Caring for Muffin post-op

[MommyPig]

This morning we dropped Muffin off at the vet to have a tumour in his mammary gland removed. His brother, Mielie, went along to be tested for diabetes and keep Muffin company.

I would appreciate some advice on taking care of Muffin once he is back at home.

 

[Guinea pig slave]

I'd discuss any concerns you have about post op care with your Vet.
From experience, the wound site will need checking at least twice a day for any signs of infection - look for swelling, oozing (serous fluid) redness and if it is warm to touch.
Pain relief is always a good idea, Metacam is the usual analgesia prescribed and you may be given a short course of antibiotics as a precautionary measure against infection.
I always keep my piggies post op on one level with no ramps etc. to avoid straining or jumping - pop hay into a holder rather than a tray etc. if you can so he won't sit in wee/poo. Keep a close eye out for any blood loss too. I always put white vet bed or very light coloured fleece in the pen.
If antibiotics are prescribed, be aware that they can upset piggy tums quickly especially Baytril so a probiotic is always recommended two-three hours after abx.
Monitor food/fluid intake as any surgery can play havoc with appetite and lead to further issues needing hand feeding.
It all sounds very overwhelming but many of us have nursed our babies post op and are able to advise and help you through the initial 'critical' period - Muffin may well be running around as soon as he gets home but better to be prepared.
All paws firmly crossed for your furries...big hugs

 

[Stewybus]

Adding to all the good info given by Guinea Pig Slave, you could use puppy pads on the floor area which are also white & can be disposed of regularly. If it's a big area to cover you could use child's training sheets which are a lot bigger than puppy pads & can be bought from Home Bargains for about £3 for 10. When Minky had an abscess removed I also used honey on the wound which aided the healing process, but ask your vet first. Regarding probiotics I tend to just use Fibreplex which I give just one notch if they lose their appetite. You can get this from your vet or from on line companies such as Vet UK or Chemist Direct.

Good Luck with Muffin's op, I hope everything goes well.

 

[Bekki]

With my Peppa recently (also mammary gland removal) the antibiotics really did not agree with his system and his poops were awful so he absolutely needed fibreplex to help him along, its only cheap and id say just get some well worth having it in. To keep him clean I kept him on newspapers which were changed 4x daily also made it super easy to keep track of poops and pees as they stand right out, puppy pads also work but I'm OCD when it comes to post op and newspaper is quick easy and cheap (guy at work reads a zillion papers so I steal his when he is done). Peppa really needed his pain meds for this op, he was noticeably inactive and grumpy when they were due again and once they had kicked in he sprung back to life again. He had metacam for pain relief and it worked. After about 2 weeks he was spot on back to his usual self :-) Good luck muffin.

 

[MommyPig]

Thank you for the advice. I am still waiting to hear from the vet. Muffin and Mielie usually have the run of the house, but I plan to put them in a pen with puppy pads and fleece until his wound is healed. I don't have to worry about Muffy taking his Metacam...think he might have a slight addiction. I just can't wait to have both the boys home...the other 2 (Darwin and Sweepy) have been calling for them.