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Bloating? Nope - ovarian cysts!

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sazmatazz

sazmatazz

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Hi everyone, I just wanted to pop a note on here, some of you may have seen my thread about possible gassy tummy or bloat for 1 of my ladypigs Dora.
It turns out she actually has cysts on both ovaries which are quite large. Luckily it has been identified early in the scheme of things and she hasn't yet had any of the related problems that cysts can cause. Please look out for this as the shape of the body seems very similar to how bloat is also described - sort of pear shaped, thinner around the ribs and then much wider/rounder below that.
Here is the guinealynx page on ovarian cysts - http://www.guinealynx.info/ovarian_cysts.html

The remedy is a spay operation, relatively straightforward and low cost, it is around £60 at our vets.

Left undiagnosed, ovarian cysts can cause very serious problems due to hormone imbalance - it can affect the bone marrow and all sorts.

Thanks

Saz
 
Thank you. Obviously any surgery carries risks but the vets are very experienced and reassured me that problems are unlikely. I've been looking at the post op aftercare advice on guinea lynx & I'm going to order some critical care now, in case she is off her food afterwards. I have syringe fed my other piggy before after dental surgery so I'm hoping all will be ok.:)
 
My Maggie had a similar problem, she had cysts and also a tumour. Hope the op goes well. I would stock up on her favourite foods (herbs are particularly good at getting them eating again), some soft hays (I tend to use oxbow orchard grass, it's very green and soft), and make sure you have space where you can separate her from any friends for periods of time, if not throughout her recovery period, so you can monitor what shes eating and also her poos and wees.
 
I hope that all goes well for you! My four year old Cariad has been through an emergency spay this spring (due to problems with her womb as well as cysts) and has thankfully recovered well from it despite a very low body weight.

Ovarian cysts are quite common in older sows. There are alternative treatments like hormone therapy now.
 
Noodles has recently had a spay due to ovarian cysts and a tumour as well (just like Amandas Cameo ) - never seen a pig recover so quickly from an op (and we have had 3 ops in our house recently) - up and eating peeing pooing normally the same day - good luck xx
 
Thanks everyone. Dora is just over 4 & shes never had any health probs before, so I'm hoping she copes ok with the procedure. I am worried though, we were supposed to be going on holiday next week but I don't think we can now. I am off this week thankfully so I can keep an eye on her after tomorrow when she gets back from the vet.
 
Spoke to the vet at 2pm, Dora was coming round from sedation ok but there were complications. Some of the cysts have been interfering with her intestines, forming adhesions. So it sounds like the cysts had attached themselves to her intestines in some places. They could hardly get the cysts out by the sounds of it, the smallest one was 5cm wide. So she has to stay in tonight as she has some unexpected injury to her intestine :(
 
Sorry to read this, keeping everything crossed for Dora, hope all goes well. Hugs to you and lots of healing vibes to your little girl. She is in the best place they will keep a close eye on her x
 
Thanks everyone. Poor Poppy looks lost without Dora tonight :( Hope she can come home tomorrow.
(BTW - on my pic, Dora is grey eared & Poppy is pinky lugs x) )
 
Dora is much brighter this morn :) eating & drinking on her own. Shes got a little bit of fluid coming from the incision but they said its due to fairly major sugery & should stop weeping soon. Another update this afternoon but she should be home this evening. :D
 
We picked Dora up around 5.30 last night but she didn't seem herself. Just as we were about to leave the vet she did a wee & a poop, both with blood in. The vets didn't really give an explanation but said theyd give her a painkiller injection rather than her having metacam which can irritate the gut. We got her home but she wasn't acting normally at all. We'd booked her in for a check up today anyway, so we syringed her some food & water & thought the painkiller mustve spaced her out a bit. She didn't want to eat on her own & wasn't moving around but we'd been told she was ok to be home. She'd obviously eaten earlier as she had green on her chin. I woke up early this morning, around 4am & went to check on her. She passed away in the night. I feel so devastated, angry & confused. I thought she would be ok. I never expected this to happen & I don't understand why it has.

RIP Dora, my petal Xx

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Oh no, I am so sorry :(

It is heartbreaking when we lose a piggy after surgery, I have been there myself :(

Sometimes animals are just unable to recover from an operation or there could have been an underlying issue.

