Guinea Pig After Operation

[Nick B]

Hi Guys, I am new to this site. I got a beautiful little Guinea Pig two weeks ago, I absolutely love him to pieces and do everything I possibly can to care for him as much as possible. A few days ago I noticed yellow discharge coming away from my guinea pig and he was squealing in pain. Without any hesitation I got him straight to the vets to look at him. They said he had an abscess which likely occured at the pet shop when other guinea pigs were bullying him, and that he would need an operation to have it removed. I wanted it done as soon as possible and he had it performed today. The operation went very well, they said that it wasn't as serious as they first thought and it turned out just to be a cyst. Anyway since I have got him home he has just got into his cardboard tube and hardly moved. He is refusing to eat or drink, he has heavy breathing and shaking, usually when you try to stroke him or pick him up he jumps as he is a very nervous pig, but I can stroke him and he doesn't flinch or jump as usual he just sits there. This is very distressing for me, I spoke to an out of hours vet who said that he is probably just in pain and that is why he is the way he is. But I have looked online and not found anything anywhere that says that Guinea Pigs behave this way after surgery. Am I overworrying do you think? I am already planning to ring the vets at 8:30 in the morning to get him seen. He has got stitches so it would make sense for him to be in pain. But doesn't seem right to me with how quiet he is. I thought he would be more active than this. Any advice would be appreciated greatly

 

[babydoll]

Did the vet not give you any pain meds (metacam) to give him?

 

[Stewybus]

Yes I agree with babydoll, were you given any Metacam? Rather than ring the vets at 8.30 could you take him down there for 8.30 or earlier if you think there'll be someone there. If it's a post-op emergency they should see him straightaway. Usually with an op they are often given an intravenous painkiller which should last about 12 hours. Is the breathing laboured when he's lying still.

If he's not eating, please try syringe feeding some mushed up pellets & water too.

@helen105281 or @Wiebke can you please advise.

 

[Nick B]

No they didn't give me any Metacam or anything, they just said to keep an eye on him and to bring him in on Saturday morning to check him over. He was given injections to help with the pain. He has since come out of his tunnel but isn't doing much, he still isn't eating. With regards to his breathing it just looks like he is breathing very fast, he doesn't look like he is struggling to get his breath or anything like that, but it is just very fast rapid breathing

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

A guinea pig should not be like this after an op! It sounds like has a bad reaction to some of the op drugs. Normally, piggies shouldn't be going home that have not come round properly and are not eating. your boy should have had a metacam injection while under GA, so it is not advisable to give him painkillers without speaking to your vet.

Could you please start to hand feed him, little but often to keep the guts going. Mush up some pellets with boiled, cooled water and cut off the narrow tip of a 1 ml syringe just below where it widens. You can get a syringe in a pharmacy if necessary. Also syringe a bit of water to keep him hydrated. It is very likely to be quite a struggle, but every half ml can make a difference.
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

Please see your vets as an emergency first thing in the morning if your boy hasn't picked up.

PS: Could you please tell us where you are located. We have got members from all over the world and our advice in medical matters especially can vary accordingly. Just click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details/location.

 

[helen105281]

Sorry, I only just spotted this, the tag didn't work for some reason. I agree that you need to speak to your vet about ongoing pain relief after the injection has worn off.

Please post again if you have any issues with syringe feeding and you will need to take it slowly as he is so weak.

 

[GPTV]

where about on his body was the cyst?
i would definitely take him back first thing & get him checked out, as the others have said a pain killer would be advisable, as being in pain is probably not helping his healing process.
Would he be tempted with any vegetables, cucumber etc or freshly picked grass, hand feeding strands of hay?

if you dont have access to a syringe this time of night, as an alternative some piggies will eat mushed up nuggets (in boiled water & been cooled down) off of a tea-spoon, saucer or your finger. he really needs to be eating, drinking & pooping to recover.

Good luck & heeling vibes for a speedy recovery, from the girls & I, xx

 

[guineapig-al]

Hi, "NickB", please take him back to the vet, be there before they open, so your piggy is the first problem of the day. Ask questions. Ask them what pain relief they first gave him, ask what the planned course of action is, ask about at home post op care, write it down, ask them to repeat the instructions if necessary. Learn about syringe feeding and hydration, mushed pellets, ask the forum members about probiotics and poop soup (you're going to like that one), give your piggy more lap time than cage time at least for a couple of days. Have hope.
Thanks,
Alexis

 

[Nick B]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your kind advise. Just thought I should update you with what's happened. As you say his behaviour wasn't normal. I knew that very fast and each time I went to check on him I knew I just couldn't leave him suffering in that way, so Immediately I rang the out of hours vet who couldn't of been ruder had she tried. She told us that he is fine, it's normal and that we are just going round in circles with the conversation! Thankfully I knew better than that vet and found a 24 hour vet hospital just 15 minutes from home. So took him straight down at 1 in the morning. They checked him over and told us that he was having problems breathing, and the reason he isnt eating or moving is because he is concentrating 100% on staying alive. The vet gave him a 50/50 chance of survival. They took him in over night. They gave him an x-ray and put him on oxygen immediately. Had an agonizing night waiting. Very little sleep. Anyway the following morning we rang up and the vet said there was a slight improvement. He is managing very well on the oxygen and has been force fed and is eating. We told them that money is not a concern and please do all they can to get him better if they can. He was doing well until they took him off the oxygen, he apparently collapsed and needed to be put straight back on it. It reached last night and we both knew we were going to have to make a decision, The night vet came on shift who had been with him when we brought him in and he said that they had taken him off the oxygen again and was doing a bit better, his breathing wasn't as heavy as the day before and the vet said there was still a small chance he could get better. It could either go two ways, he would start eating and doing what normal guinea pigs do, or he will die. Again we didn't want to give up on him, not until we knew nothing more could be done, so we made the decision to give him one last night and see what happens. Sadly his little heart gave up early this morning and he had a heart attack and passed away. It's difficult to know how to feel. All we wanted was the best for Sammy, our attitude was that if they can get him better then we will pay for whatever he needs, yet all we ended up doing was paying to extend his life by a day. Which feels cruel, but at the same time we knew we did everything in our power to try to get Sammy better, had we not of done that we always would of questioned it 'did we do the right thing to put him down, he might of survived' at least he went naturally and the vet did everything he could, it was also confirmed that it was very very quick so he wouldn't of been in any pain. The sad fact is we only had him two weeks. But something wasn't right from the start, he was itchy from the start which ended up being the cyst, and the vet who has looked after him over the last 24 hours has said that he had an enlarged heart and the operation would of been too much on it, so either way he would of passed away sooner or later anyway. Just thought I should update you all, hope you don't think we were cruel to keep him alive, and understand we just wanted the best for our dear little sammy.

 

[katanamoon]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear about Sammy. But, at least he had a loving home from the minute he came into your life and everything you did was for him. Popcorn free little one xx

 

[piggyfan]

I am so sorry you lost poor Sammy. You did all you could so please do not feel guilty. You are clearly very loving and caring. Poor Sammy was very unwell from when you got him. I really am sorry.

 

[Midge&Panda]

So very sorry to read this. Popcorn free little one. x

 

[George pig]

Very sad you lost him, you were a caring owner . I know how you feel as I lost my guinea during an operation recently. You did everything you could for him.

 

[helen105281]

I'm so sorry. Sadly heart conditions are very common and it does make having an anaesthetic even more risky. Night night little man.