Neutering rats

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littledevils

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 17, 2008
Messages
1,099
Location
Vancouver, BC
Just a quick survey to gather some statistics hopefully.

I am mostly interested to figure out which neuter method seems safer....

I don't know if it was just our bad luck but when we did scrotal neuters, we had a really high % of rats having complications after their neuter, mainly abscesses. We're talking 1 out of 2 developed an abscess after their neuter.

So we asked our vet to train himself to do abdominal neuters and since then we've had zero complications after their neuters. It is a bit more expensive but it's well worth it.

I'm hoping to find out if others had similar experiences.

When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
How many rats have had you neutered over the years?
How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
What was/were the reasons for neutering?
 
this thread is going to be very helpful to a lot of people.
i don't have any answers for your survey, as i've never had a neuter done, but i'm really interested in reading the stats.
 
We've had tons done. I'll get the exact number when I have more time, I'm about to scoot out the door for work.
But my vet told me once that abscesses will occur when vets remove the fatty tissue completely instead of reinserting like she does.
My vet does scrotal neuters and we've never had an abscess.
 
i've done 12 neuters in the last 6 mnths, and have at least 3 more planned before the new year.
My vet does scrotal neuters, and i've never had any meds given to me.
I think out of all of them done, and SHelagh can clarify the numbers, since it was her boys ironically that had abcesses, but i'm thinking it was 3-4 abcesses out of 12.

Neutering for me goes for MANY reasons. Mostly agression, and so I can intergrate them in with females to make larger groups and decrease cage quantity.

This indeed will be an intresting thread, i'll keep my eye on it for SURE!
 
jorats said:
But my vet told me once that abscesses will occur when vets remove the fatty tissue completely instead of reinserting like she does.
My vet does scrotal neuters and we've never had an abscess.

That's interesting! Do we know if the other vets reinsert the fatty tissue??? I will ask our vet for sure next time I see him.

henry's_mum said:
I think out of all of them done, and SHelagh can clarify the numbers, since it was her boys ironically that had abcesses, but i'm thinking it was 3-4 abcesses out of 12.

See, I find this % very high too and it's something I see often... IMO it's far too high and I'm very curious why this is... Jorats certainly brought up something very interesting... we often argued that it's just the location where it is with all the parts close together that it can be tricky....
 
Just want to add pics of how an abdominal neuter looks like (pic taken a day after surgery)

1cups%20015.jpg


And compare that with a spay (done by the same vet, pic also taken a day after surgery):

vanspcababies%20003.jpg
 
I've only ever had one rat go through any type of surgery and that was Patrick for his neuter, so im not sure if my info will be of any value because i have nothing to compare it to personally

When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal

many rats have had you neutered over the years?
only one

How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
A lump (no.1) was visible once initial swelling went down, and a second (no.2) lump appeared a week post-surgery. I think it was 3 weeks when lump no.2 abscessed and cleared with no problems, and 6-7 weeks when lump no.1 swelled right up. The vet was concerned about a hernia from the surgery and Patrick was on emergency watch, but luckily it abscessed and cleared up.
Patrick also managed to pull an internal knot out through the skin which had to be removed by the vet on a seperate occasion (i class that as a problem lol)

Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
No. I wasn't given any medication. Antibiotics were issued once 'lump no.2' abscessed to fight the infection off.

What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Agression being shown to his cage-mate


----
On an abdominal neuter do they not remove the testicles then?
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal, however the stitch (glue) was in a Y shape rather than a linear insiscion(sp?).

How many rats have had you neutered over the years?
First one ever done last week

How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
None

Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
3days of Meloxicam (sp?)

What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Progressing aggression

Sorry for all the maybe mistakes, I'm sick.
 
Ok...

So between my parents, mine and my sister's rats:

1. scrotal neuters
2. 51 neuters
3. 0 abscesses, 1 cardiac distress in recovery...
4. no antibiotics, almost none have pain meds after the initial shot from vet.
5. hormonal, severe aggression, territorial, fear.

