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Jess ☹️Again ☹️

alpacasqueak

alpacasqueak

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Freaking out so would just like some opinions from people with older sows to calm myself down a little.
Got her out for a cuddle a little while ago and she’s bleeding a little from her bits ☹️She had a slightly crusty nipple a few weeks ago but no other symptoms, I’ve now noticed her hair has thinned on her tummy, only a tiny bit but bad timing. Possibly from overgrooming but am thinking the worst.
She had the same symptoms when she was around 3, she’s 7 in a month, was all cleared up after a few days of antibiotics. But we didn’t have thinning hair then. Crusty nipple went after a few days of cleans and creams.
She’s in at the local vets Wednesday morning, the lovely vet I trust off til then and I really don’t trust the others as such a fight for anything but baytril. She’s not lost weight, eating really well so I’m not too scared about leaving her til then but with my seizures atm (and my stonking black eye after my fit on tues) I’m worried to try and get to Cat and Rabbit as I’ll be alone.
She really didn’t cope too well after having her eye out on 17th Oct so I’m terrified of her being put under again even for investigations! Aaargh! Piggies!
Any advice on hormone injections for OAP, less than 800g piggies very much appreciated so I can be prepared! Thanks :)
 
Thanks guys, should have known the crusty nipple was funny for her but she’s been so mellow since the eye out and sleeping more I put it down to her sleeping in her own pee so much. And no crustiness since the little bit of pampering! Really hope not cysts, can’t put her through ops.
Been going so well! She obviously sleeps a lot more these days (especially compared to the other two) but not surprised at her age! No change in her behaviour at all, wouldn’t have even noticed if she wasn’t up at the side of the cage wanting a cuddle from her momma! xx
 
I’m so sorry :( Sadly, there’s a high chance it is cysts with the hair thinning, crusty nipple and bleeding but it doesn’t necessarily mean a spay. Ask your vet about hormone injections if it does turn out to be cysts. Make sure you ask for an ultrasound just to rule out any other reproductive problems due to the blood.

I’ve never had a guinea pig spayed but @Wiebke has and her girls came sailing through the op and I’m sure they were 6 years old.

But try not to worry as it could just be a uti. Fingers crossed xx
 
I’d second having an X-ray or scan to see if there are cysts and/or other reproductive tract issues. I have spayed piggies as old as 5 but in recent years I haven’t ( very sadly) had any very senior ladies. I think all you can do is talk it through with the vet you trust. Big hugs x
 
Thanks @Claire W, just so worried after her eye op that she won’t do too well if had to go through another one. So tiny and didn’t recover too well, she’s stuck at 760-770g and not budging! Really is a tiny, bony girl and not sure she’d survive being ‘knocked out’.
Do they need to be anaesthetised for an ultrasound? If I was holding her she’d stay still as such a soppy little girl, loves her cuddles.
I’d trust Simon at C&R but just judging from her teeny self I don’t think it would end well. 😭
 
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Slightly rubbish pics but she’s just woken up and wants to munch so not too impressed! Just fur’s not quite right. Her lady parts did have a bit of blood on them earlier but not anymore. On light fleece now and can’t see much on there. But the fur loss is a worry, she’s a good pig for over grooming her cagemates and herself so hope it’s just something simple 🤞🤞 xx
 
Thanks, really appreciate any support and advice! x But as usual the baby’s more rational than me, doesn’t know what all this fuss is about!
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She’s just so special to me, really is such an amazing girl. Her and my Pedro the chin (causing trouble at the bridge!) have got big gold medals for being such little fighters (and deserve one for putting up with their stressy mother!) x
 
Good luck to Jess @alpacasqueak . Our piggies never really give us a break to be honest. :soz:

I've had a piggy (Meemee) who was spayed but she was a baby that time. She was bleeding for a couple of days from her lady bits that time. We took her to our local vets and they told us she must be just having her monthly period! 🤦‍♀️ So off we went to a different vets in Wrexham where she got an x-ray and was diagnosed with having an ovarian cyst. She was operated on that same day. She lived till 5 yrs old though and she was our first dental piggy as well, hence we started going to Simon.
 
If it helps you any, I have had 3 five year old sows successfully spayed so far (Iola in 2017 and Morwenna and Mererid last summer in June and September). All had either cysts that would have turned cancerous in later life or fast growing huge non-hormonal fluid filled ovarian cysts.
I am currently saving up to having my now 5 year old Briallen spayed as her ovarian cysts have become rather large.

The oldest piggies that I have had operated on burst cysts were 6 years old, Tesni and then Hafren just a month before her 7 birthday. Both recovered well and died from age related problemssome time later.

