Castration cont.

Pre-Operative Considerations

Once you have decided to castrate the stallion, you will need to have the veterinarian do a general exam on the stallion to look for any health issues that would interfere with the anesthesia and recovery of the animal (etc. current infection, parasitism, etc.). A current tetanus vaccination is required.

The vet will also palpate the testes to make sure that there are two testes present and that there is no evidence of an inguinal hernia. If only one or none of the testes can be palpated then the animal is a cryptorchid and will require a hospital surgical setting with more equipment and personnel. Cryptorchids should be castrated as this is a heritable trait and these animals have a high incidence of testicular cancer.

Weather is another consideration since extreme weather can be a stress on the animal. Wet, muddy conditions may lead to infections and extreme conditions inhibit exercise which is important for recovery.