I also want to add that all but 2 or 3 of our boys have reacted like nothing was done to them, like they never undergone surgery and this reaction is within hours of surgery. Ours go through surgery between 9am - 11am and we pick them up and bring them home at 12pm that same day.
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal
How many rats have you had neutered over the years?
5
How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
Once, but it was because the rat kept picking at his surgery site.
Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
No
What was/were the reasons for neutering?
To help get them adopted.
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal
How many rats have you had neutered over the years?
9
How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
Once small abscess that healed up quickly and uneventful (my youngest rat neuter done at 5 weeks)
Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
No and like Jo have never had to give pain meds.....
What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Many reason but mainly to keep them from being able to reproduce.
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal
How many rats have you had neutered over the years?
2 within the past month
How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
None
Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
2 days worth of pain meds, just for one rat (and because he had a spot removed from his scrotum and neutered at the same time
What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Aggression & Dominance
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
scrotal
How many rats have had you neutered over the years?
3
How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
One rat developed a tiny abcess that went away on its own, didn't even burst or anything
Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
No
What was/were the reasons for neutering?
females
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal

How many rats have had you neutered over the years?
3 within the last 8 months

How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
1 of them had some pretty bad swelling, no lumps though, so I don't think it was an abscess. Took him back to the vet who then put him on antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory drug I think (either way, there were two yucky medicines for him to take).

Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
No.

What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Aggressive, aggressive, covered in buckgrease and aggressive.
 
One neuter - center cut, not dual.

No antibiotics, just three days of metacam, multiple icky abscesses, dealt with via soaking, no antibiotics.

Neutered for agression to the point of attacking people from the couch several feet away.
 
My reply is a bit late, but probably better late than never!

My vet does scrotal neuters. To date I've had 22 rats neutered. Antibiotics were NOT administered post-neuter. The only complications I've seen so far were neuter abscesses, which happened in 5 of those rats. These cleared up pretty quickly with antibiotics. 3 boys were neutered at the request of their adopter (preferred neutered rats to intact rats), 3 were neutered (prior to adoption) because they were being placed with sisters, and the remaining rats were neutered prior to adoption as an insurance policy that none would be "accidentally" bred.
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal, I think they may have all been done differently (they were done at university), like center versus tip.

How many rats have had you neutered over the years?
5

How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
2, one of my boys had an issue with his penis getting stuck out. I had to lube it back in (sorry that was really dirty sounding).
And one developed a hematoma next to his penis, it could have been related to his health or the neuter, but I will never be sure which.

Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
Yes, metacam for one day.

What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Agression and wanting them to live with the girls.
 
Big Savings and Dark Tan - Scrotal neuters at 7 weeks old. They were done by a vet that has little rat experience, but is very good at surgery. They bounced back like nothing happened. We did use an antibiotic, but I don't remember what.

Monkey and Darwin - Scrotal neuters at 8 weeks and 12 weeks old. A vet that loves exotics, and has rat experience, but I will not use again because I think her surgeries are sloppy. She didn't use painkiller in surgery for Monkey (I demanded it for Darwin, I was NOT happy about the lack of painmeds for Monkey). Monkey did not bounce back as fast, seemed to be in a lot of pain. Both mildly reacted to internal stitches, but formed no abscesses. No antibiotics used.

Harvey - Abdominal neuter done at 14 months old. His surgery was done by the vet I absolutely love, and wish I could have had all my rats neutered at. I got to watch his surgery, it was really cool. His incision is much lower than the abdominal neuter pictured above. His fat was reinserted, as my vet believes removing the fat is more traumatic to the rat. Unfortunately, even with painkiller he managed to chew through all his stitches into the body cavity. After emergency surgery to patch him all together he was placed on trimeth sulfa for a week. He did swell a lot, which my vet believes was due to the additional air irritating the fat because he chewed things open. No abscesses though, and he's healed up well.

Pink
 
When you neuter a rat, does your vet do a scrotal neuter (right by testicles) or abdominal neuter (similar to spay)?
Scrotal

many rats have had you neutered over the years?
Two

How many times did you have complications? If so, what kind of complications?
None

Did you do a course of antibiotics right after surgery?
I used metacam for 2 days.

What was/were the reasons for neutering?
Agression
 

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