Getting a male nuetered.

[amruiz]

Hey all! So I'm going to be adopting a male and female pair of rats. They haven't come to me yet and will be separated until I'm able properly QT them. Then the little girl will be moving in with my current girls, once we get them properly intro'd. Etc. Etc. Now my problem lies with the little boy. I'm hoping to get him neutered when he's old enough and I want to know what I'm looking for. I've spoken with my vet and he has assured me that he can do the surgery, but how do I know he's legit? I haven't set an appointment yet, obviously.

-So what are some questions I can ask him to be sure he really knows what he's doing?
-What are the risks involved?
-What are some things that I may need to stand firm on in this surgery?

I'm going in here with no prior experience getting any of my pets spayed or nuetered.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[amruiz]

*politely bumps*

 

[Kimber]

The joys of a neutered male I am in the process of having all my boys neutered....two down one to go on Tuesday (if I had enough travel cages I would have done them all together, haha).

-So what are some questions I can ask him to be sure he really knows what he's doing?
Your best bet to finding a good vet is word of mouth. Ask around if you know ratty people or perhaps join a US based rat group who will have other members in your area who may know first hand. Some questions you can ask are; how many spays has the vet done? What are your post operative procedures? What other rat services does he offer? Something to keep in mind is that rats cannot vomit and have very high metabolisms; as such, rats (like other rodents) should not be starved before a surgery as there is no risk of vomiting.

-What are the risks involved?
As with any surgery there are risks involved. Some factors that can affect the outcome are age, pre-existing medical conditions (heart disease, respiratory concerns, obesity), supression of regular motor function (normal throat reflexes, etc), change in blood pressure, change in heart rate and stroke. Another concern is the inability for the body to maintain proper temperature which can be countered by monitoring and supplying additional warmth.

Please bear in mind that although it sounds scary, anesthetic complications are rare and most surgeries go off without a hitch with all ages. It is just something to have in the back of your mind. I believe however, that the positives far outweigh the negatives related to a neuter.

-What are some things that I may need to stand firm on in this surgery?
The only thing that I made a point to mention for mine (as I was comfortable with the vet) was that I wanted painkillers after the surgery for my boys. I don't personally have testicles (haha) but I know how sore I've felt after surgeries and a little something to take the edge off it important. A rat that isn't in pain is less likely to muck about with his incision. I gave my boys Ibuprofen when they got home as they were doing the "in pain twist" with their little bodies...only took some the night after the surgery and were fine the next day.

 

[jorats]

When I was getting to know my vet, I had asked her how many rat surgeries she's done and what where the risks in her opinion, I also asked how many she lost.
The fact that your vet says yep, no problem, that would make me feel comfortable. That means he knows what it's about and how to go about it. Each vet will have a method that works for them. You could ask things like what is required of you to prepare the rat and ask him what should you do for after.
If he mentions fasting prior to surgery, that's a red flag.

 

[Moon]

Oh man, thank you so much for the polite bump.

Yes, as said, the vet requiring a fast for a rat is a red flag. I'd also ask their opinions on medications post surgery. I believe a vet should provide you with a couple of days worth of metacam, but many vets still feel it's unnecessary.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

You can also ask the vet to walk you through the procedure so that you understand what's going on. A good confident vet should have no issues doing this and should be able to explain it to you in a way that you understand. As personal preference I like my boys to either get a shot of metacam or have some sent home with them.

As someone already mentioned you should check out/ask around on Goosemoose. They have a larger US base so someone on there might be able to send you in the direction of a good vet.

 

[SQ]

Suggest that you read the following link.
It is important to discuss things with vets prior to surgery.
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9640

My rats always get pain meds (metacam) from the vet to take orally for several days after surgery.
The vet gives them an injection of pain meds after surgery that lasts for 24 hours. Then they start on oral pain meds.

 

[Joanne]

I have had many of my rats spayed/neutered. The biggest risk is with the anaesthetic as far as I'm concerned. It's risky using anything other than gas for anaesthetic. I've lost a couple that had injectable sedation before the gas, and a few more that were sedated for a whole day before the effects finally wore off.