite me having pairs of boars. Often this is the only option for rescues if we want to find a home for boars.
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Post by KarenPlanetGuinea on Aug 21, 2008 20:55:31 GMT
Presuming that guinea is well and eating there are only a few changes that need to be made.
Bedding should be Vetbed or Profleece (a similar product to Vetbed). This will minimise any wounds to the op site and keep it dry therefore at less from infection.
Hay should be in a tube or rack or just hanging but so that guinea cannot sit on it, to minimise injury to the site of the op.
There should be no drastic changes in temperature (but then there shouldn't anyway, even with well pigs).
I have never had to clean the site of the op, I find it easier to minimise any risks of infection by using Vetbed etc.
Get used to what the site of the op feels and looks like. This makes it easier to monitor and recognise when/if things change.
If a post castrate abscess appears it will need lancing when 'ripe' and then daily flushing with sterilised water (such as Hartmans or Ringers Solution). As well as this Baytril at the correct dose must be given as there will be lots of toxins present. Along with Baytril a probiotic must be given. A Canula from your vet is very useful for flushing post castrate abscesses too.
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Post by KarenPlanetGuinea on Oct 4, 2008 11:57:42 GMT
If you want your guinea pig to be given Rimadyl as opposed to Metacam then this can be written on the bottom of the permission form you sign.
I also write who I want to perform the op. This way if my chosen vet is called away to do an emergency, guinea won't be opped on by someone I don't know or I might not want to do the operation.
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