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Balding Rodent

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Oh BTW, my rodent is very chilled, she doesn't harass the other ever (I've read rodents with ovarian cysts are supposed to be pester cage mates).
 
Cysts bursting are not a good thing Sue at all.

Their are treatments available for cyst such as Hormone injections normally 2 weeks apart, worth discussing with your vet.
 
By looking at the photo from above, those cysts look big. All I can advise is to please see a cavy vet as those cysts will need to come out whether it be by surgery or hormone injection to shrink them. I'm afraid I don't know much about ovarian cysts and whether the hormone injection even works on cysts that big, but I do know she can't carry on like that.

An ultrasound scan of her abdomen will diagnose ovarian cysts.

Ovarian cysts, especially of that size will be very uncomfortable for her (the bunny hopping could be a sign of that). And if one were to burst, it could be fatal. You are also running the risk of the cysts pushing up against other organs which could cause further problems.

We have a vet locator on the top bar where members have recommended cavy savvy vets. Is there one near you?

Just please don't leave her like that and take her to the vet
 
Sue_P said:
If my rodent doesn't grow some hair back soon I'm going to have to give her yet another name change.
tetchyspider.gif
I can't keep calling her Pretty Fat when she's no longer pretty, she's going to have to become Fat 'n' Bald.
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Awww, your piggie she's a very beautiful ,little one she's probably going bald with all that stick your givening her. Get her to give me a ring then we can discuss terrible owners.
 
@Sue_P Can Nana Niki recommend a good vet for you to see?
 
Nope. There's one listed in the 'vet locator' on here in Leeds but I think it's one Grandma used, I don't remember her raving about it and singing its praises. & I can't travel far with my rodent anyway, I don't drive and I wouldn't want to stress out a rodent with a long journey anyway.

Do you reckon' Pretty Fat's very noisy deathly breathing episode that lasted 2 or 3 days just over a month ago could be linked to ovarian cysts? The vet said it was a URI and didn't appear to be a heart problem.
 
Beans had big cysts that didn't respond to injections so she was spayed last week. It went really well and she's doing great now.
If cysts are left they can burst and that could be fatal.. I'd definitely be looking at a spay if they're that big..
 
Sue_P said:
Nope. There's one listed in the 'vet locator' on here in Leeds but I think it's one Grandma used, I don't remember her raving about it and singing its praises. & I can't travel far with my rodent anyway, I don't drive and I wouldn't want to stress out a rodent with a long journey anyway.

Do you reckon' Pretty Fat's very noisy deathly breathing episode that lasted 2 or 3 days just over a month ago could be linked to ovarian cysts? The vet said it was a URI and didn't appear to be a heart problem.
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I am pretty sure that Leeds vet is highly recommended, you are going to have to get her seen to Sue by a vet and a recommended one is a good one to try. Speak to Nana Niki about this. I doubt the breathing is linked. But Ovarian Cysts when large can be dangerous and will need treatment.
 
Hiya. I agree with the above posts- would it be possible to get nana Niki to take pretty fat (yes she is still pretty even if balding) to the recommended vet?

The cysts look like they're massive in your picture from above.
I would be afraid of it/them bursting if she were mine :(

I had an elderly guinea who had the hcg hormone injections (chorulon) for her ovarian cyst. They did shrink the cyst considerably but hers was walnut sized (looked smaller than pretty fats).

The breathing problem she had may have been caused by the cysts pressing on her organs &restricting her airway.

My guinea had none of the classic signs of cysts. She just had lots of urinary tract infections. Not really grumpy, crusty nipples, hairloss or pear shaped.
Pretty fats hairloss &shape do point towards cysts.

Please get nana Niki to help you get her to a savvy vet as soon as possible, the bunny hopping is a sign of pain &she will need painkillers (probably metacam) to help her. She is probably feeling quite miserable if in that much pain :(
I expect a spay would be a favorable in her case. Please discuss her options with nana Niki &the vet.

Could you show nana Niki your thread-would that help at all?

Let us know how she gets on. Xx
 
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Bunny hopping can be a sign of arthritis. One of my previous boys was fine one day, and hopping the next. He had an xray and he had arthritis. He was given painkillers (Rimadyl in his case as he had a bad reaction to Metacam - my only pig to have been ill with it).

In the photo above where we can see hee balding sides she's standing a little bit on her heels, which my arthritic boar did.


I know how hard it is to get access to a decent vet sometimes. One of my current boys had something wrong with him thay my current vet didn't know anything about. I found a specialist vet, and asked my current vet to liase with them for some more info. So he was treated by my regular vet and they were getting advice from a more experienced one. Do you think that would be an option?
 
