499. Neutering an adult Syrian hamster - information

E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED JULY 11, 2011

Hi Judy,

I saw a story about yr clinic on the web about hamster neutering.
How much do you charge for such an operation?

Pls kindly let me know. Thanks,

E-MAIL FROM DR SING DATED JULY 11, 2011
Around $75 for male hamsters neuter and anaesthesia. Add $30 for post-op antibiotics and medication

E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED JULY 11, 2011
Oh, ok. Mine is an adult Syrian male hamster of about 7-8 months.

I am hoping to sterilise it so it can keep the female company. Does that work?


E-MAIL FROM DR SING DATED JULY 13, 2011

Adult Syrian Male Hamster can be neutered. Pl note that there may or may not be surgical complications post-op in neutering adult hamsters as the surgical wound will be much longer than a 3-month-old dwarf hamster.

In the dwarf hamster, the wound is around 4 mm long. In your Syrian hamster, it will be around 8mm - 12 mm long depending on the size of the testicle. It is possible that the Syrian hamster may bite off the stitches and cause infections and distress to you as it is not possible for hamsters to wear e-collars around his neck unlike dogs and cats.

Anaesthetic risks for your young Syrian hamsters are low in my opinion. After neutering, your hamster needs 2 weeks to recover from the wound.

Then you will need to slowly re-introduce the hamster to the female by housing them separated by a grate for a 2-8 weeks so that they can see and smell each other but not bite. You need to be monitoring the reactions for the first 2-4 weeks. Give a bigger cage than the usual one.

The neuter cost of anaesthesia, surgery and antibiotics for an adult Syrian hamster is around $150.

Best wishes.