Localised scratching

[Wiebke]

Thank you! I had a cry this morning because I didn't know to do and was late for work because I was trying to make sure Pickle got some food in her. I weighed her this morning and she's lighter than she is normally, but fortunately she's a bit of a chonk anyway. And I have to go through all this with Jasmine soon as well!

Please read our weight guide - it is very precise and specific about weights for the sake of people suffering from anxiety. If Pickle is still eating, then offering an extra bowl of mushed up pellets/recovery and pellet mix twice daily can go quite a way. Only step in with more support measures if needed.

Any overweight in chunky piggies will come off very quickly which is why their initial weight loss is often larger; also keep in mind that the organs taken out account for a little of the weight loss (about 30-100g, depending on how large any ovarian cysts were).

However, in any illness/crisis your first aim is always to slow down and stop any further weight loss while they are not well but don't get bogged down over it and just keep an eye on it as much as possible. I always prefer to weigh my own ill piggies first thing in the morning as that gives me the best notice as to how much they have eaten overnight on their own before I feed breakfast and any additional support whenever that is necessary so they are set up for the day.
As long as Pickle is still a good general weight, then you need not worry badly. Get up half an hour earlier in the morning for the time being in order to allow for that.

 

[Wiebke]

PS: My Hapus was spayed yesterday, too, so I am going through exactly the same myself. she is on loxicom and emeprid (gut stimulant) twice daily for 3 days. She is naturally a bit lighter this morning, too, but as long as she is eating after she's had her painkillers I am just keeping an eye on her and the scales to check that the numbers stay in a reasonable range over the next 2-3 days before the healing process gets fully underway.
Up to 100g weight loss (in large piggies 150g) after a major operation with loss of appetite are within a tolerable and recoverable range. It's just getting your piggy through the first couple of days when the operation cocktail is running out and they feel very churned up and sore.
Here is our post-op care guide again: Tips For Post-operative Care

Here is Hapus' thread: Please keep your fingers crossed for Hapus today!

 

[HeatherW]

PS: My Hapus was spayed yesterday, too, so I am going through exactly the same myself. she is on loxicom and emeprid (gut stimulant) twice daily for 3 days. She is naturally a bit lighter this morning, too, but as long as she is eating after she's had her painkillers I am just keeping an eye on her and the scales to check that the numbers stay in a reasonable range over the next 2-3 days before the healing process gets fully underway.
Up to 100g weight loss (in large piggies 150g) after a major operation with loss of appetite are within a tolerable and recoverable range. It's just getting your piggy through the first couple of days when the operation cocktail is running out and they feel very churned up and sore.
Here is our post-op care guide again: Tips For Post-operative Care

Here is Hapus' thread: Please keep your fingers crossed for Hapus today!

Pickle died this afternoon. The vet said there was nothing we could've done. The stress of surgery was too much, but leaving the cysts wasn't really an option as they were causing her great discomfort. She appears to have passed peacefully on a warm pad and having had pain relief. Both the OH and I have been in tears.

 

[Wiebke]

Pickle died this afternoon. The vet said there was nothing we could've done. The stress of surgery was too much, but leaving the cysts wasn't really an option as they were causing her great discomfort. She appears to have passed peacefully on a warm pad and having had pain relief. Both the OH and I have been in tears.

BIG HUGS

I am ever so sorry!

Please try to find comfort in that you have done your best to give Pickle a chance for a happy, pain-free future. A spaying operation is a major operation, especially when it is an emergency spay for large or cancerous cysts. I lost my first spayed sows in the operation (from a vet mistake), so I feel for you. It always comes as a huge shock and takes some time to make peace with.

Be kind with yourselves in the coming days!

You may find these links here helpful for both humans and piggy company in the coming days and weeks:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[HeatherW]

BIG HUGS

I am ever so sorry!

Please try to find comfort in that you have done your best to give Pickle a chance for a happy, pain-free future. A spaying operation is a major operation, especially when it is an emergency spay for large or cancerous cysts. I lost my first spayed sows in the operation (from a vet mistake), so I feel for you. It always comes as a huge shock and takes some time to make peace with.

Be kind with yourselves in the coming days!

You may find these links here helpful for both humans and piggy company in the coming days and weeks:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Thanks for all the support. I didn't expect to leave the house today and it be the last time I would see her alive. I was afraid we'd lose her due to gut stasis, so in a way, I'm glad it's happened the way it has done. I'm just a little sad that she was in her carrier by herself rather than with Jasmine and Leo.

 

[HeatherW]

I'm going to see what other options there are for Jasmine in the meantime as she had the same issue. I won't let Pickle's death deter me from deciding to have her spayed if that's what's best, but I definitely want to avoid surgery if possible.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for all the support. I didn't expect to leave the house today and it be the last time I would see her alive. I was afraid we'd lose her due to gut stasis, so in a way, I'm glad it's happened the way it has done. I'm just a little sad that she was in her carrier by herself rather than with Jasmine and Leo.

I am so very sorry; try to take comfort that her passing was peaceful and that she wasn't in any major discomfort as her body was gently closing down.

Feelings of guilt and failure as well as soul searching which are normal for the onset of the grieving process are always much stronger when it comes to a failed operation. I have lost several piggies that way, especially in the olden days or after high risk emergency operations, to be familiar with the experience.
The grieving guide will hopefully help both you and your husband with that aspect.

 

[Wiebke]

I'm going to see what other options there are for Jasmine in the meantime as she had the same issue. I won't let Pickle's death deter me from deciding to have her spayed if that's what's best, but I definitely want to avoid surgery if possible.

Inquire into hormone treatment or draining.

It is always so much harder after a loss. I found the first emergency spay (for a womb having gone drastically wrong so there was no alternative) after Fflur's death a very nerve-wracking experience and it took a VERY deep breath to consent to the op!