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Anaesthetic safety

My exotic vet said the same thing about anesthesia that they might not come out. Guinea pigs are different from dogs and cats according to my exotic vet.
My boy Finn is still only a baby so I chose not to put him through surgery to fix him to be with Lara. Lara can't be spayed unless she has medical reasons to do it.
They live separately but get plenty of chance for nose rubs so it has worked out for us.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I know it's scary but think of it this way, what is the alternative? Of course we all know now that the alternative is to keep on treating the abscess which will never seemingly heal and he will suffer for it even with prompt treatments and medication. You should be reassured that you have taken action to avoid unnecessary surgery but have reached the point where surgery has become necessary.

Yes with anaesthetic there is a risk, there is always a risk. Even as humans we have to sign before surgery to accept the risk. I have had 8 occasions where pigs have had operations and had anaesthetic. Not a single one has passed as a result of the anaesthetic and all have come round after the operation. At the end of the day, deciding to do this now while Buzz is otherwise fit and healthy helps to put him in the best possible place to recover without problems.
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This covers everything in my opinion ( decision wise) Nail on the head. 👍 / 🔨.

When i use a hammer its more like this 👍🔨
 
Seven7 said:
My exotic vet said the same thing about anesthesia that they might not come out. Guinea pigs are different from dogs and cats according to my exotic vet.
My boy Finn is still only a baby so I chose not to put him through surgery to fix him to be with Lara. Lara can't be spayed unless she has medical reasons to do it.
They live separately but get plenty of chance for nose rubs so it has worked out for us.
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That's a valid view point regarding neutering @Seven7 but neutering is elective surgery on a healthy piggy whereas abscess removal is pretty essential surgery and can be life saving or at the very least save weeks of pain and discomfort and unpleasant daily abscess draining and cleaning. I think if there's a medical need that can fix a nasty health issue straight away then the anaesthetic is worth the risk compared to the risk of not operating on something that is causing ongoing pain and health issues.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
This covers everything in my opinion ( decision wise) Nail on the head. 👍 / 🔨.

When i use a hammer its more like this 👍🔨
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I agree thank you. It wasn't a case of me not doing it, I know there is no quality of life really for him without it (he's fine but he can't carry on being squeezed by a vet every day of his life!), just wanted reassurance he was likely to be fine. I wouldn't have an elective op on a pig, I can barely cope with the essential ones lol x
 
Jemimah went in to have a persistent abscess removed last year and ended up having an emergency spay as well.
All went well and she was back to her normal self quite quickly.
It took a couple of days to get the pain meds right but when that was good she perked up quickly.
She did need syringe feeding for a few days until everything got going again properly but she's never looked back.

It is a worry the day of the op and for a day or so afterwards and yes, there is a risk, but in the end we do what we believe is best and trust the vet and cope with the worry.

Hope all goes well for you
 
I have had many piggies undergo surgery - boar castration, sow spay, lump removal, bladder flush, dental surgery. I know that there is always a risk associated with anaesthetic but anaesthetics have become safer over the years and I’ve never lost a piggy due to the anaesthesia alone. I still fear losing one to anaesthesia but sometimes you have to just balance that fear against the indications for surgery.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Jemimah went in to have a persistent abscess removed last year and ended up having an emergency spay as well.
All went well and she was back to her normal self quite quickly.
It took a couple of days to get the pain meds right but when that was good she perked up quickly.
She did need syringe feeding for a few days until everything got going again properly but she's never looked back.

It is a worry the day of the op and for a day or so afterwards and yes, there is a risk, but in the end we do what we believe is best and trust the vet and cope with the worry.

Hope all goes well for you
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Thank you! Jemima is my daughters name 💖 I'm going to set up the hospital wing in my bedroom for a few days then. I hope woody behaves for buzz afterwards x
 
VickiA said:
I have had many piggies undergo surgery - boar castration, sow spay, lump removal, bladder flush, dental surgery. I know that there is always a risk associated with anaesthetic but anaesthetics have become safer over the years and I’ve never lost a piggy due to the anaesthesia alone. I still fear losing one to anaesthesia but sometimes you have to just balance that fear against the indications for surgery.
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Very reassuring thank you. A lady who works there has a pig who needed kidney stone or bladder stone surgery a few weeks back and they did it as an emergency and he's doing great so they do 'do' pigs x
 
Lady Kelly said:
I think elective surgery is a whole new conversation for another day :)) I've had two boars neutered previously. It's a lot less invasive than any other surgery and with a vet who knows what they are doing the risks are minute
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Lots of the rescue pigs we found were neutered. I did ask about neutering buzz whilst he was under and she said it's too much for him. Personally I'm far too anxious for it 🙈 I nearly keeled over when the cat was neutered. I'm not against elective, personally it ages my heart too much lol x
 
Potterpig said:
Lots of the rescue pigs we found were neutered. I did ask about neutering buzz whilst he was under and she said it's too much for him. Personally I'm far too anxious for it 🙈 I nearly keeled over when the cat was neutered. I'm not against elective, personally it ages my heart too much lol x
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Yes it's definitely a difficult day when they go in. Luckily both my boars had sailed through
 
Potterpig said:
Lots of the rescue pigs we found were neutered. I did ask about neutering buzz whilst he was under and she said it's too much for him. Personally I'm far too anxious for it 🙈 I nearly keeled over when the cat was neutered. I'm not against elective, personally it ages my heart too much lol x
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I was plopping my pants when i got my boar neutered. He was just old enough to be done. But yea the elective ops are the worst i think.even with using a top vet
 
Potterpig said:
Lots of the rescue pigs we found were neutered. I did ask about neutering buzz whilst he was under and she said it's too much for him. Personally I'm far too anxious for it 🙈 I nearly keeled over when the cat was neutered. I'm not against elective, personally it ages my heart too much lol x
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I agree about it being too much for the heart.
My boy Finn hasn't lived long enough. He is only 1.5 years old and will be 2 years old around the thanksgiving time. He has plenty of time left for popcorning, nose rubbing, eating his favorite herbs and veggies.

