[Savory_Rain]

I'm wanting to get Twinkie neutered and after reading other threads on it, I still have some questions, mainly what meds to ask for and such.

1. What meds should I request? Names and their use.

2. Do all vet clinics have these meds on hand? Reason I ask about this is because my vet hasn't worked on a lot of rodents. They've dealt with rabbits though.

3. In one of the threads I read that the rat had staples and a collar put on and with the collar he was having some trouble eating. I'm a massive worrier and after having read that he could have trouble eating, I don't want Twinkie to have staples. Do most vets listen to requests like this? If my vet does put staples in, is there anything I can do to help Twinkie with eating?

4. What is the average price you've paid for a neuter? My vet is charging $45-50, is this reasonable?

5. I use Carefresh bedding, should I change it post-neuter?

6. What are the benefits of neutering?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Mana]

I am not well experienced with this, since my boy was just neutered Friday. But I can at least help a little.

He is the one with staples and a collar, but he's eating just fine. He just can't hold his food and eat it, so it took him a few tries before he realized he had to just eat it off the ground. Honestly though, if there's some other way to do it that doesn't involve a collar, go with that. Rokk can't groom his face, or scratch his head, along with not being able to hold food. I know he hates it, and so do I, but we can't do anything about it now.

My vet gave me Baytril, which I've heard a lot of people use for their rats for various things. They did have it on hand, but they do treat rats and other rodents. As far as pain meds, I'm not sure. I didn't get any, but Rokk seems perfectly fine. I paid almost $20 for the Baytril, along with the cost of the neuter, which was $70. $50 is very reasonable. Some vets charge $100 or more for a neuter.

I would switch to fabric bedding after the neuter. I used Carefresh in Rokk's cage and left it in there the first night, and got really worried because he was still a little out of it from the anesthesia and was dragging himself around over it. He seems much more comfortable with the fabric now.

I'm not very knowledgeable about the health benefits of neutering. I neutered Rokk so he could live with my female rats. He was aggressive with other males, so getting him a male buddy wasn't an option, and I didn't want him to live alone.

Hope I helped a little!