• Rats… Spaying or neutering?

    Avatar of asm93

    3 months ago

    So, I just saved two baby rats (they were feeders…) and they were both SUPPOSED to be boys… One is a girl. I am keeping both of them regardless, but I was wondering if anyone of here might have some advice on whether it would be better to spay the female or neuter the male. I’ve read that unspayed females have a very high chance of developing mammary tumors and that spaying them can also decrease the chance of them developing pituitary tumors (which is what my last rat just passed from). Yet, spaying is a much more invassive procedure… For males, it’d be a bit easier, but I’ve heard that neutering them can just make them very lethargic… It may sound like I’m leaning towards spaying, but I really don’t know how to weigh the pros and cons, and it kills me that I have to put one of my babies through surgery already. If anyone has had an experience with this, I would REALLY appreciate some advice!

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  • Avatar of equivamp

    3 months ago

    ~~Nobody needs to know why I have such off-hand knowledge about rats.~~

  • Avatar of equivamp

    3 months ago

    There are both risks and benefits of both options. Neutering does not cause lethargy but instead reduces aggression and urine-marking. Neutered rats are attacked less than their intact counterparts. However, neutered rats eat more and have a 5% higher body fat. Neutering increases the rat’s lifespan slightly.

    Regardless of what you do, until the surgery is done (and, if you neuter the male, several days after to allow the male to become completely sterile) you should keep the rats separate; rats do not recognize incest and a determined male can cause a female to go into heat early.

  • Avatar of misstabitha

    3 months ago

    I would spay the girl (I actually really want to get my female rats spayed) Ratforum.com is full of really educated rat owners, you should check it out!

  • Avatar of Styna

    3 months ago

    I would spay the female. It is more invasive, but she has more to gain from spaying than the male does from neutering if spaying decreases her risk of illness.

  • Avatar of LittleLotte

    3 months ago

    Unfortunately I don’t know enough about rats to advise but well done on adopting them and I hope they both live happy and healthy lives with you (whatever your decision).

  • Avatar of asm93

    3 months ago

    So, I just saved two baby rats (they were feeders…) and they were both SUPPOSED to be boys… One is a girl. I am keeping both of them regardless, but I was wondering if anyone of here might have some advice on whether it would be better to spay the female or neuter the male. I’ve read that unspayed females have a very high chance of developing mammary tumors and that spaying them can also decrease the chance of them developing pituitary tumors (which is what my last rat just passed from). Yet, spaying is a much more invassive procedure… For males, it’d be a bit easier, but I’ve heard that neutering them can just make them very lethargic… It may sound like I’m leaning towards spaying, but I really don’t know how to weigh the pros and cons, and it kills me that I have to put one of my babies through surgery already. If anyone has had an experience with this, I would REALLY appreciate some advice!

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