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Eye Removal. Any Post Op Advise Appreciated

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pigcorn

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Hi everyone,


I'm new on this forum and look for any wise words, advise, warnings just anything I might need to be aware of following eye removal. My gorgeous little 3 year old sow is currently in recovery at the vets after her surgery today. This is my first and I hope last experience of surgery on an animal so I am feeling nervous and worried about her homecoming as I want to make sure I do everything right to aid her recovery. Unfortunately the surgery revealed a tumour behind eye causing eye to push out. She was already blind due to cataracts diagnosed at 1 so loss of sight is something she was already prepared for but the vet feels we have bought her about 6-12 months as they could not remove all the tissues. She has fleece/towel bedding down so should be comfy but what is usually the situation after surgery? Would it be advised I take tomorrow of work maybe? If I can that is as I'm down for training. I just want to get her home right now if I can.

Thanks
 
The good news is that she's made it through the anaethetic! She may be a bit groggy to start with, but this should pass by tomorrow. I'm guessing that the vet will keep her until she has eaten, drunk, weed and pooed. She will have had a long lasting pain killer, but you'll probably be given something to give her from tomorrow. It's also likely that the socket will have been left open rather than sewing it up to allow for flushing and healing from the inside, so be prepared for it to look rather gruesome. If she is behaving normally this evening, you shouldn't need to take a day off work, unless you want to. As a general rule piggies cope pretty well once they have started to eat again (the danger is that if they don't get the gut moving, you get a whole new problem with gut stasis, which can be fatal, so eating and drinking is very important). As she is already blind there should be little adjustment and she'll probably feel better without the eye anyway. Watch for any signs of infection, but I think she should recover well.
 
:D Hello and :wel: to the forum! Sorry to hear that your little girl is having such problems. I had a young sow who had to have her eye removed. She had a squabble with a cage-mate and got a claw in her eye. The surface of the eye was scratched. The whole eye was removed and the socket was sewn up. She came through the surgery with no problems and had to have two meds twice a day for a couple of months after. She had been a rather nervous piggie before, but the regular handling really helped to ease her fears. The meds seemed to be keeping her going, because she died soon after the course finished. :(
 
Hi thanks for your reply. I was so relieved when I got the call to say she had made it. The worse part is over. I think the vet said it will be sewed shut if I recall but I guess I will find out shortly. I need to ring at 3pm to see when I can bring her home. Yes they said they need to make sure she eating/drinking etc first but she don't really like guinea pig food and only eats it if she feels she has no choice so it is mostly a veg diet so I had to tell them that if she turns her nose up to what they give her it might not nessessarily mean something is wrong it could be just her being fussy. Will have to see.
 
Sorry to hear about your guinea pig :( I think at least you can say you tried and did your best. The rest is up to them. I hope my girl is strong enough to pull through this.
 
Welcome to the forum, sorry it is in sad circumstances.

Make sure the vet gives you some pain killer to give at home for the next week - as any op is painful.

Piggies when they come round after GA are very shakey and act a little 'drunk' o she'll probably want to rest in her hidey - Get some nice veg in to tempt her to eat. We always use watermelon for this (remove any seeds) It is full of moisture and piggies tend to love the taste and pop it by her.

What is her name? Sending her lots of love
 
Hi and thank you. Her name is Willow :) I have rang to see when I can collect and they said to come at 5 as currently still quite woozy but she has ate some Apple and carrot but they would like her to eat a bit more to be sure. I'm a bit worried about the eye being sewn shut if that is the case as it seems from what I have read on forum that leaving open to heal inside out is good practice. This worries me if sewn up would affect the healing process? Is it likely she may be given antibiotics too as I have read they need probiotic if so? Thanks
 
pigcorn said:
Hi and thank you. Her name is Willow :) I have rang to see when I can collect and they said to come at 5 as currently still quite woozy but she has ate some Apple and carrot but they would like her to eat a bit more to be sure. I'm a bit worried about the eye being sewn shut if that is the case as it seems from what I have read on forum that leaving open to heal inside out is good practice. This worries me if sewn up would affect the healing process? Is it likely she may be given antibiotics too as I have read they need probiotic if so? Thanks
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What a pretty name.

I am unsure on this to be honest on sewing shut or leaving open. I think it depends on the vet. Please ask about pain killers for home though as she'll need some tomorrow. It is normally metacam they give.

I would expect AB's and would ask the vet about these, they are routine often after surgery. Probiotics can be helpful or you can use poop soup made with the poo of a healthy piggy.

Are you from the UK? Can you update your profile with your location.

There will be members on all night of the forum to chat to, we're all here to help support you through this.

