# 'Just venting a little. Re-castration sticker shock!



## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I'm not sure whether I should be happy that there is a veterinarian reasonably nearby who is willing to work with goats, and who seems (on the phone) to be friendly, helpful and willing to share information .... OR whether I should feel resentful that he tried to guilt trip me into spending WAY more money than we can possibly afford for what he readily admits will be, at the most, a 30 minute visit.
He kept comparing well-cared-for pet goat$ to the throw-away goats that people get at the local markets or off of Craig's List. In effect, since my goat was only a $25 goat, I should have no qualms about knocking him over the head and getting a new one.

I'm talking about Gadget, who needs to have his remaining testicle surgically removed. The testicle in question is descended as far as it could go - in other words, it's not inside the body cavity. It's right there, easily visible, and I can almost picture myself doing the job myself if I could just numb the area, but ... *cringe*
I'm not squeamish - I've been a taxidermist for over 30 years - but my "patients" don't feel any pain, and that makes a big difference to me.

For him to do the procedure without anesthesia will be $235.00 
With anesthesia it would be even more, but I didn't ask.
Is this normal, or am I being penalized (financially) for living too close to a yuppie retirement area?? To me it seems pretty extreme.
I really can't decide whether I have a right to be angry or not. Not about the price, since he can charge whatever he wants, but about his implication that a low-priced goat could easily be seen as a disposable animal rather than as a pet.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a lot of money. You may just want to look online for how to do it. What you need is an old country vet.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

That's probably on the higher end, but each vet has different prices. Retained testicle castrations can get expensive.

Free or cheap goats can be viewed differently than a prized show or breeding animal. Most people aren't going to put $235 into a $25 goat, especially a wether. I get what the vet is saying, but that's probably because I view my goats as livestock and not pets. It sounds like you see your goats as pets. Nothing wrong with that. Different point of view.


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## GlassvilleDairyGoats (Jun 1, 2014)

Mine are "pet-Livestock"


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I think I see my little guys as both pets and livestock too.
If they were throw-aways or just intended for meat then I wouldn't be worried about it, but I'm a big believer in spaying and neutering pets. I think it means that they have a longer and happier life, at least most of the time.
Now I'm wondering just how bad things could get if I surrender and leave him as he is - halfway to being a buck, but almost certainly sterile. So far he's still very gentle and easy to handle, but he's only 4 months old and already about 65 lbs, plus he has horns.

The reason I originally started inquiring about getting this done today was that ... erm ... I think he may have propositioned me? I was spending time with the goats and he was being _very_ friendly ... maybe a little bit TOO friendly. He tucked his back end under and I happened to look down and, well, he was fully extended and ready for action. :shock:
Yipes.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would have it taken care of. He will get stinky and do buck stuff. Whether you do it yourself or find a vet to do it cheaper, I would have it done.


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

Our vet actually charges far less for livestock than for household pets, probably because people are willing to spend more on pets than livestock. Maybe you could contact vets a bit outside of your area in more rural areas. Every vet and every area will be different, but there's a chance that you could find someone who's a bit more reasonable.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Greybird said:


> I really can't decide whether I have a right to be angry or not. Not about the price, since he can charge whatever he wants, but about his implication that a low-priced goat could easily be seen as a disposable animal rather than as a pet.


IMO, there is no disposable animal. There are times where we have a limit to what we can spend (on both pets and livestock) and many cannot afford to call a vet for each instance (no shame to that whatsoever) but that doesn't make any life, whether intended for meat or not, disposable.

Just my opinion ... I also have a mixed pet/livestock view. My keeper girls and bucks are my babies; my wethers I do raise for meat but still value and care for the best that I can.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Why does the buck only have one testicle?


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats! 2 nubian does, 1 Nubian buck, 1 Pygmy doe, 1 Pygmy/ Nigerian wether, and 1 alpine/ guernsey wether! Plus the rest of the farm pets which would take the whole page to list  

Sent from my iPad using Goat Forum


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## chuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

Greybird said:


> Now I'm wondering just how bad things could get if I surrender and leave him as he is - halfway to being a buck, but almost certainly sterile.


It can get bad. There are no guarantees that the circumstances will render him sterile and, even if that is the case, the testicle will continue to produce testosterone and influence his behaviour. We have had more than one heifer bred by a 'stag' - a bull with one retained testicle - over the years. I also meant to add that I truly cannot believe your vet would be so insensitive as to compare pets to 'livestock' as a means of who is worth treating and who is not. To me that is soooooo wrong on so many levels! I live in an area that is predominately agriculture, yet my vet has never, ever even suggested that an animal is not worth treating simply because they are "livestock". I would suggest finding a new vet who has a higher level of sensitivity and understanding.


