Comparative study of 2 surgical techniques for castration of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

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.