[Gpdd] health (yes or no to neutering)

[john nieboer]

I have been reading the digest since June of 2003, when I got my pig Rickey. I always had a pig or two as a child, and finally convinced my husband we NEEDED one - to go with our 3 dogs and 5 cats!! Anyway, I just wanted to put in my opinions on the neutering. I've been a vet assistant for almost 8 years, and I had Rickey neutered last October. He recovered just fine...he was up and eating his food literally 30 minutes after the end of surgery. Consult with your vet to make sure they are familiar with the procedure. The following is the anesthetic protocol we used w/ Rickey -- it is not the only one, and doses depend on weights, ages (Rickey was 5 months at the time), and so on....but it worked well for us!! We first gave him an injection of weight appropriate meds for pain management and to slightly calm him (we used Torbugesic). Then we put him in an induction chamber with Isoflorane. Once he was "out", the Isofluorane was administered through a mask I gently held over his mouth and nose. I wrapped him in a towel after we were done, and carried him around with me so I could observe him, and like I said...he was awake in no time. He was slightly less active for 1-2 days post-op. Like I said...I am not a doctor, but this worked well with Rickey. Consult w/ your vet - and good luck!!!

Cherlyn & Rickey


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