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Comparative study of 2 surgical techniques for castration of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Josée Guilmette1, Isabelle Langlois1, Pierre Hélie1
1Department of Clinical Sciences (Guilmette, Langlois, El Warrak) and Department of Pathology and Microbiology (Hélie), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare 2 surgical approaches (scrotal or abdominal) for castration of guinea pigs and to investigate post-operative infection rates with either technique. Forty-eight guinea pigs were castrated by scrotal or abdominal technique after being randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups (n = 24). Individuals were either castrated by an experienced exotic animal surgeon (n = 12) or by an experienced small animal surgeon (n = 12). Surgical wounds were evaluated daily before euthanasia for histological evaluation 2 wks after surgery. Post-operative infection rate was significantly higher in the scrotal group than in the abdominal group, with a higher rate for the experienced small animal surgeon. Castration of guinea pigs with the abdominal technique is significantly faster and has a significantly lower post-operative infection rate than the scrotal technique.