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Anaesthetic safety

It's possible he'll need syringe feeding, aye. If you're nervous about doing it, maybe ask your vet if they can show you or help you out with doing it once or twice?
 
Lorcan said:
It's possible he'll need syringe feeding, aye. If you're nervous about doing it, maybe ask your vet if they can show you or help you out with doing it once or twice?
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I syringe fed Harry but buzz hates it. He's easier to flush the abscess than syringe him, so fingers crossed that's not what he needs. What causes it, pain? X
 
Sometimes the anaesthetic can leave them feeling a little off or groggy and that can affect their wanting to eat, as well as pain from surgery.
 
Potterpig said:
Thank you all so much! That is one mega abscess! Buzz's must have been about that size to start with! Eek! Is he likely to need syringe feeding? I do have critical care but would likely need some more. I am so nervous it's unreal. My poor buzzy bean 😭
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I have found that after most surgeries the piggies benefit from at least one or two syringe feed sessions to help them finish coming round and their appetites to restore. You don't necessarily need critical care though, I usually use some pellets soaked in water and mushed up
 
I much prefer syringing the oxbow critical care, but its stupidly expensive and not always easy to get right when you want it. I have a whole pouch on me for emergency
 
Betsy said:
I syringe fed Christian Science Selective Recovery.
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My pigs prefer Science Selective Recovery too, usually in a 1ml syringe that I cut the end off with a sharp knife to make the hole bigger, just like in the forum syringe feeding guide which is excellent!
Jezzy floof's big wide Abyssinian face requires a 2ml syringe to make it go in fast enough, and fussy little Puggle wont take a syringe but will lick recovery food from a slice of cucumber or carrot or a baby spoon! But usually a 1ml syringe with the end cut off works well :)
 
Thank you everyone. We are all set up with syringing things from Harry. I may have to get some more critical care if we are talking full supportive care. When the vet said pack him a lunchbox I nearly cried 😭 it's been a difficult one because every time we literally reached the decision to have the surgery it seemed to sort itself out. Then we would get to the point of saying we can think about signing him off and it would fill up again! I kmpw there is no choice now (heaven knows I've driven this pig to and from the vet twenty mins away, daily for weeks) but I'm still pooping myself x
 
My piggie had surgery for an abscess under her chin a couple of weeks ago. I was so worried! It went so well though and I was able to pick her up after lunch and she was her normal self by the evening. Really glad I had it done now
 
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
 
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