It is often necessary for people with multiple pets to know the sex of their animals, either to avoid breeding or to allow breeding to occur.
There are many different methods used to determine the sex, which depends entirely on the pet’s age and species.
Knowing a bird’s sex is beneficial for many reasons including managing behavioural and medical issues, particularly those involving the reproductive tract.
We recommend the use of DNA sexing for avian species as it is a safe, minimally invasive method that provides accurate results. It involves us collecting a blood sample placed on a filter paper and then sending that off to an external lab for analysis.
Endoscopic sexing (otherwise known as surgical sexing) is also an option however it is more invasive as well as costs more so isn’t used as commonly anymore.
When it comes to identifying the sex of rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, mice, rats and native mammals, things are generally much more straightforward with your pets’ gender being able to be confirmed with a physical examination once they reach a certain age. We recommend a health check-up for all new pets and find this is often a good time for us to help confirm the gender of your pet.
For reptile owners, the need to know their reptiles’ gender is critical for understanding many behaviours and alerting them to possible reproductive-related diseases.
For reptilian species, there is a range of different techniques that can be used to sex your animals.
Reptile sexing methods include probing, illumination, popping, endoscopy, radiography, visual sexing using external characteristics, and ultrasonography, all of which can be performed in-house at our clinics.
We offer all the services listed on this page, and the type of sexing method used depends entirely on the age and species.
For further information on which method would be most appropriate for your pet please contact us directly.
