Help Please Ovarian Cysts

[MLC]

I took Poppy to the vets yesterday and was told she had an ovarian cyst and also one on her side which was a cyst on her mammory gland. I was basically told just to bring her back when I wanted her to be put to sleep as operating on Guineas did not work well. She will be three at Christmas and is in good health atm. The cyst near her bottom seems to be growing quite quickly. Obviously I have been researching into this and am willing to travel to one of your recommended vets (about 40miles) but don’t want to put her under unnecessary stress. Has anyone has a successful outcome on this type of operation? Can anyone help please

 

[Veggies Galore]

Here is a link you may be interested in

Information About 'keyhole Surgery' To Treat Ovarian Cysts

 

[Wiebke]

I took Poppy to the vets yesterday and was told she had an ovarian cyst and also one on her side which was a cyst on her mammory gland. I was basically told just to bring her back when I wanted her to be put to sleep as operating on Guineas did not work well. She will be three at Christmas and is in good health atm. The cyst near her bottom seems to be growing quite quickly. Obviously I have been researching into this and am willing to travel to one of your recommended vets (about 40miles) but don’t want to put her under unnecessary stress. Has anyone has a successful outcome on this type of operation? Can anyone help please

Hi! Please find a more experienced vet quickly if you are dealing with a fast growing mammary cyst/tumour!

I have two older sows that have had a successful spay (Cariad aged 4 at just 700g and Iola aged 5 in May) and two sows that were spayed by the rescue I adopted them from (now closed down). I am not the only one on here with a successfuly spayed sow.

Here are our post-op tips. Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[MLC]

Thanks I will check this out. I am worried the cyst will be too big for keyhole surgery.

 

[eileen]

if it is too big it will be taken out via an incision,but under a competent experienced guinea pig savvy vet the risks are much reduced.

 

[MLC]

Ok thanks, the vet wasn’t interested in operating as she said they are very hard to anaesthetise and do not recover well

 

[Beans&Toast]

Sorry but that's not true at all. Obviously I don't know the severity of the issues but this forum has seen lots of sows spayed and coped well. Are you able to find another vet who is experienced with piggies?

Both my older sows were spayed around the age of 5 due to cystic overies which were causing them hormonal problems. Both went amazingly well, it was done with two very small incisions (not key hole surgery) on top of the sows back end if that makes sense. The overies were removed in both pigs and within a few hours of the op they were both doing well.


I hope you can find another vet to help your girl x

 

[Beans&Toast]

Ok thanks, the vet wasn’t interested in operating as she said they are very hard to anaesthetise and do not recover well

I will also add that one of my pigs, Toast, was put under gas anasthetic several times in the space of a year and coped well. Obviously you don't want them under anasthetic if they don't need to be, it can be done safely but really depends on how well the vet understands guinea pigs. Sadly not all vets are experienced with pigs x

 

[MLC]

Thanks, did they actually have lumps or was it the symptoms? All she did was feel them

 

[Beans&Toast]

Thanks, did they actually have lumps or was it the symptoms? All she did was feel them

Beans had lumps and pain when the vet did a physical examination. Before going ahead with the spay for Beans we tried 3 rounds of hormone injections but they didn't do anything, which is why I didn't try them with Toast and when right for the spay.

With Toast, there were no lumps that could be felt but based on the fact that she was getting more and more aggressive when she came into season we went ahead with the spay, which was a good idea as there were cysts on her ovaries.

Have you used the forum vet locator to find a good piggy experienced vet near you?

While every operation comes with its risks, the risks are greatly reduced when it's done by a competent vet, one who has experience of spaying guinea pigs. X

 

[MLC]

I have been checking out the rescue site in my area and they recommend a good vet about forty miles away the same vet is also on this site. I am prepared to do the traveling just didn’t want to stress her if I was just clutching at straws !

 

[Lady Kelly]

Hi and sorry to hear your news. I have successfully had a guinea pig spayed at around 5 years old from ovarian cysts but there are also less invasive options for some pigs but this does depend on the vet.

 

[gizzy]

Hi there sorry your Poppy is having problems,
My vets usually drain overan cysts! That means giving the pig a GA , placing the pig under an X ray whilst inserting a needle to drain the fluid! And in your pigs case working on the mamary cyst at the same time! Luckaly the success rate of the 2 operations is quite high, but finding a good vet would be wise!
Try phoning vets and asking outright if they have experience in this field! A good vet should not mind you asking him questions

 

[MLC]

The vet said the lump would keep growing and probably become ulcerated as it would rub along the ground causing infections (between her back legs)

 

[MLC]

Yes , I had earlier asked another vet at the practice who said they do operations on piggies but I was just trying to keep it together yesterday and the things she was saying didn’t exactly inspire confidence in them!

 

[MLC]

I would like to thank everybody for their quick responses, much appreciated x

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks I will check this out. I am worried the cyst will be too big for keyhole surgery.

All of my sows had standard ops. Keyhole surgery in small pets is only coming in at the cutting edge; most vets are not able to do it. And many people may not be able to afford paying for it.

Iola's cysts were VERY large and one of them had started to adhere to the gut. Cariad had a grossly enlarged fluid filled and pyometric womb as well as cancerous lump in it and some very nasty ovarian cysts.

5 year old Iola with her traditional ovarion cyst operation suture and 6 year old Tesni with her suture from an infected cyst that was sitting very close to her genitalia; they were operated on the same day by a piggy savvy vet in another town. Both have made a full recovery and are still going strong 6 months later!

 

[MLC]

Oh, I am going to try ringing this new vet now thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Cariad's spaying wound in 2013 on the day after the op and 10 days later:

 

[MLC]

Wow that’s a good job she healed really quickly

 

[Wiebke]

I have kept them with at least one companion all the time; Cariad was able to join her bigger group on day 3 after I was happy that she was eating fully and holding her post-op weight.

Iola took a bit longer recovering because of the painful gut adhesion.

Take the time to read through the post-op guide so you know what to expect and are prepared to step in with support care at home; especially with syringe feeding if your piggy is off food. That can make all the difference in some cases.

I would not risk an op with vet who is not confident with small animals unless there is no other choice.

 

[MLC]

Right will do, she has a companion Pippin but Poppy is boss. I have kept sows for over twenty years and never had any problems with this didn’t realise how common a problem it was, must have been very lucky

 

[*kate*]

My Tilly was 5 when she had a general spay. She sailed through the op. I kept her and Hettie separate for a day and then put them back together.

Tilly healed really well and quickly.

 

[MLC]

Hi would she have been quite recovered after a week just I have to go away for a few days in less than two weeks time so they are getting babysat by their grandma which they don’t really like

 

[Wiebke]

Hi would she have been quite recovered after a week just I have to go away for a few days in less than two weeks time so they are getting babysat by their grandma which they don’t really like

If all goes well, yes; although she'll likely still need antibiotics.
If not, then you need somebody more experienced to look after her if she still needs syringe feeding top up.