I am on an e-mail list that discusses guinea pigs. They are wonderful creatures, and they are cuter than the puppies owned by my sisters (each has one). They are loving, and a bit smarter that you can imagine (put it this way, never rustle a plastic bag within earshot of my brother's guinea pig - he will start asking for a treat, and it actually sounds a little bit like he is crying out "Treat!" "Treat!").
So, when on the list someone loses their beloved guinea pig, I feel rotten inside. I have been there twice, having lost a pair of guinea pigs.
But a loss announced earlier this week is all the more heartbreaking. Apparently, the owner had taken the guinea pig, a young boar (that's a boy) to be neutered. The guinea pig entered the vet's office alive and well, but after the operation, the guinea pig had some trouble and died.
Which is why I have decided that as a pet owner, I will not put any animal I own through elective surgery - to include spaying or neutering. Unless the animal needs the surgery for a valid medical reason, it ain't happening.
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You definitely have to know that guinea pigs don't do so well on their own. My current miserable guinea pig, Casper, is suffering because he's so lonely, and we cannot find a vet at the moment to neuter him. Now he's losing hair, and stressing out to the point where he's starting to have mites. Yes, neutering and spaying have their risks, but I think that it's better to take a chance than to have millions of babies and depression in your guinea pig.
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