Kat190
Junior Guinea Pig
My Guinea Pig has two ovarian cysts and is scheduled a spay operation in just over a week. I'm extremely nervous for her and am in need of advice for the aftercare. Thanks.
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Guinea Pig Spay Aftercare? What To Expect?
- Thread starter Kat190
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twiams
Adult Guinea Pig
She’s going to really need some close monitoring, and if possible some white towels as bedding, something that will show up any discharge or blood and that you can change regularly. Heat pads or warm not hot bottles of water (should be checked regularly for temp as they can quickly become cold and have the opposite effect) are a good idea to have around. I’d recommend a smaller cage area if possible to try and reduce movement which should help healing and recovery.
Also it’s important to get them eating as soon as possible after the op to help against gut stasis. The nurse who discharges your piggy should tell you if they’ve attempted syringe feeding, and in some cases some vets will not send an animal home until it’s started to syringe feed well and they’re happy. Also adding extra vitamin C to the diet can be useful.
Another thing that is important is to monitor weight of your piggy, preferably daily as it can change fairly quickly and it’s a good indicator of health and recovery.
Then it’s just simple things like if you are handling your piggy be mindful of where the incision is and be careful as the area will be tender.
If you are worried about anything i would contact your vet right away, even if it’s something small, it’s much better to ask someone or just get some advice, thats what they are there for and most vets encourage you come back as soon as possible at even the slightest worry.
Good luck to you and your piggy, hope all goes well
Also it’s important to get them eating as soon as possible after the op to help against gut stasis. The nurse who discharges your piggy should tell you if they’ve attempted syringe feeding, and in some cases some vets will not send an animal home until it’s started to syringe feed well and they’re happy. Also adding extra vitamin C to the diet can be useful.
Another thing that is important is to monitor weight of your piggy, preferably daily as it can change fairly quickly and it’s a good indicator of health and recovery.
Then it’s just simple things like if you are handling your piggy be mindful of where the incision is and be careful as the area will be tender.
If you are worried about anything i would contact your vet right away, even if it’s something small, it’s much better to ask someone or just get some advice, thats what they are there for and most vets encourage you come back as soon as possible at even the slightest worry.
Good luck to you and your piggy, hope all goes well
Kat190
Junior Guinea Pig
Thank you SO much that's very helpful. I'm really worried that if I pick her up I'll hurt her, is that likely? And I'm getting a load of white towels this week.
Please make sure that your piggy is eating; if necessary hand feed through the night and the next day until she is eating fully by herself. Please check on her over at least once or twice during the course of the first night even if she is eating normally. You won't need to give any meds during the first night (as she's got all that during the op), but ask your vet for some metacam (painkiller) and how soon you can give how much.
In rare cases, guinea pigs can gnaw on their fresh operation wounds. In that case, you need to see an out-of-hours emergency vet asap (your vet receptionist can give you the contact number and address). A little bit of bloody spotting is fairly common during the first post op hours, but it shouldn't be more than that.
Please handle her carefully and don't put any pressure on her belly for the first week. The body will take 2-3 days to settle down after a major op, but the wound should heal within 10-14 days. Weigh daily to make sure that she is eating enough. A sudden loss of appetite/weight during the healing time can indicate an infection, so please have her seen immediately if that is the case.
For hand feeding, you can mush up pellets or feed recovery food (vet should have some), also add some probiotics as your girl will be on antibiotics. Cut the narrow tip off a 1ml syringe (ask your vet for one), just in front of the black plunger. To keep the weight, a piggy needs to eat the equivalent of 120ml in solids or recovery food in small portions over the course of 24 hours. Getting it into a piggy off food can be a bit of a struggle, but every bit helps so please persist! Don't forget to off your girl some water in a syringe with every feed, as much as she will drink. Always try fresh greens first (fresh herbs or scissor cut grass go down best) to encourage her to eat on her own.
Here is more info on post-op care and hand feeding:
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
My 5 year old/700g Cariad made through an emergency spay in May with flying colours and didn't lose any weight at all (except for the lost body parts), but I was lucky to have an excellent vet. Cariad was found to have a grossly enlarged, fluid and lump filled borderline pyometric (infectious) womb as well as some rather nasty looking cysts. She's still with me! She started eating by herself at about 3am halfway through the night.
I moved Cariad back in with the elderlies group once Cariad was eating well and was back to her normal self after 2-3 days.
In rare cases, guinea pigs can gnaw on their fresh operation wounds. In that case, you need to see an out-of-hours emergency vet asap (your vet receptionist can give you the contact number and address). A little bit of bloody spotting is fairly common during the first post op hours, but it shouldn't be more than that.
Please handle her carefully and don't put any pressure on her belly for the first week. The body will take 2-3 days to settle down after a major op, but the wound should heal within 10-14 days. Weigh daily to make sure that she is eating enough. A sudden loss of appetite/weight during the healing time can indicate an infection, so please have her seen immediately if that is the case.
