[Mojojuju]

Moose got his neuter two days ago, along with two of his cage mates. (The aggression was really ramping up, and one of the parents of my students is a vet and offered to do the surgeries for free after we had two cases of abscesses from defensive wounds.) The slightly younger boys seem to be healing fine, but Moose's scrotum doesn't look too good. I attached pics of him and of one of the other healthier looking boys. (I did warn you!)

He is still pretty active, eating, drinking, grooming, and rolling over the younger guys (He's the alpha.) But he seems to move a bit more tenderly than they do.

Pics of the dark colored scrotum and the other more healthy looking incision:

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So...I guess...should I worry? They're on metacam at the moment.

 

[Smilebud]

To me it doesn't look like it's healing right. It could be infected, the stitching site is encrusted. It could be just bruising, but I don't think so. Talk to the wonderful person who did it, show them the picture. They'll be able to tell for sure.

 

[lilspaz68]

I see a lot of trauma to the tissues, but its starting to shrivel up and there's no real swelling? If its been more than 3 days post-op, then I wouldn't worry about metacam, but would watch and wait.

 

[Mojojuju]

Yeah, there is no swelling. He seems okay, just a little more tender about walking than his brothers. The vet said it was within the range of normal, but to keep an eye on it. She was surprised because his neuter went the most smoothly of all three boys.

Poor boys. I will kinda miss their rolly polly backsides, I must admit.

 

[lilspaz68]

But you will be getting softer fur, better attitudes and if you're lucky a longer living rat. I have seen time and again, having taken in rescue litters that the neutered boys in the family live the longest. I took in 16 rats in Feb 2013, three 4 month boys, their sister who had 12 two week old babies s. The 2 unneutered uncles are long gone and the mom and 8 of her babies, but the neutered uncle still looks fantastic.

 

[Mojojuju]

Hey, good to know! I wasn't going to do it until the bites started showing up, and then my vet said it actually can prevent tumors in the long run, and...well...it was free. So as long as Moose's backside heals well, I think this will be a win-win.

 

[Jackie]

But you will be getting softer fur, better attitudes and if you're lucky a longer living rat. I have seen time and again, having taken in rescue litters that the neutered boys in the family live the longest. I took in 16 rats in Feb 2013, three 4 month boys, their sister who had 12 two week old babies s. The 2 unneutered uncles are long gone and the mom and 8 of her babies, but the neutered uncle still looks fantastic.

I just looked it up online. Lifespans on average are slightly increased.
I was talking to my breeder today (who has some interesting opinions all around), and I picked up my baby boys and said they would get neutered so they could live with the girls and she was worried about it, partly because of the risk of death from the anesthesia, but said neutered rats have shorter lifespans, which I knew couldn't be right. :/

Hope that the rest of recovery goes well for your boy!

 

[FallDeere]

But you will be getting softer fur, better attitudes and if you're lucky a longer living rat.

No hormonal aggression! Yay! Can't really beat that in my book. Pretty much all but one of my five intact males (all long gone) ended up having it in some form or fashion. One even nearly killed the non-aggressive one. Ugh, no more intact males for me!

Not to mention, all three of the girls my neutered male lives with adore him. He is the most easy going rat ever. He's the only rat I'd ever trust with small baby rats (he's the BEST big brother). He isn't agitated easily by the pushy females and never gets aggressive, even when he has to law down the law for the girls. He is very gentle with everyone, especially Eevee my two year old ailing girl.

All that to say, neutered males rock.

Best wishes for your healing boys, Mojojuju.

 

[Jackie]

No hormonal aggression! Yay! Can't really beat that in my book. Pretty much all but one of my five intact males (all long gone) ended up having it in some form or fashion. One even nearly killed the non-aggressive one. Ugh, no more intact males for me!

Not to mention, all three of the girls my neutered male lives with adore him. He is the most easy going rat ever. He's the only rat I'd ever trust with small baby rats (he's the BEST big brother). He isn't agitated easily by the pushy females and never gets aggressive, even when he has to law down the law for the girls. He is very gentle with everyone, especially Eevee my two year old ailing girl.

All that to say, neutered males rock.

Best wishes for your healing boys, Mojojuju.

That is really good to know. I wish I had a better grasp at how many boy rats end up with hormonal aggression. I've been fighting with whether to choose between neutering or spaying. The cost is definitely less per boy. It could go either way. I could get the girls spayed and then one or more of the boys gets aggressive and I have to shell out more money for a neuter, or my girls could get tumors that could have been avoided. I'm hoping that my breeder's claims of "no tumors in 6 years" stay true for the girls.

 

[Mojojuju]

Thanks for all the info! Moose's goods (Or lack thereof?) looked much better this morning. Still different appearance than my other two boys, but no swelling or redness. He seemed pretty happy, though he's definitely been more subdued since the surgery. Not so Loki--I think Loki is gonna make a play for Moose's alpha position. Heh.