Lee
 
Hi
My old boy George had to have an eye removed after an eye poke and I was terrible! I sat up all that night with him (I collected him the same day) making sure he was okay, but it really wasn't necessary- all he wanted to do was be left alone to sleep. They stitched it closed with the socket packed with gauze with a bit hanging out that they removed by pulling it out 10 days later- it looked gross but he coped fine- and was on antibiotics and painkillers for 2 weeks.
The next day he was almost back to his old self- eating and drinking fine (I did give a little probiotic but he would have probably been fine as he kept eating and pooping and eating poop)
Nearly 2 years later and it's healed super. He does get a bit of fluid in his socket that needs draining every now and then but it's clear and nothing to worry about.
Hope Willow feels better soon x
 
Post Op care is all about keeping the comfortable (pain meds) and getting them eating. Try favourite foods and you can syringe feed if needed... There's a great guide on here somewhere... I always leave the boys at the vet with food they like (veggies and pellets) because they are fussy and I have had them kept in because they weren't eating, not because they were ill post-op, they just didn't like the food! I know now so they always go with a packed lunch :)

The reasons for leaving the eye socket open or not might depend on the reason for the operation, with infection it might be better open to let it drain and reduce the chance of further infection. For other reasons it might be shut. it will depend on the vet too.

Hope Willow recovers well, there's a good chance she will. Just keep her safe and warm, give her peace and quiet to come back to herself and tempt her with things she likes to eat. pain relief is important as any Op is sore as Sport_billy said. Piggies hide pain very well so even if she looks a fine then pain killers for a few days won't do any harm. She might come home with antibiotics too, to prevent infection. These can play havoc with guts so using poop soup or pro-biotics is really important to keep her guts doing the right thing.

Good luck to both of you :)
 
It depends if it was an abscess or not, has the vet confirmed it was a tumour? my Tim had his eye removed a couple of weeks ago and he had a retrobulbar abscess behind the eye. The wound was then left open and flushed daily by @furryfriends (TEAS) who he was staying with after the op. He came home on pain relief too. He was fairly bright that night as once the pressure behind the eye was removed he wasn't in as much pain but the Metacam would have helped to keep him comfortable.
 
Hi everyone,

No confirmation just that there was no sign of puss or actual infection and the tissue that she saw is what makes her feel a tumour. She was given an injection earlier-Metacam. To take home given meloxidyl to give one drop once day? Is this ad common medication? No antibiotics. I asked but I never saw the vet when I collected her only spoke on phone earlier after surgery and lady I saw while collecting wasn't sure about antibiotics and only passing onto me what told to give. Willow was eating soon as she got home. Is still eating now. Some cucumber. She mentioned to try her on Apple/carrot baby food too. She is quite alert just seems to have embraced it. We are to go back Thursday for check up. Bless. Thanks for advise :)
 
How is Tim now? Has he got used to losing the eye?
 
If they are confident there is no infection then I wouldn't worry about antibiotics. Just keep an look out for signs of infection like with any wound (swelling, redness, pain and heat) and go back sooner than Thursday if you are not happy with how things are.

As long as she's eating and happy then that's ok.

Meloxidyl is just another trade name for Meloxicam, the same drug as Metacam. If he still seems like he is uncomfortable then speak to the vet about increasing the dose for a day or two but otherwise go with what's recommended. If she's got another 12 months it won't be aproblem to kidenys etc to use higher doses if needed.

Piggies have pretty poor eyesight anyway so she should get used to it pretty quickly, just try not to approach her from that side where she can't see you....
 
pigcorn said:
Hi everyone,

No confirmation just that there was no sign of puss or actual infection and the tissue that she saw is what makes her feel a tumour. She was given an injection earlier-Metacam. To take home given meloxidyl to give one drop once day? Is this ad common medication? No antibiotics. I asked but I never saw the vet when I collected her only spoke on phone earlier after surgery and lady I saw while collecting wasn't sure about antibiotics and only passing onto me what told to give. Willow was eating soon as she got home. Is still eating now. Some cucumber. She mentioned to try her on Apple/carrot baby food too. She is quite alert just seems to have embraced it. We are to go back Thursday for check up. Bless. Thanks for advise :)
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I've given baby food to other poorly pigs in the past, but found that wet nuggets work just as well- my lot love it when I have to give them soggy nuggets- lazy piggies don't like to chew!

And George has coped with the loss of his eye very well- he just keeps to the wall when he's having floor time or climbing the stairs and I have to be careful not to approach him on his blind side.
 