I have no experience with ovarian cysts as I've only ever had boars, but my random guess would be that the heavy breathing would more likely be something irritating her nose instead of the cysts.

I'd keep an eye on her and if it happens more regularly then it might be a sign of some respiratory disease. I don't think it would be a URI if it cleared up so quickly without antibiotics
 
@ Beans&Toast - I'm glad your rodent has survived. That's good.

@ sport_billy - I asked my Nana Niki about Holly House in Leeds and she said there was a good cavvy savvy vet there but that he died.

@ GPTV - Nana Niki can't drive, it'd be my Uncle Derek who'd have to ferry me around, either that or I'd have to walk into town with my rodents (not ideal, they're heavy and the road noise would distress them).

I've decided to bombard the local vet practises with emails asking them if they have anyone cavvy savvy and how many ovarian cyst removals they've done on rodents and the success rates. Will be interesting to see if and how they reply.

To be honest I'm against giving my rodent invasive surgery, I don't think the risk is worth it. For all I know she could carry on with life for a fair while as she is. Her quality of life ain't bad, I'm now putting extra bedding in the rodent room and tucking them in at night so that the balding one doesn't freeze in my cold house. I am a bit worried about her mobility but she's still managing and I'm used to having rodents that can't walk properly. She's still eating, she still comes out voluntarily to walk to her food, she's a good weight, she has a lush rodent lifestyle so she should be happy and so I'm thinking she's best left alone. I don't want to hand my rodent over to a vet for an operation unless the odds are stacked in her favour of a good outcome and that it's a totally necessary operation. If she died as a result of my decision to give her an operation I'd feel terrible cos it could be ending her life a lot shorter than it could be and also it'll be leaving her sister on her own. I'm not confident that she'd survive an op, I have a lack of confidence in vets in general and I'm not convinced she's a good healthy candidate to operate on anyway. I still don't understand why she got very ill a month ago with her breathing and when I did claw cutting on Sunday and picked her up she had a short burst of noisy breathing which worried me. She may have a bit of fluid on her lungs right now and if that's the case then it'd be toying with her life to operate on her. I think letting nature take its course is the right way to go when surgery is such a risky option.

@ GPTV - Nana Niki's seen this thread, she was saying that for all we know ovarian cysts may be very common and that rodents may live without them causing them much bother. She thinks spaying Pretty Fat is a bad idea.

@ GPTV - Why do you think my rodent is in pain? Cos of possible ovarian cysts or cos she's not walking right?

@ Jaycey - I've had rodents in the past who have struggled walking much worse than Pretty Fat and I never gave them continuous pain relief. The first one survived for years before he nose dived badly and had to be put down and I dug a hole for his brother once thinking he was a going the same way but then that one made a miraculous recovery and went on for another year. Hobbling can just be a sign of old age, I hobble like a 80 year old when I get out of bed in a morning but I just get on with life just like rodents do. Aches and pains are pretty normal, we can't all be perfectly healthy specimens.

@ Jaycey - As for getting a non-cavvy savvy local vet to liase with a savvy one; I've done that before once, I got my fave vet from my local practice (who's now left) to liase with Simon from Northampton. It worked for me but it must be a pain for Simon to have people taking up his time and him not being paid for it. If I recall correctly that was just for advise on medications.

@ Jaycey - My vet said Pretty Fat had a URI just over a month ago and gave a loxicom injection and baytril, I think it was a close shave with death cos she sounded like she was on her last legs. My rodent may not die from a burst cyst, it could well be a URI that gets her if it comes back bad.
 
If your pig has potential ovarian cysts that are so large they are affecting her movement- she needs treatment! If you find a piggy savvy vet then she will have the best chance. Even discuss with your vet the draining of the cysts if you dont want to go for surgery.

An xray or scan would confirm the diagnosis so that should be a first step.

If you think she has fluid on her lungs or another URI, i agree surgery is risky in this scenario but , again, this warrants another vet trip ASAP.
 
I've still got some left-over Baytril to hand in case her breathing worsens, I'm keeping a very close eye on her.
 
I wouldn't recommend giving Baytril without getting the vet's advice first.
 
Hopefully uncle Derek would give you a lift... like you say they can get pretty heavy after carrying them for short distances, your poor arms would be stretched & aching before you got to the end of the road lol!

thats a good idea emailing the vets for information if you can't find a recommended one on here.
experienced spaying vets would reduce the risk considerably for Pretty Fat :)
Extra bedding to keep her cosy is great too :nod:

i know you're concerned about the risks of having her spayed, but if the vet agrees with spaying at the moment, then whilst she is reasonably healthy she will be able to recover more quickly & be more resilient to problems.
the older she is & the more advanced the cyst gets the higher the risks will be. When she gets to the really poorly stage, the odds will really be stacked against her recovery :(

but yes if she has a URI then maybe wait a little longer until she is more healthy & the breathing is sorted before deciding on an op.
Just be aware that if left too long & the cyst does burst it will then be an emergency, very painful , very stressful for you and her & the chances of survival will not be good.

