Who should i neuter?

Post Reply
WindPiggy95

Post   » Sat Sep 30, 2017 8:07 pm


Hello reader, I'm wondering if you could help me make a decision. After a recent vet visit for my boys a nasty bite on Eddy's back was brought to my attention. Him and his cage mate, Speedy, fight constantly. I detailed what exactly they do in a previous post if anyone wants me to link it. Anyways, before the visit I realized their cage was too small so I expanded it as much as possible in hopes of bringing the bickering down to normal levels. That didn't work and now their fighting is worse than ever, my only option is to neuter one of them and place them with my girls. But now I'm met with the dilemma of who to neuter.
My vet told me that neutering Speedy would maybe calm him down and stop the fighting, and if not we could just put him with the girls, but according to my research that doesn’t happen with piggies. So with that I started researching. I'm basically ready to schedule the appointment but I realized something last night. Speedy is a painfully timid and shy piggy, out of the many others in my house I'm the only one he doesn't run from upon sight and it took extremely long to gain that trust. The boys are in one of the quiet back rooms, but the girls are in the high traffic kitchen and are very social. I'm scared than when I put him with the girls that he'll revert back to his old self where he was scared by every little thing and spent most of his time hiding, making it a rare treat to see him out and doing something. Maybe the girls could teach him to be less timid? On top of that Speedy is a little over a year old, weights over 1000 grams, is very bulky and cheerful (as a baby he would run laps like a mad-man and popcorn endlessly), and seems to like Eddy (he’ll wheek if Eddy’s out of the cage too long).
I’m wondering, though, if Eddy would be the better option. Him and his passed cage mate spent a little time in the kitchen and it didn’t seem to bother them, especially since Eddy is curious and brave. From what I’ve seen he seems like he’d get a long with the girls better than Speedy. I’m scared my dominant girl wouldn’t put up with Speedy, that Eddy wouldn’t put up with another bore, and/or that Speedy wouldn’t put up with another bore. Is there anyway to see if two boys would be compatible? The biggest problem with neutering Eddy is that we don’t know his exact age, but we think he’s 4. I’m scared he’s too old to put under anesthesia, he doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of Speedy so I’m scared he’ll give up in recovery.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice.

JX4

Post   » Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:05 pm


My neutered male is very shy. We have six piggies total, and all are female except Twilight (thought he was female when we named him, lol). He is the first one to run and hide in the cage when people approach and he's at the bottom of the pecking order in the herd. But he's fine. When we catch him and hold him he's quite affectionate with us humans, and the girls don't try to harm him or anything. I think it would be better to neuter the younger one to live with the females, but you know your pigs better than I do.

Neutering won't change his personality, nor his ability to mate. But you cannot put a neutered male in with females until it has been at least a whole month after the procedure. Apparently guinea pig sperm is really hardy, because it can survive that long in the duct work and he can still impregnate the females even a month after neutering.

WindPiggy95

Post   » Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:24 pm


Sorry it took so long for me to reply, but thanks for your feedback :) I think Speedy's actually a pretty friendly piggy, it's just that the stress from constantly fighting with Eddy hasn't allowed that to shine (at least I hope). He tries to share and form piggy trains but Eddy's not a big fan. Hopefully, like with your Twilight, Speedy won't be too stressed from the change in environment. I'm most likely going to neuter Speedy because he's so young and full of life.
On the note of when to put him with the girls, I heard about 3-4 weeks would be good, but the more I learn the more I realize that that might be too soon. I've heard of males impregnating sows after 5 weeks! I just hope the little guy won't get too lonely while he waits.

Thanks again for the feedback :)

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:25 pm


Four weeks is plenty of time.

JX4

Post   » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:03 pm


Keep him in a cage near the girls while he is healing. Maybe even letting him touch noses through the bars type thing. That way he and the girls can get acquainted and get used to each other before he gets to be put in with them.

However, make SURE that you have a lid on both their cages. Males can be quite acrobatic in their determination to get with the girls even through bars and over the tops of cages. If you let them touch noses through bars, make sure the bars do not have the normal grid square openings. Put another grid through there so the space is very narrow. Some males have been able to impregnate through grid bars.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:28 pm


Actually, you only need the lid on the girls' cage. He can push up the lid on his own cage, but can't pry up the lid on the other cage.

Post Reply