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## Naunnie (Jul 4, 2014)

I would find another Vet. If just talking to this man on the phone has sent up any kind of red flags to you, he is not qualified to be your Vet. It would be different if you already had a Client/Dr. relationship. This man is not interested in developing any kind of relationship or repertoire with you. He is only interested in making money. IMO

I question how he could do this procedure without anesthesia. $235.00 *with* anesthesia is high, but not unreasonable. Is Gadget a Cryptorchid? Did he indicate he would need to remove the retained testicle? If so, I could understand his higher fee. Yes, goats are sensitive to anesthesia but removing the retained testicle is more invasive and would require anesthesia! Regardless, just removing the descended testicle is not going to stop him from being a buck, sterile or not.


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## chuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

Naunnie said:


> I question how he could do this procedure without anesthesia.


In my area anesthesia is rarely, if ever used. The animal is sedated, restrained, and the vet does what he was brought out to do. Pain killers are rarely used, either. If an animal is castrated by the owner, sedation is not used. When I band my kids, I don't use sedation or pain killers. It's just the way it is.


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## Naunnie (Jul 4, 2014)

chuckles said:


> In my area anesthesia is rarely, if ever used. The animal is sedated, restrained, and the vet does what he was brought out to do. Pain killers are rarely used, either. If an animal is castrated by the owner, sedation is not used. When I band my kids, I don't use sedation or pain killers. It's just the way it is.


I agree. Surgery "in the field" is completely different than surgery in the clinic/hospital. I didn't get the impression Greybird was considering using a elastrator on Gadget, but your right...banding would not require sedation or pain killers. I may be wrong, but I thought she was talking about cutting. However, if the Vet was going to remove the retained testicle, that may be somewhere in the abdominal cavity, that would not be "field surgery" and would require anesthesia in sterile conditions.

Now, that being said..I re-read what Greybird said. The remaining testicle has descended, it is not in his body cavity. Funny how sometimes we can miss some details.... She did say his testicle needed to be "surgically removed" and is concerned about his pain. For this Vet to blow off her concerns for her pet, based on his opinion of worth, is unacceptable.

Greybird, I apologize for asking... what you already stated.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It does depend on whether or not he is planning to use sedation. The last boy I had castrated under sedation was $24 for the castration and $125 for the meds. The drug they use to sedate goats is very expensive.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm just curious - you mentioned the testicle has descended? So he had one retained testicle and was banded young and now the retained one has dropped? But to where? Clearly I'm confused!


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

Ahh .. okay, I will clarify how he only has one testicle.
Yes, he was banded when he was younger and one testicle somehow escaped. Since then it has tried to descend but most of the scrotum is gone and it can't get very far. Despite that, it is quite visible and it's clearly outside of the abdominal cavity. To remove it looks like it would take little more than a quick slice and a squeeze, but I just can't bring myself to do it. 
Maybe I could do it if I had ever seen it done (BIG maybe!) but not without knowing what to expect.

(I have castrated tomcats but I think the procedure was not quite the same since it involved tying a knot in the vein and the cord. Plus, they are teeny and there was maybe one drop of blood at the most.)

Maybe I will somehow manage to psych myself out enough to attempt it, but this is a time when I _seriously_ wish I had a nearby neighbor who knows about goats. Even better would be someone who has either done it or seen it done.
Finding a different vet will be something of a challenge since the area where I live is already pretty rural. I will have to check the surrounding counties, but it's definitely worth a try.
I'm also wondering about transporting Gadget all over the place in our car, which, unfortunately, has cloth upholstery.. When that boy decides to pee he gets serious about it, and then, assuming the procedure had been done, I would expect some slight blood seepage for a while afterward. 
(I am picturing an unhappy goat wearing a pair of Depends!)

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels that he deserves to have the best care that we can afford because my low-budget goat is NOT a throwaway! His value (to me) has nothing to do with what we paid for him.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Sedation , yes , throw away , no ! Get another opinion !
Its not a emergency , you have time to shop around and get prices.
When i had emergency surgery on my horse , she went to a big racetrack vets hospital and they more or less treated me and her the same way , until i threw the money at him and said "do it , save her".
They did treat her very well after that. But i will never forget the vets conversation , that i overheard , he said " she's just a backyard horse" and the owner lives in Queens of all places…….true story !

In your case , just my opinion , shop around and get prices . Hopefully you will find someone who *knows* goats and will give you a fair price and take good care of your boy.
BTW , its normal for the boys to act that way , even towards us.
They will *apply* their cologne for us too , lolol. The best is when you are standing there petting them and you look down and you realize you have been showered with his *love* :eyeroll::sigh:


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## chuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

Naunnie said:


> Funny how sometimes we can miss some details.... For this Vet to blow off her concerns for her pet, based on his opinion of worth, is unacceptable.


Don't feel bad - I think we've all done that at some point - I know I have! :laugh: I totally agree with you!


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