Male rats can make wonderful pets, and often if they are brought up together two entire males can be housed without issue. However some rats can become aggressive towards others when they reach sexual maturity. These rats may benefit from surgical de-sexing, a procedure called a castration. This procedure is also designed to prevent unwanted pregnancies (so males can be housed with un-desexed females), and to prevent testicular cancers.
The castration procedure involves a general anaesthetic, an incision is made into each scrotal sac and the testicle is removed. Alternatively a single incision can be made into the abdomen and the testicles removed this way. The skin is glued or sutured closed. We don’t ever use skin sutures in rats (unless they are under the skin) as this will predispose them to chewing at the surgery site! Most rats won’t chew at their surgery sites if appropriate pain relief is used, however some do and require a vest to stop them from getting to the area! As soon as the area is healed this can be removed.
After de-sexing it is advisable to still keep your male rat away from females for 4 weeks, to ensure that any sperm remaining in the reproductive tract is cleared.
As stated above, de-sexing female rats is advisable for a number of reasons:
- Prevention of unwanted pregnancies
- Prevention of reproductive neoplasia
- Reducing the development of pituitary tumours and subsequent mammary tumours
It is well known now that un-desexed female rats will be at greater risk of pituitary tumours and subsequent mammary tumours. When un-desexed, the female rats’ hormones can have an effect on the pituitary (an area of the brain), that results in hyperplasia and then subsequent cancerous transformation of lactotrophs – cells that produce prolactin. This is called a pituitary prolactinoma. This neoplasia produces prolactin which stimulates the mammary tissue. The mammary tissue can become hyperplastic (and even start lactating!), but with chronic exposure this can change to mammary cancer. The best way to prevent this from happening to your rat is managing their reproductive hormones. This can be done through a surgical desexing procedure – where the ovaries and sometimes the uterus are removed, or it can be managed medically.
The medical reproductive management involves using hormone implants to effectively chemically desex your rat. These are given underneath the skin (often under a quick general anaesthetic) and are often replaced every 12 months.
If you have any questions about reproductive management of your rat, feel free to book in for an appointment today – 07 3217 3533.