Keep us updated, any issues ring your vet. But hopefully a speedy recovery is on the way for Willow x
 
I will do keep you updated :)

She is currently under a blanket where she has practically been since she came home. She loves being under a blanket but she won't make any effort to actually go and get food and has pretty much been in the same spot so think she must be tired or comfortable maybe as I have been taking the food to her and she is eating it no problem. I have offered her water which she is refusing although she considered it at one point then changed her mind. It is more eating. Not many poops as she normally would do by now just a few but I will see how she is tomorrow with that. The painkiller came with a syringe but the lady said to just squeeze a drop directly into mouth from bottle. I'm thinking a syringe maybe easier? I hope either way I get some in her.

I'm glad George has coped well :) how old is he? I will buy a jar of baby food tomorrow and see what she thinks. She has snubbed her dry guinea food but I did expect that. I will try and mush it up though tomorrow but overall her eating is good. Just need to get her drinking some more really.
 
pigcorn said:
How is Tim now? Has he got used to losing the eye?
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It's only been 3 weeks but so far so good, he came home on Saturday and is charging about and shouting plus has managed to navigate his way up and down his ramp at breakneck speed like he used to.
 
Haha he sounds funny :) but good news he is on the mend. No mention of dose in a syringe nor nothing on a bottle. I will try and see if I can get a drop in her mouth but I feel it might be tricky so I may end up calling the vet in morning for a dose amount in syringe.
 
If she will eat cucumber you could put the drop on that. That would be ok for tonight but if you could get the syringe dose in the morning that would be good.
 
pigcorn said:
I will do keep you updated :)

She is currently under a blanket where she has practically been since she came home. She loves being under a blanket but she won't make any effort to actually go and get food and has pretty much been in the same spot so think she must be tired or comfortable maybe as I have been taking the food to her and she is eating it no problem. I have offered her water which she is refusing although she considered it at one point then changed her mind. It is more eating. Not many poops as she normally would do by now just a few but I will see how she is tomorrow with that. The painkiller came with a syringe but the lady said to just squeeze a drop directly into mouth from bottle. I'm thinking a syringe maybe easier? I hope either way I get some in her.

I'm glad George has coped well :) how old is he? I will buy a jar of baby food tomorrow and see what she thinks. She has snubbed her dry guinea food but I did expect that. I will try and mush it up though tomorrow but overall her eating is good. Just need to get her drinking some more really.
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My gorgeous boy is (we think) about 5, so he was 3ish when he had his op.
I used the Ella's kitchen sachets in carrot flavour - syringe feeding that was a messy experience! I think I ended up using a spoon in the end.
 
Thanks for advice. I put a drop on her cucumber this morning and she ate it so will need to ring vet later for amount in a syringe. She is eating so well but unless she went and got some during the night while I was asleep she still refusing water so not seen her drink personally yet. I wasn't sure what to do so for now I put some water on her cucumbers and see what vet thinks. Otherwise she is doing quite well this morning :) , plenty of poops and I think some wees but as she is on fleece/towels it soaks in so hard to monitor that as much. So I will go work as should be home by 3pm.
 
Sounds like she is doing well. You cold always syringe her some fluids once you have a syringe. I would ask the vet for a few so you can have some for feeding if needed too.
 
BertisKing said:
My gorgeous boy is (we think) about 5, so he was 3ish when he had his op.
I used the Ella's kitchen sachets in carrot flavour - syringe feeding that was a messy experience! I think I ended up using a spoon in the end.
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Did he like the food though? I could imagine it would have been messy lol. I may end up eating it myself if it were me though ;-)

Willow finally decided to take some water tonight from her bottle. I guess she couldn't have been that thirsty despite going a good 24 hour without water. She also started wheeking for food when I got home from work, her usual greeting :) and that was nice to hear as she was quiet till then so she going back to her usual self.
 
Its infected I think :( She was doing so well. She went vets Thursday evening for check they were happy. Just checked on her as she was very quiet and it looks all wet around that area and smells. Anything I can do to clean it for now obviously need to get her to a vet
 
Have an appointment at 4 today. She was doing so well :( Off her food now and everything
 
:doh:Oh buggar! Poor Willow! Just when it was looking like she was going to be all right. If it is smelly I would think that it is an infection. Is the socket open or closed over? If its open, I would think that cleaning it with cotton buds dipped in salt water would be okay. But yes, take her back to the Vet. Hope you can get it sorted this time. Best of luck. :tu::tu::tu:
 
Sorry to hear that Willow is feeling poorly.

Sending *healing vibes* to her and glad you have managed to get her an appointment with the vet today.

Fingers crossed that they can get her back on track.

Let us know how she gets on xx
 
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