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Small pets

can you castrate a hamster ?

11 replies

Coachbuiltprammama · 24/07/2014 22:42

basically his balls are HUGE and look painful booking him into the vets asap to make sure he isn't in pain but was wondering if i could just ask them to take them out so he doesn't have to have them hanging off his ass when he walks

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17leftfeet · 24/07/2014 22:44

Highly unlikely due to the anaesthetic risk to such a small animal

Some hamsters do have MASSIVE balls though

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Coachbuiltprammama · 24/07/2014 23:16

apparently its their way of regulating heat it looks so painful for him though i'll still get him into the vets to make sure

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/07/2014 23:41

I had my one year old guinea-pig boar castrated (he weighs 3lb so a big chap)
That was stressful enough (mainly for DD and I )
He's doing well.

Do rats get castrated? They are smaller than guineas but much bigger than hamsters.

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drinkyourmilk · 24/07/2014 23:43

I wouldn't know about hamsters- but my chameleon was given a hysterectomy and she's tiny!! Can't be any bigger than a large hamster. So they can be operated on.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/07/2014 23:48

It's the anaesthetic that's the risk and maintaining temperature ( they probably use a different method for reptilians and rodentys)

Daft Question but why did she need this done?

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drinkyourmilk · 24/07/2014 23:52

She became egg bound. So when she was having the eggs removed we asked if it was possible- didn't want her to go through it again. He hadn't done it before (excellent dedicated herp vet) but she came through amazingly. Down side is she will always be very small. I know people think it's silly- but I care for my chameleons like others do for their furry animals.

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CastilianHhhhidalgo · 24/07/2014 23:52

Do rats get castrated?

They can be but it's not usual.

Years ago I had an unwanted buck dumped on me, I only had does at the time so rather than keep him alone I had him castrated and he went on to have a very happy life sharing a cage with a little group of my gentler girls.

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MyballsareSandy · 25/07/2014 21:33

My hamsters balls are huge, totally disproportionate to the rest of his body. I think it's quite common, he doesn't seem bothered by them. Sits on them in his cage Grin.

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Morethanalittlebitconfused · 26/07/2014 17:05

I've had a gerbil operated on before to have a lump removed and she lived another year after that

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HopefulMum111 · 26/07/2014 19:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ninetysixpercent · 26/07/2014 19:25

I work in a vets, you wouldn't believe the number of calls I get from hamster owners panicking about 'the huge lump' they've found Smile. My first response is usually 'are there 2 of them?, yes? that'll be it's balls then.
They can be pretty massive but they're not painful.
I am laughing as the vets I work with would crucify me for booking in a hamster castrate. I've only seen it done once or twice in 20 years.

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