According to the amount of posts on here regarding ovarian cysts- yes they do seem to be fairly common, especially in middle to older aged guineas, but the information suggests that they are treatable & the guinea can lead a relatively long & normal life after treatment.

I had my Ellie treated for hers with the HCG hormone injections because she was 6yrs old & not considered for a spay due to the age risks.
Ellie died around 2yrs later of multiple health issues.
She seemed more relaxed & contented after the treatment, her general condition improved considerably & she seemed so much happier - the pain & effect of the cyst had been draining her energy levels, making her quiet & subdued compared to usual.

Ovarian cysts in humans are regarded as most painful when they are small or growing, however if Pretty Fat is 'bunny hopping' this is a sign of pain, i guess the same as having a stone in your shoe, something is the wrong place & making you limp because it is painful.
Do you hobble because of pain? this would be similar to her bunny hopping as it is not a normal movement.

Pain in guineas often causes them to not eat as much & then all the complications with digestion & teeth issues could be caused :(
I'm sure you wouldn't like to think that she was in pain? please sort her out some pain relief if nothing else.
If you could get her scanned/xrayed at least you would know more about what your dealing with &it could be confirmed if its definitely a large cyst.

i shouldn't worry about Simon not being paid for giving advice to your favourite vet, i think he's probably more interested in sorting out the best possible outcome for the guinea & passing on knowledge to other vets would possibly lessen his work load :)
i guess if he didnt want to share information, he just wouldn't.

see what results you get with your emails & get her treated by the one you feel is best, discuss Pretty Fats options with the vet & see what they can offer her - after they have advised you, it will be easier for you & nana Niki to decide whats best for her.

Good luck & let us know how she gets on.
 
Hi Sue. I know that you are apprehensive about going to the vet but I'm afraid it is a must in these circumstances. You really do need to know what you are dealing with. If Pretty Fat does have a cyst(s) and it bursts, it will be an emergency and could be fatal. It would also be very painful for Pretty Fat which I am sure you wouldn't want? She may already be in pain now.

At least have her seen by a vet to talk through your options and receive a proper diagnosis. An ultrasound scan will be able to diagnose ovarian cysts.

I remember Niki from when she was a regular member of this forum and I doubt very much she would advise you against receiving veterinary treatment.

Like I say, I know it is hard. I feel very anxious and untrusting when visiting the vet myself and my vet is good with small animals.
 
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@ VickiA - Why not?

@ GPTV & Claire W - Well one of my local vet practice recommends International Zoo Veterinary Group or Abbey House Veterinary Group in Morley. I've asked Nana Niki about Abbey House and she thinks there may be a cavy savy vet there possibly called Trudy but I'll double check with Debbie.

The head office for International Zoo Veterinary Group is very close to me but I'd never heard of it before, I need to phone them to see if the local base is actually a clinic where you can take animals or not, I'm not sure it is.

Anyway Pretty Fat has stopped her bunny hopping episode now, she bolts out for food again and seems like a happy pig so I don't think she actually is in pain. & her mobility issued have always been a bit on and off, she'll bunny hop for a couple of days and then be alright but it doesn't happen often with her, probably less than 5 times in all the time I've had her.
 
No but I'm in agreement that ovarian cysts is the most likely thing. Her sister very extremely interested in sniffing her bottom so it must have been hormonal.
 
Sue_P said:
No but I'm in agreement that ovarian cysts is the most likely thing. Her sister very extremely interested in sniffing her bottom so it must have been hormonal.
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Are you going to get her checked out just to be sure? Sorry for going on but it could be fatel if she were to have cysts and one bursts
 
Sue_P said:
No but I'm in agreement that ovarian cysts is the most likely thing. Her sister very extremely interested in sniffing her bottom so it must have been hormonal.
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That is great news! I agree that it rather looks cystic than mites. Sows with active ovarian cysts are often constantly in season.
 
@ Claire - I wasn't thinking of doing so. She's remained happy, mobile and eats well, her only symptom has been her fur falling out and now that that is regrowing I presume that whatever's been wrong is now improving. I've got details of two vet practises though that are potentially more cavy savy than my local one if ever there's an emergency and I need to take her in for treatment.
 
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