For hand feeding, you can mush up pellets or feed recovery food (vet should have some), also add some probiotics as your girl will be on antibiotics. Cut the narrow tip off a 1ml syringe (ask your vet for one), just in front of the black plunger. To keep the weight, a piggy needs to eat the equivalent of 120ml in solids or recovery food in small portions over the course of 24 hours. Getting it into a piggy off food can be a bit of a struggle, but every bit helps so please persist! Don't forget to off your girl some water in a syringe with every feed, as much as she will drink. Always try fresh greens first (fresh herbs or scissor cut grass go down best) to encourage her to eat on her own.
Here is more info on post-op care and hand feeding:
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
My 5 year old/700g Cariad made through an emergency spay in May with flying colours and didn't lose any weight at all (except for the lost body parts), but I was lucky to have an excellent vet. Cariad was found to have a grossly enlarged, fluid and lump filled borderline pyometric (infectious) womb as well as some rather nasty looking cysts. She's still with me! She started eating by herself at about 3am halfway through the night.
I moved Cariad back in with the elderlies group once Cariad was eating well and was back to her normal self after 2-3 days.
Kat190
Junior Guinea Pig
Thank you for all that info, really puts my mind at rest. She's seeing a brilliant vet who is very experienced in Guinea Pigs and said she's had to remove cysts almost as big as conkers before without a problem. I'm going to take into account everything you said and hopefully things will be okay.
WDMMBT
Junior Guinea Pig
My sow, Mop, always went through an emergency spay after developing two huge ovarian cysts. She didn't seem to have any trouble after the operation.
I hope it all goes well for you and your guinea-pig. Me and mine will be sending healing wheeks her way after her op and I hope she recovers quickly
I hope it all goes well for you and your guinea-pig. Me and mine will be sending healing wheeks her way after her op and I hope she recovers quickly
GuineaGuy
Junior Guinea Pig
Our Piglet was spayed about a month ago, also for Ovarian Cysts.
We opted for her to stay in overnight with the vets so they could ensure that she was eating through the night and everything was ok - if this is an option it could be worth exploring.
She was very delicate on her belly, but despite this, she still gave us the run around when we had to get her out to give her meds!
We opted for her to stay in overnight with the vets so they could ensure that she was eating through the night and everything was ok - if this is an option it could be worth exploring.
She was very delicate on her belly, but despite this, she still gave us the run around when we had to get her out to give her meds!
Kat190
Junior Guinea Pig
Thank you both, guineaguy I was considering that actually as the vet did mention the possibility off her staying overnight. I think I'll suggest it when we go back there.
Abi_nurse
Adult Guinea Pig
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Most people have it covered here but i thought i would add a little in. Here's a few things to think about/consider.
- can take up to a couple of days for drugs to get out the system, so you may find your girly is a little drowsy, unsteady or not herself for this time. But as always best to keep a close eye on her.
- keeping her warm during the evening after the surgery is very important, often animals (even more so small furries) struggle to regulate their temperature while being less mobile
- keep the wound clean and dry as possible. for 10-14 days (or ideally until fully healed), its best to keep them housed on fleece, vetbed or just plain newspaper (paper may need to be changed very regularly if soiled). You can bathe the wound in saltwater, but if being kept clean then there is no need. Offer hay in a bowl or rack to try and keep the run as tidy of hay as possible.
- make sure she is eating and pooping. It can take a few days for post op piggies to start to feel better enough to eat, you will need to syringe feed her every 4 hours ideally while she isn't eating. It may take a few hours for her to begin to pass pellets.
- make sure she has pain relief to go home with, this is vitally important as they do not show us pain and it can slow down healing/recovery and stop piggies eating.
Good luck, feel free to ask for help.
xx.
- can take up to a couple of days for drugs to get out the system, so you may find your girly is a little drowsy, unsteady or not herself for this time. But as always best to keep a close eye on her.
- keeping her warm during the evening after the surgery is very important, often animals (even more so small furries) struggle to regulate their temperature while being less mobile
- keep the wound clean and dry as possible. for 10-14 days (or ideally until fully healed), its best to keep them housed on fleece, vetbed or just plain newspaper (paper may need to be changed very regularly if soiled). You can bathe the wound in saltwater, but if being kept clean then there is no need. Offer hay in a bowl or rack to try and keep the run as tidy of hay as possible.
- make sure she is eating and pooping. It can take a few days for post op piggies to start to feel better enough to eat, you will need to syringe feed her every 4 hours ideally while she isn't eating. It may take a few hours for her to begin to pass pellets.
- make sure she has pain relief to go home with, this is vitally important as they do not show us pain and it can slow down healing/recovery and stop piggies eating.
Good luck, feel free to ask for help.
xx.
Kat190
Junior Guinea Pig
Thank you for the advice, really appreciated. x
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