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Grease Gland surgery

F&G

F&G

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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Location
Scotland
Hi guys,
So...
2 years ago I noticed that my new addition to the family had very infected and impacted grease glad. It got to the point that she needed to have this cleaned under GA. Everything went fine.

We were trying to keep it as clean as possible for the past 2 years, but her grease gland was extremely active and difficult to clean due to the shape of the hole left after the surgery etc. Unfortunately, we got to the point that we had to see the vet again as the glad had closed, was getting bigger and we couldn't clean it or even squeezed it out.

She was on an antibiotic for the past 2 weeks to clear out the infection, but today we were told that we have 2 options:

1. is for her to be pretty much constantly on the antibiotics, which may help the glad to clear out and avoid infection. During this time we would need to monitor her and try to clean it somehow, even though it seems impossible and if it will get bigger, then see again the vet.

2. is to remove completely the gland, together with the grease that's stuck. It means that she won't suffer from it any longer, but she's around 5yrs old, so there is a risk.

We don't know what to do. Any suggestions?
 
F&G said:
Hi guys,
So...
2 years ago I noticed that my new addition to the family had very infected and impacted grease glad. It got to the point that she needed to have this cleaned under GA. Everything went fine.

We were trying to keep it as clean as possible for the past 2 years, but her grease gland was extremely active and difficult to clean due to the shape of the hole left after the surgery etc. Unfortunately, we got to the point that we had to see the vet again as the glad had closed, was getting bigger and we couldn't clean it or even squeezed it out.

She was on an antibiotic for the past 2 weeks to clear out the infection, but today we were told that we have 2 options:

1. is for her to be pretty much constantly on the antibiotics, which may help the glad to clear out and avoid infection. During this time we would need to monitor her and try to clean it somehow, even though it seems impossible and if it will get bigger, then see again the vet.

2. is to remove completely the gland, together with the grease that's stuck. It means that she won't suffer from it any longer, but she's around 5yrs old, so there is a risk.

We don't know what to do. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Hi!

I would recommend to opt for the operation as long as your vet is feeling confident about it - that is a crucial aspect. Piggies can live without a grease gland. I know of piggies where it had to be removed when it turned cancerous. The good news is that the operation site is on the surface and not anywhere near any delicate organs or body parts, so it is a pretty stight forward procdure.

The oldest piggy of my was just a month short of her 7th birthday when she needed a large cyst under observation removing which had gone into overdrive as soon as my specialist vet was fully booked out before their summer holiday and then promptly burst with bleeding while they were away...
Anyway, Hafren did come round well and went to live for several months longer until old age caught up with her. I know of even older piggies that have recovered from more invasive operations. I have had several sows spayed aged 5 years, which is a much more invasive and larger operation. They have all made a full recovery.

Tips For Post-operative Care
 
It's just stuck grease.

Photos from 2 years ago and now.
Should I take the risk?
 

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That does look sore. Good luck and do let us know how it goes. 🤞🏾
 
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I’ve no experience of this, but it does look sore and if your vet is confident then I would opt for surgery, too.
 
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F&G said:
Thank you very much @Wiebke . We'll go for the surgery then.
Click to expand...

That looks so sore - poor mite!

I can only tell you what I would be choosing in your situation; the ultimate decision is always yours.

You can always ask how confident your vet is feeling about operating. They will always tell you that there is a certain risk - you have that with any operation on any living being, including humans, but your vet can also tell you whether the odd are rather positive or not.
 
I know, just wanted to know peoples opinion.. I feel like surgery will be better option, as being on antibiotics won't help her much.
I know there's a risk but I dont want her to suffer.

Thank you for all opinions. I'll let you know how it went.
 
I think in this situation I too would go for the surgery, there's always some risk with any surgical procedure, but if it turns out well I think she will have a much better quality of life long term- can't be much fun for you or her constantly dealing with an infected bunged up bum gland... best of luck x
 
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That looks so sore.... I never knew girls even had a grease gland 😳😳 ... all the best to your piggy
 
Right, so she's finally after the surgery.

Apparently the infection was that big that he had to cut her something else in the area, but obviously my partner forgot the name of it when he picked her up so wee need to watch her closely.

The vet decided to place the stitches only outside as its lower risk on infection but we need to keep an eye on her in case she wants to remove them somehow.

All day and today's night she was like on drugs but slowly coming back to normal.. I'm trying to encourage her to eat and drink. She also got an antibiotic for 3 weeks.

Fingers crossed everything will be fine.
 

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Glad the op went well. Hope she starts feeling herself soon.
 
Is it normal that she didn't get any analgesic?
 
I note you say you are encouraging her to eat - Is she eating hay for herself? If not then do step in and syringe feed her rather than just encourage by putting veg in front of her.

I would have thought you’d have been given some pain relief to give to her for at least a few days after surgery
 
I haven't seen eating hay but my boyfriend said that she ate some nuggets. We'll see today because for now she's basically sitting in a corner, maybe she's in pain

Forgot, when I gave her the antibiotic she had 2 bites of lettuce.
 
I called the vet and they gave her analgesic in injection that last 48h but if shes in pain I should call them again.

Do I need to get special food for the syringe?
 
You’ll have to step in with syringe feeding as she needs the fibre. Have a read of the link that’s been put above. For now you can use mushed pellets if you have nothing in. I would ring the vet today and ask to see if they’ll prescribe some pain meds
 
F&G said:
I called the vet and they gave her analgesic in injection that last 48h but if shes in pain I should call them again.

Do I need to get special food for the syringe?
Click to expand...

It depends what pain meds she was given and how much. Piggies process pain meds quickly and when you dose metacam yourself at home it’s done twice a day due to this.

You can syringe feed her own normal nuggets mushed up or a special recovery food called critical care which you can get online. Their own nuggets mushed up are often favoured as the taste is familiar. The guides I linked in my previous reply explain how to do it.
 
Tank you, hopefully I won't need to do it..

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
 
ooo poor thing... that looks painful.. i hope she makes a speedy recovery x
 
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We started to feed her by syringe and give her prebiotics. She tried to have some nuggets but it looks like she want but cant. The same is with veg and fruits, she has a bite and that's it. She keeps sitting in the corner- we watch her closely.

Is there any specific guy stimulant we can reccomend our vet to prescribe her? Also, I still don't know what he had to remove together with the infection, would it be possible to be her tail bone?
 
How much probiotics is she taking on in 24 hours? As she’s not eating you need to be aiming for 40-60ml in 24 hours. How is her weight?

As for gut stimulant, have a search here. I think it’s metoclopramide that’s mentioned. Though I’d think the vet would know which to give.
 
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My bad, it's not probiotic as he couldn't get it. Its guinea pig solution with vitamin C. She's 820g.

This morning when she realised that I am mixing her nuggets solution, she went to eat some veg and a few pieces hay, haha :) so I can see the improvement.
 
Definitely keep up with the syringe feeding until she is eating more than just a few pieces of hay but it’s definitely a good sign that she is showing interest in eating!
 
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