Thinking of you.

Sleep peacefully Dora xx
 
I feel so guilty for putting her through this. I read something about them sometimes seeming ok after surgery but then suddenly going downhill. But I asked the vet about CC & if she needed it & they didnt think so. I thought she was ok to be home, they said she was & even when she seemed off I thought it must have been to do with the painkiller. I didnt ever think this would happen. I wish I'd realised how poorly she'd suddenly become & fed her CC every few hours through the night. If I had, maybe she'd have been able to fight & would still be here. I dont know if I'll ever get over this guilt.
 
I'm so sorry, you weren't to know this would happen. Sounds like it was a much bigger op than expected and it was just too much for her. Sleep tight lovely Dora.
 
Nothing would have changed so please do not blame yourself.

I lost my first guinea pig after surgery nearly 5 years ago. We thought she was on the mend but 5 days after the op, she died. Connie was only 18 months old :(

In May just gone, I had to have my 3 year old Erin pts when she didn't recover well after a bladder flush. She also had a poorly eye that the only option was eye removal but sadly it was felt she wasn't strong enough :(

Around the same time, 3 year Ena had a tumour removed. She came bouncing back after the operation but sadly it was confirmed she had lymphoma :(

last summer 5 year old Eleanor had a lump removal. She too bounced back but we sadly lost her in January to an unrelated illness :(

I will always feel guilty to my lost girls but you see, it really is swings and roundabouts and my point is, every guinea pig handles surgery differently and like Helen said, perhaps the op was just too much for Dora x
 
sazmatazz said:
I feel so guilty for putting her through this. I read something about them sometimes seeming ok after surgery but then suddenly going downhill. But I asked the vet about CC & if she needed it & they didnt think so. I thought she was ok to be home, they said she was & even when she seemed off I thought it must have been to do with the painkiller. I didnt ever think this would happen. I wish I'd realised how poorly she'd suddenly become & fed her CC every few hours through the night. If I had, maybe she'd have been able to fight & would still be here. I dont know if I'll ever get over this guilt.
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I'm so sorry for your loss, and am sending you lots and lots of sympathy. I know something of what you're going through; the piggie in my avatar (Harriet) was operated on for ovarian cysts, which also had formed adhesions, and if I remember rightly, her intestines had to be moved around in order to remove the cysts. Initially, we were optimistic, but then she went downhill rapidly, and passed away at the vets sometime after we had rushed her back in. It was a big operation, sometimes it can just be too much for a little creature, but we can't forsee what will happen.
It is all too easy to blame yourself, as I know I did about Harriet. It's inevitable that you wish you'd done more, or done things differently, but you can only do what seems the best thing at the time. You obviously cared very much indeed for Dora, and you are a good guinea pig owner - try not to beat yourself up about what has happened. I know that's easier said than done, but the grief and guilt do ease after a while, believe me, and eventually you'll be able to remember her with her a smile. Take care of yourself.
 
Thank you for all your kind words. I do feel so guilty & really shocked. I wasnt expecting this at all. I feel so sad for Poppy, who is now without her sister. I'm not sure how she'll cope on her own. I put her in with Dora for a little while last night when we got back, Poppy clearly knew Dora was poorly & she was really gentle with her. She even licked the side of Doras tummy where her hair had been shaved. I dont know if she understands that Dora is gone, I wish I could explain to her & tell her how sorry I am. She was licking my face loads earlier, licking all the tears away. Bless her heart.
 
Just caught up on this thread, sorry for not reading it earlier. I am really sorry to hear Dora has crossed the bridge, please do not blame yourself for any of this.

You did what was right for Dora with surgery - unfortunately sometimes all the will in the world isn't enough, feeding her CC wouldn't have changed the outcome so don't beat yourself up on that.
Sometimes it is just their time to leave us and there is nothing that can be done. The guilt you feel is a natural part of grief and not attributed to you having done anything wrong, there are always so many 'what if's' but please don't try to second guess yoursellf, you would never make the wrong choice for one of your girls.

Massive hugs to you and love to Poppy x

RIP Dora
x x
 
I had a piggie with ovarian cysts who had bloat before her op too, none after.
 
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