[Gpdd] Care - Spaying girl pigs

[Marie-Louise Korterink]

Sandy,

I live in Africa where we have access to many varied wild animals in their natural environment. Whenever I have a dilemma regarding my pigs health or care I ask myself: What would the situation have been if my piggies were still living in the wild in the grasslands and mountains of South America, before we changed their environment and bred and kept them the way we do. I have trouble believing that all wild guinea pigs sows in South America die due to problems with their reproductive organs. That just does not makes sense. Shouldn't we then ask ourselves what role have we played in this problem occurring? I also ask myself why you are experiencing these problems to such an extend and others with MANY years of experience guinea pig care, are not? 
Over some years I have had one sow spayed and a few boars neutered. FACT: Any operation has its risks but spaying is FAR more invasive than neutering. I do not care if your vet thinks it's an easier operation, the effect on the piggy is a bigger concern to me. The high risk of the anesthetic (longer than when neutering a boar), the pain and the discomfort after the operation and the long recovery period. 
So please feel free to your opinion but if there is no proven need to put my girls through this pain and discomfort, using this as a way of preventative way of medicine seems cruel to me.

Marie-Louise
and my precious pigsters.