Poor piggy lost her friend last week, has mites and now needs surgery

[MissStrawberry]

If she hasn't been spayed the vet feels she has cysts on her ovaries. If she has been spayed then it is a mass of another kind. I have checked her paper work from the RSPCA and they have it as unknown when next to if spayed or not. Her boyfriend was spayed so they could live together.

We are looking at an x-ray first if we want confirmation or we can skip that and go straight to surgery.

If it is something worse is there treatment she can have?

I looked on gorgeousguineapigs and they say this -

ovariancystsHormone injections are often very effective where guineas have Ovarian Cysts. A few of my own sows have had this treatment and it has been very effective with no side-effects. Two injections of Chorulon given 10-14 days apart is the usual course of treatment. In my experience if there has been hair loss, new hair usually starts growing back after 7-10 days.

My vet did not say anything about an injection and to me that would be a much better option to surgery.

Any advice please?

Taking her back in 2 weeks.

[Sawdust]

It's a tough call. Hope she continues to be OK.

[FernieB]

Hope she enjoys her sweet corn when she gets there. I don't think I would want to put her through surgery either.

[MissStrawberry]

Sweet corn moved immediately.

Just had her head in the cereal bowl. tipping it up .

I miss BoyPiggy .

[MissStrawberry]

I think 2 seconds was all it took and she is attacking the sweet corn as if she hasn't eaten for a week!

[MissStrawberry]

GirlPiggy still with us .

I haven't heard her squeak for ages but DH said he heard her when he fed her the other day. I miss her little noises .

I was wondering if I should give her DD@s fur real Guinea Pig as company? I tried to buy a cuddly the other day but there was nothing.

She was very happy to be picked up yesterday when I cleaned her out but runs away when the cat gets too close to the cage!

[FernieB]

Glad she's ok. She won't be too fussed what kind of cuddly toy she has - it's just something soft to snuggle. An old towel rolled up or balled up socks would work. And they would wash easily

[MissStrawberry]

I will search for some socks.

She squeaked lots today to tell Daddy to hurry up when he was getting her dinner .

[MissStrawberry]

If anyone is still reading, now that we have decided not to put GirlPiggy through surgery what do we need to look for if she becomes ill?

She either had cysts on her ovaries or a mass of some sort. She is eating okay. Was fine when we put her treatment on. She actually seems more willing to come near us than she used to be but can still be spooked by the cats. BoyPiggy was less scared of us too but then had to be PTS a few days later .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Do you mean what sort of symptoms to look for?

Have a read through fortified threads about Fatimus. She was weeing on her tummy when she was ill, that was her first big sign that she was ill.

My little Abby boar went into Guinea-Pig downward spiral (I wrote about his illness in a thread "Help Urgent Hand-Holding" )

I knew from previous guineas and my guinea-pigs personality that he would go, I didn't think it would be so quickly though.

Guinea pigs are very vunerable to things, I'd think they find surgery a huge shock to their system.
Thankfully I've never had to have a GP put to sleep, but they've either gone in their sleep or slipped away (like GP2 did)

I find the first sign is they stop eating voluntarily (GP2 would eat food if we put it right in his mouth or Critical Care pushed into his mouth)
They 'hunch' up, seem disinterested.
GP2 sat in a little ball , nodding backwards and forwards.

And probably the biggest sign was GP1 was a pain in the bum very over-attentive to his brother.

[MissStrawberry]

Yes, I do.

With my boy it was only when he fell out of the hutch that we thought something might not be quite right and then two days later he had to be put to sleep as he had a problem with his brain but he ate his tea the night before and seemed okay.

With the girl, she has been treated for mites, but has been fine since she has been on her own and doesn't seem to be doing anything different at all.

It was horrible finding Boy so ill and still and I really don't want the children to go through that again if we can help it but primarily we have to make sure Girly doesn't suffer. I just can't put her through surgery.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

If one of my guineas was that ill, I'd go through every single possibility but the thought of a stroke or heart attack wouldn't be my first thought.
So yes, I can imagine the shock of being told it was his brain (though he sounds like a quite elderly gent and strokes are very common in people).
With your BoyPig you had to act quickly.
Hopefully your GirlPig will have many more happy and healthy months ahead,
But when you know the time is nigh, you'll know.

(GP3 my little boar is trying to take years off me by going for the computer cable. )

[MissStrawberry]

She is quiet at the moment so I am going to check on her.

I am buying her favourite parsley. Was supposed to use it in our dinner but figured she would appreciate it more .