Here is more information on ovarian cysts and various treatment options: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
 
Really sorry to hear she's not doing so well. I have no experience of spays or hormone injections, cheese is too old and frail to be spayed and if she was to have hormone injections at the cat and rabbit clinic it would cost £150 every 3 months(as they'd have to order it in especially) . Kim did tell me as long as she wasn't stressing the others out with the constant humping then I could leave her be.I hope you can find a solution for poor jess, I'd definitely ask about the hormone injections.
Sending hugs xx
 
They really don’t @anyar.dris! Thought after Rupert and my Ped I’d get a little bit of a break, then had another one-eyed beast within three weeks! And now she’s scaring me again!
When she had the last problems with bleeding years ago the rubbish vet I got stuck with told me I needed to separate her from Rupert, as that was the problem! They’d been together two years, another four after that and it never happened again! Make up their own rules I think 🤦‍♀

Thanks @Wiebke, it’s good to know you’ve had older sows get through the ops, she’s just so old and tiny I’m not sure she’d get through. As a worried owner but also after her big eye removal surgery in Oct. she struggled so badly after it, I can’t imagine a huge op like a spay would go well for her. I’m hoping if meds don’t help then maybe hormone injections.
Thanks for everyone’s help x
 
alpacasqueak said:
Thanks @Claire W, just so worried after her eye op that she won’t do too well if had to go through another one. So tiny and didn’t recover too well, she’s stuck at 760-770g and not budging! Really is a tiny, bony girl and not sure she’d survive being ‘knocked out’.
Do they need to be anaesthetised for an ultrasound? If I was holding her she’d stay still as such a soppy little girl, loves her cuddles.
I’d trust Simon at C&R but just judging from her teeny self I don’t think it would end well. 😭
[/QUOTE
No she won’t. Ultrasound is a simple non invasive procedure so don’t worry yourself about that x
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No she won’t. Ultrasound is a simple non invasive procedure so don’t worry yourself about that x
 
sending hugs for you and cuddles to Jess, hope it’s something that the vets can treat and sort out quickly x
 
Thanks so much everyone. Haven’t seen any blood since earlier and she’s on light fleece so will keep checking on her. She’s just had some sweet potato and oats with her mates so will keeps everything crossed for weds and hope for a simple solution. Thanks again x
 
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Jess bleeding a tiny bit, managed to get a pic. There’s no obvious blood in the cage, this was how it looked yest, more like a drop of coagulated blood ‘sitting’ in/on her bits.
Glad there’s no gushing (as such). Sorry just thought I’d pop it on as saw it when I just got her out for playtime.
 
Just sending you love and support, I know nothing about sows. Flippin piggies, keep us on our toes and worry us to death. Xx
 
piggieminder said:
Just sending you love and support, I know nothing about sows. Flippin piggies, keep us on our toes and worry us to death. Xx
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Thank you, don’t they just, have just put some pics on their trio thread, ladies getting a bit loopy :doh:Just gone quiet but been a racket and some squaring offs, we seemed to be going so well, wonder if it’s Jess being a bit off or something. Aaargh! Pigs! xx
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
If you do want to come over to Cat and Rabbit Clinic, I can always pick you up from the railway station and drop you back there after. xx
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Thanks so much Debbie, that’s so lovely of you, think I’ll pop her into my nice local vet on weds morning with a pee sample and check it’s not just a UTI and then go from there really. Not sure if I trust them so much with things like hormone injections etc so would much rather see Simon or Kim if that’s going to be the best way forward with her. Thanks again xx
 
Just to update on my Jessie-woo after our vet trip :)
I’ve not really seen any blood since the drop on Saturday, she’s put on even more weight and not bothered at all! (Now 810g, most she’s been for months since her eye op!)
Vet agreed with the ‘hair loss’ looking more like barbering (I’m always by myself so it’s hard to see properly with her old lady wriggling!) and as it’s by the area of dry skin on the side of her nipple we’re putting it down to that for now. More bathing and GGs cream!
When looking through her notes I’d completely forgot that when she had the UTI, (five years ago now!) she also had a slight infection down below, very slight smell and pretty much identical symptoms with the teeny bit of blood etc so we’ve gone for the same we did then. Baytril for a week (as worked perfectly last time) and see how she goes, if no improvement of any worse she’s back in. Got a urine sample so she’s letting me know if anything shows with that, been a few hours and not heard from her so guessing good news.
I’m not a huge fan of baytril a lot of the time but know it worked and she’s not had this problem for years but as so similar to the last time hoping it’ll help. If not then I’ll think about scans/hormones etc but going to try not to worry for now and hope it’s something simple! With her age and everything especially! 7th birthday soon!
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Washing basket piggy this morning and a nice big sample! Aliona went with her for company so could get used to vets a little, Luigi’s been loads with her so stayed at home to chew his bars!
Will keep everyone updated :)
 
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