Neutering Age???

[Dahlas]

What is the best age to have a male rat neutered? The vet I spoke with says he does them at 12 weeks....does that sound like a good age?

 

[user 78]

It depends on the vet and their experience. Some very experienced exotic vets are willing to spay around 4-5 weeks, while others want to wait until 3-4 months. So 12 weeks is just fine. Just make sure you're comfortable with your vet and how they do things.

 

[Dahlas]

Thank you. He sounded very nice and knowledgeable on the phone. I had talked to other people connected with our local shelter who speak very highly of him......he said he has 20 years of experience with domestic rats..........I will do more research

 

[user 78]

Some really great questions to ask him are :
How many rats has he lost on the table?
How many neuters has he done?
What sort of pain medication do they use, and how do they administer it?
[ie: do they give a shot of metacam pre op, and then give you metacam to take home post op]
Do they give Baytril after surgeries, or are willing to give it as a preventative?
What sort of sutures do they use?
How does he do the actual procedure?
[Don't have boys, so I can't remember the actual names. I know one's through the testicles, but the other...]


That would be the nice long list of questions I forgot to ask when I had my first girls spayed. Would have saved me alot of time and effort if I had.

 

[Dahlas]

Thank you very much.