Fatimus needs to go to the vets

[fortifiedwithtea]

I think Fatimus has 'woman' problems

She's had a lump on her abdomen for a while. It hasn't caused her any discomfort until now.

From past experience of Smartie Button's (RIP) lump removal I knew she would miss out on summer on the grass.

However things have changed. She is now leaking wee all the time. She is permanently wet underneath. The wet is making her cold in the evening air. Their 'summer house' is attached to their run. By evening time they go in and snuggle in the hay. Naughty Girl is cosy and warm but Fatimus is damp and chilly . As you know they are house piggies and they are in from evening onwards.

So a busy week ahead. Getting kids back to school routine. I'll drag Old Boy's hutch out the garage and give it a scrub. I'm sure vet will remove lump and Fatimus will need to recover in a separate hutch but still in view and wheeking distance of Naughty Girl.

Why do they always need the vet when cash is short? Bugger

Oh fortified sorry to hear about Fatimus bless her, some girl guineas seem more prone to women's problems. Two of mine had ovarian cysts which were horrible. Thankfully it sounds like she can be sorted and hope it goes well at the vets. (despite the expense....) goid luck to all of you this week. Hope she is soon a dry and cosy girl too.

Poor girl

With guineas and lumps it's always in the back of your mind that it's something sinister .
I've had guineas with those fatty solid lumps in the 'neck fat' area or the tummy but they never stopped them getting on with things.They were elderly lardy sows so I don't think surgery would have been an option for them.

If she's weeing herself though then it's different/ She can't be comfortable like that. It could be cystitus as a result of pressure on the bladder if it's got to a size where it's causing trouble.

And yes , their sense of timing is A1

Husbands/kids/pets always time illnesses for when you are snowed under with stuff which can't be put off. Hope Fatimus recovers well.

Vet apt booked for today at 4.30pm. We are travelling there in style by taxi but slumming it by bus need two and its an arse on the way back

Was going to take Naughty Girl along for company/moral support for Fatimus. However, Fatimus is having another of her hormonal days and humping and worse biting Naughty's back at the same time

This is the first time Fatimus has been to the vet but was registered as soon as we got her. I felt a right idiot as the receptionist asked me to confirm her full name because I'd registered her with her middle name as well. Oh the shame, thanks DD2

at full name!!!

Hope all goes well and the op is a success. Do wish i could meet you on a bus with your guinea in a carrier..Safe journey and safe op...

Hope all went well at the vets. Our boys also have middle names (DD's fault) although the vet has not been told

Back from the vet.

He couldn't bring himself to call out her name as he usually does with pets. Instead he called for Mrs Fortified

Poor Fatimus has major woman problems. She is booked in next week for scan to confirm she needs a hysterectomy and having it done if needed and is having a mammary cyst removed at the same time. She is going to be soooo sore when she wakes up from that lot And I'm going to be £300 poorer

Receptionist booked Fatimus in for her op and had a double barrelled name very posh. No no I explained not double barrelled, she has a first and middle name I felt a bit of a twat But I had the last laugh. Receptionist asked me if guinea pig was a boy or girl? Er, well she's booked for a hysterectomy Receptionist

Journey home was hell. Walk, wait, bus, walk, wait bus walk. But Fatimus did enjoy first bus. I got the cucumber pot out and a small boy and girl fed her which they loved. Well you don't expect to do that on a bus

Oh no... poor Fatimus having to have all these womanly ops - bless her little heart... it is no fun being a female of any species once your parts start to malfunction . Will be thinking of her. Lots of tlc pre and post op I think.

Sorry, Fatimus, there is no icon for cucumber.

Fortified I really think you should write your bus adventures down, they would be loved by small children and adults who love SFAs it would make my year to meet a guinea going about its business (!) on a bus. Hope she will feel a lot better after all these trips to the vetwhose own receptionist cannot tell the gender :)

Aww - the LimitNotaTarget boars send their boary glue love.

It sounds like a big operation for a little mammal. She's a young piggie still so she's got age on her side.

I know from her photos (and guessed from her name) that she's a rather well upholstered sow . Did she lose any weight when she was ill? Often that's the first sign that your guinea isn't well but internal problems , sometimes there's nothing to see (and of course they can tell you they're not happy but not exactly why )

My boys don't have middle names but in the manner of Reservoir Dogs they are Mr Bread, Mr Bear and Mr Pickle (all DD fault)

Poor Fatimus - hope the op goes well. At least she enjoyed her bus ride and I'm sure the kids will be talking about her tonight.

So I'm preparing for the op which going ahead Monday. DH is having Tuesday off but confirmed too late for me to change the time. Oh bum! Getting DD2 to school and Fatimus to vet for 8.30am with no car is going to be a challenge

RWA forum recommend 'cuddle sac' to pick Fatimus up in. I'm worried about straining her stitches when I pick her up for her meds. I've decided to make my own. I used to work in a haberdasher's still get staff discount. I've bought cuddle fleece and boning to keep the opening, well open if you see what I mean.

