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Guinea Pig Surgery Tomorrow Anonymous
My guinea pig is getting fixed tomorrow. I'm a little nervous that I'm putting my Guinness at risk, but he REALLY needs some company, and he's really scrappy when he's around other males. I took him to see his dad a few weeks ago, and even though G is so much smaller, he was sparking huge fights. Then I introduced him to some girls and he tried to hump them. THEN he went back with the boys and got into more fights when he'd hump THEM.
So he really needs a submissive friend for company, which usually means a girl, and since I don't want to have guinea pig babies, G needs to get fixed.
I found a vet who's done over a hundred guinea pigs and rabbits, and who neuters bats for an animal control program. But I'm just worried about the inherent risks of surgery on such a small animal. If I lose him and it's my fault, I'm not sure I could forgive myself.
BTW: Pic not my Guinness, but he looks JUST like the one on he right.
>> Anonymous
>>165282

The pendulum swings both ways. If you claim there is "no data" then, how can your claim be proven either? I contend that if there is "no data" then clearly it can't be true that small animal surgery isn't risky.

Animals used in labratory procedures rarely undergo surgery. When they do, it is usually when they are dead. Most "procedures" done on lab animals are done without anesthesia. Try working in a lab sometime or TALK to some vets.

I will explain exactly what the problem is: The drugs (chemicals) administered as anesthetics have an effective dose (at which point the animal is "asleep") and a lethal dose. The smaller the animal is, the finer the line between the two. A small animal has very little blood. Even tiny changes in anesthesia dosing have a huge effect on the serum levels of active chemical. It is very easy for too much anesthetic to be given, which kills the animal, or for too little to be given which is cruel and may still kill the animal from the pain-induced stress. Go talk to some vets and you'll hear it straight from them.
>> Anonymous
>>165301

Some, yes, but not "most." Part of the point of medical research is to have data available at all points in a procedure. Depending on what the ultimate goals of the particular research entails, some pigs may have surgery performed at many different stages of the process to check progress.

Also, just because a surgery is an annoyance to perform due to the size of the patient, that does not mean that it is inherently more dangerous. A great dane is "easier" to neuter than a teacup chihuahua, but that doesn't mean that it is any safer or more reliable. It is just less of a hassle because all of the bits and pieces are easier to see and manipulate.

Also, neutering is, comparatively, pretty non-invasive anyway.
>> Anonymous
>>165303

LOL!

Actually, I worked in a veterinary clinic for five years during high school and college, but thank you. I always appreciate it when people make very generalized assumptions.

Many laboratory animals undergo routine operations, as researchers need data at many different stages in the research process, not just "beginning" data and "ending" data. They are definitely not always "dead."

There is a fairly large gap, even in the iniest patients, between a lethal dose and an effective dose of anesthetic. A veterinarian will tell you that surgery on a small patient is "riskier" to help cover his ass. Statistically, that risk factor is negligible. I personally assisted in probably close to a thousand surgeries performed during my tenure on animals sized from hamsters to mastiffs, as well as having close to fifty surgical procedures performed on my own animals, as I bred rats, natal rats, and gerbils for many years. I never witnessed a single animal die in a surgery that wasn't already critical to begin with (internal bleeding from severe trauma, bloat, etc) with the exception of an African grey parrot and a cat.
>> Anonymous
Bottom line:

The reason why people say the risk of surgery is so great for small animals is because a lot of vets don't work with them a lot and have little experience. If you find a vet that has done numerous surgeries on smaller animals, you have much better chances.
>> Anonymous
>>165314

QFMFT!