[Gpdd] MISC: Spaying and Neutering

[dfhakes at aol.com]

There's been some good discussion about spaying & neutering for health reasons as well as shelter policies and I wanted to share my experience.

Our very large, very progressive local shelter spays & neuters rabbits but not guinea pigs.? I wish they neutered the boy guinea pigs.? It's done for health reasons but also for the simple reason that shelters don't want more baby rabbits.? Female rabbits have an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer.? Altered rabbits have better litterbox habits and in general are less pissy, particularly the females.

The shelter spay/neuter is not as comfortable as in a vet's office.? The?neuter isn't bad but the girls don't get the pain meds or supportive fluids that they really need.? Shelter medicine is really tough and I appreciate everything that they do.? The reason why vets can charge more is that they are doing more for the pet.

Many exotic vets have offered to consult with shelter vets on difficult cases.? 

I have twice been?able to convince the shelter to let the individual adopt without a spay/neuter but in both cases I knew the adopter and the adopter's vet had to sign a waiver.? I also had to sign my name in blood.? In both cases, the adopter had the financial means to pay for the operation.

One of my vets is Teresa Lightfoot, who is a very well known exotics vet.? She has lectured all over the world, written book chapters, etc.? Leah, Chris Griffin was her resident for a couple of years.? She does not recommend guinea pig spays unless absolutely necessary.? I agree with her after one of my fosters got very ill from a spay done by another vet.? 

Dr. Griffin neutered four rescue pigs right before he left for North Carolina.? My job was to watch them in recovery and make sure they were eating within 20 minutes.? There was one little fellow, all black, that we named Griffin.? He was quietly resting after his surgery.? All of a sudden, he popped up, started wheeking loudly as if to say "what have you idiots done".? He wheeked continuously while he circled a very large pile of greens then looked at us while he tore off an enormous bite.? He chewed loudly and furiously but there was no more wheeking.? 

Dana, who prepared treats of parsley and parsnips for the Halloween pigs

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