Also been to animal feed wholesalers and got Burgess compressed Timothy Hay 'cakes' well I've eaten Christmas cake that size. Expensive 20 x compressed rabbits/piggies nibble bits off. I thought they would be ideal as Fatimus can not have hay spread all over the floor. I've given them one to try. Shai is a bit meh but luckily Fatimus loves it. Trouble is she thinks it's her mission to eat it in one go

Lastly, blatant call out to 70 I want to steam clean the hutches only ever used my steamer for the bathroom tiles Do I just point the nozzle and blast or do I need extra attachments, clothes, scrubbing brush
or whatever?

Hope it all goes well!

Awww, Good Luck Fatimus , It'll be a worry for you still you get the call and she's safe in your arms again.
Would the vet let you take her in the night before ? I've done this when our cat needed surgery and I needed to be ten miles away at work. (Also relieved us of the 'Starve the cat and catch her in the morning' trauma)

WRT steamers- I've got a handheld one , size of a large hairdyer. I use the steam to loosen the stamped in pooh then an old washing up brush. Once it's wiped clean, just a blast over everything. It dries quickly.

My boys didn't appreciate the Burgess cakes (they're cubes IIRC) at all. I bought the round flat hay cookies (P@H sell them and Wilkinsons). Good for heatwaves when I don't want them to cook in hay.

I saw the little fleecey bags online. They look lovely. Perfect for snuggling a post-surgery cavy.

I use our steam cleaner on the boys cages from time to time. I just point and blast and then scrub if required with old washing up brush. It works a treat.

Could DD go to school with a friend on Monday? Or could she be there early?

Good luck Fatimus.

Yes, good luck to you all on Monday we will all be thinking of you. I am sure u will spoil her rotten!

Could a friend or neighbour help with your ' clash' of times? If i lived nearer i would happily be your taxi and pet ambulance. And the official maker too.

Hope it all goes well.

Ps hi fernie hope all ok with you too.!!

Thinking of you today and hope all goes well. Let us know how she goes on.

Thank you all for your good wishes. We worked out a plan. DH dropped me and Rosie off at the vets and then took DD2 to school, thereby being a bit late for work. I did the 2 bus thing home, took over an hour. Its less than 15 minutes in the car, ho hum.

Was told to phone at 1.30pm so left it until 2.00pm just to make sure. Unfortunately 2 more cases have come in today and Rosie's op got pushed back. When I rang she was under gas and having pre-op x-rays So I am still worrying about her and have to wait another hour before I can phone again By then it will be school pick up time, not good.

I made her a cuddle sac yesterday and bless her, she loved it. DD1 took lots of pictures of her snuggled up inside it on the ipad hope teenager will load some onto my profile. Rosie looked so cute. I did feel guilty because of why I'd made it for her. They take a lot more fabric than I thought, so I could only make one. Doh!

Will give you all another update later.

Hope she's okay and you can pick her up soon

Hope she's home soon fortified and everything has gone well:)

Good Luck Fatimus.
Hopefully she'll be home with you, all judgey, very soon.

HOME!!!! AND VERY JUDGEY INDEED Currently sitting fluffed up with a blanket looking doped up and miserable and not eating. As in refused parsley

My second phone conversation was with that receptionist was worrying. I rang to be told Fatimus hadn't come round and vet wanted to see me at 5.45pm So I asked is she still alive? Er yes I'll just go and see what's happening now I'm bricking itReceptionist came back to the phone. Oh no, Fatimus is still being operated on. I thought it was a [quote] small dog under the sheet. Me in my head thinking WTAF! I know Fatimus is a big girl, but a small dog

Luckily the vet is excellent. Fatimus is sent home with full explanation of her treatment and the operation, pain relief, Baytril and fibreplex. Post op follow up booked with nurse for Wednesday. Saw Fatimus's tiny bits in a jar wasn't expecting that and given the option of having them sent away to the lab. We've said no thanks to that one.

I've been told to keep Fatimus warm and cuddle sac would have been ideal. But DD2 had friends in after school and put Naughty girl in it and of course she made herself very comfortable for a very long time and the inevitable happened. Yep Naughty had a wee in it and now its been through the wash its drying out. Buggar.

So glad that she's home:) Such a worry when one of them is ill. Thank goodness that things have gone well!! Give her till the morning and I bet she's demanding the parsley again
I would worry about the receptionist though. Not sure how you can mistake a Guinea Pig for a small dog

at her being so judgey, so pleased to hear it has gone well and she is home and dry.... hope she recovers well and gets back to eating as soon as poss, bless her.

Just been to have cuddle with guinea nephews, taken more dandelions and watched them run round their new paddling pool full of hay and green stuff .

Hope Fatimus has a good sleep and is raring to go tomorrow. X