Male Aggression, Neuter, Re-intro questions

[Bekah]

I just made the decision to neuter one of my males (tomorrow!) after he bit his brother and they fought.  I'm about 99.99% sure it's the right decision, and that Golly is the one to neuter.  (I really can't afford both, as the cheapest vet I trust charges over $200.) They've been vying for alpha for a while, Golly won't back down, and he's incredibly obnoxious.

I do have some worries about his brother, though.  Skinner seems to be a fair alpha, he's gentle with Dana, and has been firm but remarkably patient with Golly's nonsense. What worries me is that, since they were separated after the fight (Saturday eve.), Skinner gets puffy and starts huffing and stomping around scent-marking when he catches sight of Golly, or when I take him out for playtime after Golly's.  He's done this briefly after scuffles before, but always settled down after a few minutes to an hour.  I'm just afraid it will become ingrained and he won't get over his anger since they were separated this last time.

Is the way Skinner's acting normal and not a sign of out-of-control aggression?  He does calm down, and so far hasn't lashed out at people or his sister when he's like that.  My guess is that he's reacting like a normal established rat to a newcomer male, and it can be worked through with proper intro technique starting a couple or few weeks after Golly's neuter?  It's just unsettling to see this reaction to the brother he's lived with since birth.

I'm afraid I didn't notice the escalation soon enough, and that I'll never get them back together.  I should have seen how Golly wouldn't back down when boxing, or how he'd refuse to go limp and submissive when flipped instead of stiffening and trying to bolt or nip.   

Any advice?

[scout]

You'll probably be able to start re-intros as soon as 24 to 48 hours after Golly's neuter. You want to give him time to recover from the anesthesia and get settled with his pain meds (be sure to ask the vet for something you can give at home). For many, many aggressive males, the change is immediate. The boys I've had neutered were able to go back into their cages after only brief re-introductions. Neutering just takes the fight out of them.

It's hard to say why Skinner is puffing up and getting territorial - who knows what Golly is saying to him? But let him be your guide when you are ready to re-introduce and take whatever time you and they need.

[Bekah]

Thank you!  That's good to know.  Golly's keeping up a relationship with his sister, and maybe his level of obnoxiousness (or hopefully lack thereof) will help indicate how it's going, too.

It's hard to say why Skinner is puffing up and getting territorial - who knows what Golly is saying to him?

This made me laugh.  No kidding.  His usual squeak when pinned sounds more like, "Get the heck off, jerk!" than "Uncle! I give!"  I let him in their main cage when Skinner was out on the bed for playtime, and Golly's romping probably seemed rather mocking to the poor guy.  He thrashed around in all the hammocks and even took the wheel for a short spin.

[TankGirl9008]

Lol, he does sound like a brat!!!