Why neuter your pet pig?
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Pet pigs are all
cute, in their own way. But, we all
have a responsibility to ensure that our friends are also given a great
life. Why then would we subject our
friends to being neutered? |
Population control
Pigs are highly successful
breeders. Sows can produce 20 and even exceptionally
over 50 piglets per year. Without any
control, over breeding we would rapidly become overrun with pigs. Australia as a continent is a prime example,
there are as many as 22 million feral (wild) pigs in Australia – that’s one for
every man, woman and child!
Here we see what
happens when a couple of rescue pigs get together. And while these pigs were given great
lives, the food bill alone hurt their owners.
A 120lb pig will eat a quarter of a ton of food a year! This piggy unit bloomed to 72 pigs – that’s
18 tons a year. |
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These pigs below
become “unwanted” by their previous owners and are dumped on roads to be run
over, are just turned out to try and fend for themselves, terrorizing their
neighborhoods or are collected by animal control and if new homes cannot be
found, euthanased. |
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However, when money gets tight,
and the population is out of control, the welfare and wellbeing just collapses.
The living condition of the pigs can only be described as a disgrace. The owners, at least initially, loved their
pets and just could not believe how circumstances had spiraled out of their
control. It is totally inhumane to allow
pigs to be treated like this.
New owners
When the general public meet pet pigs for the first time they can be
charmed. Especially piglets are unbelievably
attractive. But pigs grow up and we must
ensure that all people who become owners of pigs realize they will grow up.
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Who can resist a
pet pig? |
Behavior control
Pigs can be a real swine at
time.
Males
All males become extremely
aggressive when they are older than 2 years and unfortunately many well before
this time. You can never trust an entire
male pig. Remember they are the sport of
kings – when hunting a pig you are never sure who is hunting who. They will kill you without a second thought.
Pigs come armed with knives,
and that is even at birth!
In entire males,
these knives are perfectly manicured into sabers and can rip open human flesh
in an instant. A mature boar’s tusks
will produce a 2 inch deep 12 inch long wound in the thigh – and he only had
an itchy face. All males
intended for breeding should be handled extremely carefully by trained
properly equipped adults. Never mix
unfamiliar boars together – they will kill each other and you if you try and
interfere. |
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Females
Every 21 days or so, an
unpregnant sow or gilt from the age of 4 months will come into season (oestrus
or heat). During the oestrus cycle, a
few females will go through some severe mood changes and can unexpectantly
become aggressive, protective or just plain odd. These mood changes can be unpredictable and
unanticipated by children especially. It is unforgivable for any child to be
hurt by a pet pig.
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With uncontrolled
breeding, twice a year a pig can give birth.
If there is one animal on a farm more aggressive than a boar, it
is a sow with her litter. There has
been many times when I have been chased out of the pig sty by a mother
‘defending’ her babies – and rightly so.
But again, this is fine when the facilities are appropriate. It is unacceptable in a town house with
children running around. |
Difficult to
believe – the most dangerous farmed animal!! |
Health
Cancer
As pets have got older, a range
of cancers have been diagnosed. As in
any mammal, the reproductive tract in pigs is prone to developing cancers. These include testicular cancers and tumors
of the ovary and uterus.
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In sows, many of the unsprayed
mature female pigs develop cancers of the broad ligament of the uterus – called
leiomyoma.
Removal of these tumors is essential for survival, but surgery is a lot
more risky on a sick 12 year old rather than a healthy 6 month old pig being
spayed.
Infections
There are also infections of
the urogenital tract which are reduced if the pig is spayed. But while these occur they are generally rare
and if appropriately treated are not life threatening – but treatment often
includes spaying – ovariohysterectomy.
“But surgery can be dangerous and painful”
It cannot be
ignored that all anesthesia and surgery carries some risk. However, these risks will be assessed by
your veterinarian and advice given on the suitability of the surgery for your
pet pig. The veterinarian will carry
out a range of tests and procedures to minimize the risk. The surgeries are commonplace and well
documented, advice on surgery and anesthetics is readily available. As veterinarians we now have some excellent
medicines to control post-surgery pain.
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However, the risk of the
surgery has to be weighed in light of the consequences of having sexually
intact pets. It is commonplace for cats
and dogs to be spayed, the same should apply to our pet pigs.
Please have all your pigs neutered when they are not required
for breeding
Only breed healthy pigs without genetic defects
For further information on owning pigs and their
health implications visit:
http://www.portec.com.au