My exotic vet was very specifically clear about my piggies having "high chances of not coming out of anesthesia".
I was never told about my other pets having "high chances of not coming out" like my piggies.
 
If it this help aswell. I have had a gerbil operated on, succesfully aswell by a pets at home vet. This was years ago.
 
Seven7 said:
I agree about it being too much for the heart.
My boy Finn hasn't lived long enough. He is only 1.5 years old and will be 2 years old around the thanksgiving time. He has plenty of time left for popcorning, nose rubbing, eating his favorite herbs and veggies.

My exotic vet was very specifically clear about my piggies having "high chances of not coming out of anesthesia".
I was never told about my other pets having "high chances of not coming out" like my piggies.
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She didn't say high chances, she just said the risks are higher than with cats and dogs and that there is always a risk. Like she can't ever a promise an animal will be fine after any op no matter how simple. I'm the type that will ask the same question in every way possible to try and get the 'he will ace this surgery' answer I'm looking for. But it doesn't exist 😭 he SHOULD come out fine. I have honestly had about thirty appointments in a month for this abscess and we have tried different ways to drain it, them draining it, me draining it, manuka honey, two antibiotics, leaving it alone... If there was a way to avoid surgery we tried it. We didn't win. Buzz needs surgery to live his happy piggy life again now ❤️
 
Potterpig said:
She didn't say high chances, she just said the risks are higher than with cats and dogs and that there is always a risk. Like she can't ever a promise an animal will be fine after any op no matter how simple. I'm the type that will ask the same question in every way possible to try and get the 'he will ace this surgery' answer I'm looking for. But it doesn't exist 😭 he SHOULD come out fine. I have honestly had about thirty appointments in a month for this abscess and we have tried different ways to drain it, them draining it, me draining it, manuka honey, two antibiotics, leaving it alone... If there was a way to avoid surgery we tried it. We didn't win. Buzz needs surgery to live his happy piggy life again now ❤
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I have had my other pets come out of surgery just fine.
Wish you the best.
 
I've had three pigs have anesthesia, one of them several times. Luckily, they all did well. There are risks with anesthesia, but it can be minimized by using an inhaled anesthesia, which is safer in small animals. One of my pigs had an abscess lanced and drained under anesthesia, one had an entire abscess capsule removed surgically under anesthesia, and the third had two or three dentals under anesthesia, plus an abscess lanced and drained. Try not to panic, most pigs do okay! I know it's hard when you want a guarantee... but unfortunately there are no absolute guarantees, even with people. But the odds are very much in his favor.
 
She said it's a gas anaesthetic? Sounds like he has to sit in a lunch box with gas in it til he falls asleep then he gets a little oxygen mask because you can't intubate a pig? So glad your piggies did great, it's very reassuring. I've got to take him in at 8.30 and he won't even be operated on til lunch time or after. So I'll be flapping and he will be going about his usual business lol. I wonder how woody will cope in a strange place without buzz whilst he's having the op. X
 
Potterpig said:
She said it's a gas anaesthetic? Sounds like he has to sit in a lunch box with gas in it til he falls asleep then he gets a little oxygen mask because you can't intubate a pig? So glad your piggies did great, it's very reassuring. I've got to take him in at 8.30 and he won't even be operated on til lunch time or after. So I'll be flapping and he will be going about his usual business lol. I wonder how woody will cope in a strange place without buzz whilst he's having the op. X
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Same with Dot. She wasnt operated on until lucnh time. And i had to pack her a lunch box aswell lol

Actually @Betsy was the reason dot got a lunch box. I didnt think of it
 
Potterpig said:
Thursday. He's got to go in first thing for surgery at around lunchtime 😔
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Will be thinking of you.
My Phoebe also goes into the Vet hospital on Thursday for a scan and other tests so will be sharing your anxiety that day.
Are you taking Harry in as company?
I’m taking all 3 of mine with a photo of Phoebe so they get the right pig!

I’m taking a bag of hay, some snuggles and a tub of their favourite veggies as well.
 
The photo of phoebe bit made me lol! So cute! Buzz's mate is called woody, he's quite a sensitive pig (very highly strung!). Harry was Ron's buddy but he passed away a couple of months back now after a chest infection. Ron now has a buddy called hagrid. I've also got to take a water bottle in when he goes in because they give them a bowl of water which he isn't used to. I'm sorry to hear you have to go through this too 😭
 
Sorry yes Woody is going in with him. They told me to bring him which surprised me. And they said bring a lunch box of all his usuals including his favourites and a water bottle if the bowl might be a problem x
 
Sending you hugs, these little furries are such a worry. I've had piggies recover from annaesetic very quickly and behave within a few hours as if nothing had happened. I know there's no point in telling you not to worry because you will anyway but it sounds like Buzz is in very good hands. I will be thinking of you on Thursday. Xx
 
Merab's Slave said:
Hope all goes well tomorrow
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And to you with Phoebe. I have been to lidl and packed his lunch box full of his faves (kale, grapes, carrot, coriander and parsley). Need to remind myself that he won't have the op til early afternoon, otherwise I'll get worked up and feel ill by lunchtime when he won't even have had it yet! X
 
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