Guinea Pig Neuter FAQ

Why should I neuter my guinea pig and at what age?
What are the anesthetic risks?
How is it done?
Will my guinea pig be painful after the procedure?
What should I expect when I bring him home?

Why should I neuter my guinea pig?

The best reason to have your guinea pig neutered is to avoid the production of offspring. There are no obvious health reasons for guinea pigs to be neutered as there are for rabbits. Neutering does not change their behavior or affect smell in any way.

The best age at which to neuter your guinea pig is 6 months of age.

What are the anesthetic risks?

The anesthetic risks for rodents are higher than those for dogs and cats. That is mostly due to their small body size and very small oral cavity which makes endotracheal intubation very difficult. In addition general anesthesia is a big stress for rodents which complicates and prolongs the recovery period. However, a practitioner who is familiar with exotic species makes all the difference since she/he is familiar with medications used in those species and proper anesthetic and pain management.

How is it done?

We do not recommend fasting because due to their small body size hypoglycemia can occur very quickly. When your pet is admitted to the hospital, he is examined by a veterinarian and accurate weight is recorded. A premedication containing a sedative and analgesic is administered and 15 minutes later a gas inhalant is administered via mask.

The surgical site is shaved and prepped and the testicles can now be removed through 2 scrotal incisions (one for each testicle). We close the incisions with surgical tissue glue to reduce the chance of herniation post-operatively. Although this can be considered a major surgery the guinea pig is ready to go home the same afternoon.

Will my guinea pig be painful after the procedure? (back to the top)

Guinea pigs are very easily stressed and have minimal pain tolerance. With that in mind we do our best to make sure your pet is comfortable before and after the procedure. Pain medication is administered twice throughout this procedure. The first dose is given prior to general anesthesia and the second dose is given 2 hours after surgical procedure is completed.

What should I expect when I bring my guinea pig home after surgery? (back to the top)

There will be no sutures to worry about. However if you notice that guinea pig licks himself a lot and is uncomfortable we recommend you bring him in for a recheck. For the first week we recommend using shredded newspaper to prevent incision contamination and irritation with shavings.