In a message dated 7/9/00 3:49:36 AM, Judith Moon writes:
>Not spaying a jill is much more natural and has a lot fewer problems than
>doing so.  The main reason for spaying is because there are just too many
>irresponsible people out there
 
I know what Judith is saying -- she is NOT advocating leaving jills
unspayed if there are no vasectomized males to take her out of heat.  I
did have to read it twice (a little slow today) to understand that, though.
Just in case there is any confusion in the minds of others, jills can NOT
be left in heat.  If you do not breed the jill, or do not have her taken
out of heat by other means, it can become a life-threatening situation.
 
In "Ferrets Rabbits and Rodents; Clinical Medicine and Surgery," Hillyer
and Quesenberry write: "If not bred, roughly half of estrous females remain
in estrus and develop bone marrow toxicity secondary to elevated estrogen
levels."
 
Just wanted to make sure that new members of the FML understand the reason
and importance of spaying in those situations.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 3108]