I just wondered if anyone else had heard of this. Please be aware it is not nice reading. My female guinea 'Poppy'of 4 yrs had large ovarian cysts so my vet spayed her and removed them on Tuesday. She was recovering extremely well and back in cage with her mate who has always been dominated by her. This morning (Friday) we found her and she was dead and literally open from her neck down and her innards were out. The vet inspected her and he said it appeared as if all the outer sutures had been chewn through as the knots were still intact. The inner suture which apparently is one running stitch had also been chewed through. He checked the thread for strength and was unable to break it. Therefore, he feels that either Poppy or her mate must have chewed the sutures. He feels more likely to have been Poppy herself. We are obviously devastated and wonder if anyone has ever heard of such a thing? She was fine last night and not bothering with her stitches at all. I have every faith in my vet and he is as upset as we are.
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Guinea Ripped Her Sutures Out
- Thread starter Millie2
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Hi! I am very sorry. What a nasty fshock for you!
It happens thankfully much more rarely these days with better operation techniques. Most often it happens in the first night after an operation when the drug cocktail runs out, but in very rare cases it can happen later.
A friend of mine lost a piggy because the operation wound would not heal. The discomfort and increasingly necrotic tissue caused the poor piggy to persistently gnaw on the restitched scar because it was unfortunately found to be in the early stages of lymphoma.
Generally, the wound gnawing is self-inflicted, but at stage only if the wound is not healing. What can happen is that a very upset companion is starting to chew on their unexpectedly deceased companion in an desperate attempt to wake it up and make it look much worse.
Hi! I am very sorry. What a nasty fshock for you!
It happens thankfully much more rarely these days with better operation techniques. Most often it happens in the first night after an operation when the drug cocktail runs out, but in very rare cases it can happen later.
A friend of mine lost a piggy because the operation wound would not heal. The discomfort and increasingly necrotic tissue caused the poor piggy to persistently gnaw on the restitched scar because it was unfortunately found to be in the early stages of lymphoma.
Generally, the wound gnawing is self-inflicted, but at stage only if the wound is not healing. What can happen is that a very upset companion is starting to chew on their unexpectedly deceased companion in an desperate attempt to wake it up and make it look much worse.
I think I understand what you are saying. Poppy did not seem at all bothered by her wound but then I guess as things heal they start to itch. Her mate seemed really pleased when we brought her back and is now totally lost. So you think its possible that Poppy had passed away and her mate chewed on her? He did not have any evidence on him and there were no signs of attack on her but I find it hard to believe that an animal would chew through all those stitches without feeling pain and stopping. Basically it was as if someone had taken a stitchripper to her.
How awful- I'm so sorry! I have known animals to pull out stitches due to pain or itching at the site... one of our dogs did a number on the stitches of her hind leg following a cruciate ligament repair and had to be restitched. She definitely ripped/pulled stitches in a way that you would have thought would have been very painful, but it didn't seem to stop her. Healing stitches can be really itchy, and the animal does't understand the damage being done, just like how animals will scratch/chew until raw. It's also possible that she passed away and that her cage-mate chewed/ripped the stitches, as guinea pigs will groom/nuzzle their dead and sometimes do so to the point of doing damage, almost as if they want to wake them up and get too rough. Unfortunately there's probably no way to know for sure, but what an awful thing for you, I'm so sorry for your loss and the traumatic circumstances!
gizzy
Adult Guinea Pig
I feel for you , this has happend to several pigs of mine over the years . All of a sudden you se a gapping big hole
And you feel so frightened that at best it will get infected , at worse the pigs insides will start to come out of the often, very large and ugly wound , but this has never been the case ! Pigs are amazingly resident !
As long as you take the pig back to your vet immediately for re stitching
The worst l have ever experanced is a wound that when it eventualy heals , is untidy and often very untidy . But even the most untidy
Wound eventually heals fully and after a wile you would never know there was a problem
And you feel so frightened that at best it will get infected , at worse the pigs insides will start to come out of the often, very large and ugly wound , but this has never been the case ! Pigs are amazingly resident !
As long as you take the pig back to your vet immediately for re stitching
The worst l have ever experanced is a wound that when it eventualy heals , is untidy and often very untidy . But even the most untidy
Wound eventually heals fully and after a wile you would never know there was a problem
Tinkoz
Junior Guinea Pig
I'm so sorry how dreadful for you all, your poor little girl to go though the op and then that & for you, your family & your vet, sending you all massive hugs,
Popcorn free little poppy over in the long luscious grass over the rainbow bridge may you be forever happy x
Popcorn free little poppy over in the long luscious grass over the rainbow bridge may you be forever happy x
So I guess we were unfortunate in that this happened in the night and her innards did come out? She had bled to death I assume.I feel for you , this has happend to several pigs of mine over the years . All of a sudden you se a gapping big hole
And you feel so frightened that at best it will get infected , at worse the pigs insides will start to come out of the often, very large and ugly wound , but this has never been the case ! Pigs are amazingly resident !
As long as you take the pig back to your vet immediately for re stitching
The worst l have ever experanced is a wound that when it eventualy heals , is untidy and often very untidy . But even the most untidy
Wound eventually heals fully and after a wile you would never know there was a problem
Thank you. I have just been worried that I must have done something wrong. I guess I will never know if she passed and her mate caused this or she done it herself.
Thank you
I really don't think it was anything that you did... it's very hard to keep animals away from stitches. Guinea pigs are too low-to-the-ground to wear the cones that dogs and cats receive. One of mine had stitches on her lower back and diligently tried to rip at them... fortunately they were not in a place that she could reach, but it was definitely not for lack of her trying to reach them with her teeth and hind feet. It's tragic, but not something you did wrong.
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