Is it bad to dissect when you're a vegetarian?!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

It is ok for you to dissect it if you feel you need to learn something from this, but it is also ok for you to refuse. Are you going to be a veterinarian or someone who experiments on animals for a living? If not, there is nothing you will gain from a dissection. The only thing you learn from actually dissecting as opposed to watching a film of dissection is how much pressure is required to cut through certain tissues without damaging organs etc. Very useful information for anybody who hopes to be a veterinary surgeon, not so for everybody else. If you are at all uncomfortable just say "thanks but no thanks".

Also I have serious concerns as to how they got these pigs. It is unlikely a sow is breeding only to have unborn foetuses surgically removed. The only scientific technique I'm aware of where foetuses are removed from sows is for xenotransplantation and the sow is then killed because that is cheaper than allowing her to recover. It is possible they are purpose bred but I think it's unlikely. I'm guessing these are from slaughterhouses where the sows are too ill to be kept on and they are sold for sausage meat. Any foetuses in such a sow would have little commercial value, but could be sold cheap to educational facilities.

vegan biologist

Hi! Im a vegan (16yrs old) and used to be vegetarian and last year dissected a rat- which now i totally regret.

When it comes down to it you have to make that decision whether YOU think thats right or wrong, not whether or not i think its wrong or anyone else on this site does or doesn't.

What you have to consider:
-This pig could have been born but wasn't so that you could dissect it
-This is a baby that was taken away from its mother
-Do you even know where they are getting these baby pigs? it could be from some animal testing facility or something so you dont know how the parent pigs were treated. (probably poorly)
-Supply and Demand- fact of life, the more students that dissect the pig, the more baby pigs they have to supply- as in killing more baby pigs. Maybe they already have the pigs ordered and are already at your school but the school will pay attention to if any pigs arent dissected and they wont purchase as many pigs the next time or year.

I personally don't think you should, just think of it as a pregnant women who is about 6 or 7 months prego and the baby is taken out of her and sold to schools to be dissected...sounds sick if you ask me, but again you need to make that decision for yourself.

hope i helped! :)

Personal Experience

the pig was alive at the beginning of it's life. It was killed for science. Talk to you teacher about this. Some pigs used are killed right after birth. Some that are used were stillborn. But either way, they were alive at one time. I did dissect a fetal pig in high school but I wasn't a vegetarian back then. I suggest that you talk to you teacher and see if there is a different project you can work on. Some schools have computers that virtually show an animated pig and you dissect it with the cursor. Or maybe the teacher can give you pictures or drawings of a pig's insides and you can label each part. Good luck.

The answer to this question should totally be based on YOU and your thoughts, feelings and opinions. How do you feel about it? Do you want to do it? Being vegetarian is what your diet is. Depending on what your reasons are for being vegetarian, they may also affect your decision about this issue, or not.

I think it's gross, and I believe that life starts at conception, not birth. So in my opinion, this would still be contributing to the death of this unborn animal. But if you have no issue with that, and want to study it and learn from it, then why should someone else's opinion sway you?

The answer is in you. Do what YOU want to do.

We also had fetal pigs for our bio class, but there wasn't one for every student. Some people just had to take notes.

I don't think your teacher would actually make you dissect the pig, and there's no reason why you can't complete the lab by watching.

But if you have a problem being in the class during the dissection, I don't know what to say. sorry :(

Ex-bio student

are you going to eat it? LOL why would it be wrong? it's science. anyhow are you vegan or vegetarian? most vegetarians still have leather purses, wallets, shoes belts, car interiors etc. hell i'm vegan and most of my shoes and purses are leather. is that wrong? who knows. i'm not eating the cow i'm wearing it, that's all i know.

"Vegetarian" refers to diet only. It has no meaning, implied or stated with other things you do with your life.

Pol Pot was a vegan. So is Charles Manson. Though both were vegans (therefore vegetarians) they are also two of the most infamous mass murderers in history. Vegans yes, mass murderers, yes to that too.

In this case you should go with your gut instinct. Some people feel it's okay. As most vegetarians are animal lovers, it may not feel right for you to do this. Just discuss it with your teacher when the time comes.

honestly it's your views. The pig wasn't even born yet and was created to be dissected. How do you feel about that? Just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you did it for those reasons.

I am Vegan as well as my daughters. Your education comes first. It's okay for you to dissect a pig fetus. Your personal choices shouldn't conflict your education. You'll understand when you are a motner. :)

No. Vegetarianism just refers to what you eat. So just don't eat the pig, and you're fine.

It really depends what you consider alive. Some people consider fetuses to be alive with the heartbeat and all.

Being a vegan does not mean you have to stop learning.