Well... technically, all surgeries have some risks associated with them.

However, if you have a great veterinarian who is familiar with anaesthetising guinea pigs along with spaying and neutering techniques, there are many wonderful health reasons for having these surgeries performed.

We at Auckland Cavy Care know and work with experienced veterinarians who have operated on our guinea pigs for a number of years now, and know these procedures very well.

Below is a partial list of why we have these surgeries performed before our guinea pigs are adopted out.

• We want to ensure that our guinea pigs do not add to the overpopulation problem. Spay/neuter ensures that they cannot reproduce.

• Female guinea pigs have an elevated risk of uterine cancer, ovarian cysts, mammary tumors, and other reproductive organ tumors as they age.  Spaying them can help eliminate these risks.

• Male guinea pigs often have atrophy of rectal muscles as they age. This can lead to impaction problems that require daily cleaning of the anal sac.  Additionally, the development of smegma (the cheesy and smelly secretion from the sebaceous glands) can be a health concern.  Neutering a guinea pig almost always eliminates these problems.

• Female guinea pigs, when spayed, have less likelihood of developing obesity.

• Male guinea pigs can get prostate cancer and mammary tumors. Neutering them eliminates the risk of prostate cancer and greatly lessens the risk of getting mammary tumors.

If you were to seek out these surgeries on your own, you would likely be charged a minimum of $130 for a guinea pig neuter and $150 for a guinea pig spay. 

When you adopt one of our guinea pigs, you are guaranteed that they are spayed/neutered and have already been checked by a veterinarian.