Story about Neutering

[LA]

I was on Facebook and the conversation about neutering came up. A lot of people are for it but this one lady was not and she has good reasons why:

As for neutering, I don't recommend it. I've had rats for 6 years now (all male rats, with the exception of 2 females), and haven't had any problems with them being aggressive toward people. Young male rats are rambunctious, which is normal for them. I had a pair of my male rats (Napoleon and Galileo) neutered once, and it was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Napoleon didn't react well to the anesthesia and had to stay at the vet's clinic overnight. Galileo was doing well, until that evening. I hauled him in to an emergency vet clinic later that night because Galileo's incision had split open and I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. They put him under general anesthesia again, closed the incision again, and sent him home with me (he was still out from the anesthesia). I was up all night with that poor little guy, and he died that next morning from massive internal bleeding. Apparently he had been bleeding into his abdomen... So getting my rats neutered killed one rat and almost killed the other.

I wrote back sending my condolences and I also said that I knew many people (you guys) that have had many neuters. I did talked briefly about Shelagh problem getting two boys neutered by someone not her own vet. I told her that I felt that her vet (not to put him down) was maybe not as knowledgable in neuters as he thought he was. I told her that he may SAY he know exotics but it doesn't mean he is good at surgery or neuters for that fact. It's terrible what she went though. Her poor boys.

 

[Bronwyn]

That's awful.

The one time I sent in a boy to be neutered didn't go so well either. Nothing like that but it still ended in one early death.

 

[mamarat]

That is so sad. But I've been lucky, all of my boys, brought in for neuters, were aggressive. And the boys were all running around that same night.

 

[jorats]

The thing with rats... you need a good rat vet. Obviously, that vet needs to change his protocol with regards to surgery in small animals.
It is a tragic outcome.
I've had a rat die in recovery from a neuter. He was 4 months old, had the neuter, was recovering quite well, until he went into full cardiac arrest.
But that doesn't stop me from neutering the rest of my gang.

 

[jennifervb]

I was on Facebook and the conversation about neutering came up. A lot of people are for it but this one lady was not and she has good reasons why:

As for neutering, I don't recommend it. I've had rats for 6 years now (all male rats, with the exception of 2 females), and haven't had any problems with them being aggressive toward people. Young male rats are rambunctious, which is normal for them. I had a pair of my male rats (Napoleon and Galileo) neutered once, and it was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Napoleon didn't react well to the anesthesia and had to stay at the vet's clinic overnight. Galileo was doing well, until that evening. I hauled him in to an emergency vet clinic later that night because Galileo's incision had split open and I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. They put him under general anesthesia again, closed the incision again, and sent him home with me (he was still out from the anesthesia). I was up all night with that poor little guy, and he died that next morning from massive internal bleeding. Apparently he had been bleeding into his abdomen... So getting my rats neutered killed one rat and almost killed the other.

I wrote back sending my condolences and I also said that I knew many people (you guys) that have had many neuters. I did talked briefly about Shelagh problem getting two boys neutered by someone not her own vet. I told her that I felt that her vet (not to put him down) was maybe not as knowledgable in neuters as he thought he was. I told her that he may SAY he know exotics but it doesn't mean he is good at surgery or neuters for that fact. It's terrible what she went though. Her poor boys.

That's TERRIBLE Le-Andra!!!! :tearful: Is your doctor an exotics specialist??? Ben had no problems with his neuter (after I disobeyed the vet and took off that ^$%#%& e-collar!).

Do you remember if the neuter was done through the abdomen or the scrotum? A scrotal neuter is extremely risky and is not, at all, the optimal method! I don't even know why it is considered an option.

No wonder you don't want to neuter any of your boys! The poor, sweet, little souls. :sad: :shock:

 

[SQ]

For a neuter or a spay, the vet needs to be very experienced and knowledgeable at doing these procedures on rats.
Also, if the vet does a scrotal neuter near the penis it is quite dangerous.

 

[LA]

Oh Jen it wasn't me. It was someone else on facebook.

I happen to think that the vet didn't really know what he was doing.

 

[Vanessa]

You always have to be prepared for the worst to occur in ALL cases of surgery, even those that are considered the most routine. I had a friend die growing up at the dentists because of the anethesia he was given for a root canal - you can never, ever be prepared for the outcome sometimes.
Keeping that in mind, I have done almost 20 neuters on aggressive male rats in my life and every one of them was relatively problem free. Out of that, two did not take and the rats were still aggressive to other rats months later. The other eighteen rats, all of which would have been condemned to a life of solitary but instead were able to be happy with ratty cagemates, make it all worth while for me to attempt it.
You have to decide what is more of a priority for you and I think of it along these lines. I would rather attempt to have them neutered and maybe have a slight chance of losing them because of the procedure than to force them to live a miserable, solitary life because they are so preoccupied and overwhelmed by their hormones. It is no fun being ruled by nasty aggressive hormones all your life, just like it isn't nice when it happens to people either.
I would go with neutering over that every time.