Long Heat - No Symptoms of Cysts?

[AdamM96]

Hi. First post here, please bare with me

We're first time owners with 2 female piggies, Crumpet and Muffin ( roughly 1.5 and 2 years old respectively)

The older of the 2, and pack leader 'Muffin' has been known to occasionally remain in heat for a fair bit longer than what is apparently normal. This has happened twice in the approx 9 months we've had them. Googling this of course leads down the ovarian cyst route.... however I've got 2 problems/hesitations.

1.) We find that looking up less common piggie behaviours, tends to be like the old joke of humans searching their symptoms on WebMD. I.e every time you research something even slightly unusual, the results all say serious/fatal affliction. If we took them to the vet every time we got paranoid , we'd be spending £500+ a month, every month. (Please dont misunderstand me though, if we have genuine confirmed concern; they would go straight to the vet with money no object)

2.) Muffin displays zero other symptoms of ovarian cysts. She's happy and playful, eats and drinks plenty, urinates and poops easily and in healthy consistent quantities. There's never once been any sludge or blood in any of her poops or urine etc.
She rumbles and slinks around low to the ground, but most of the time she does not actually 'go after' Crumpet or demonstrate any other hormonal behaviour towards her.

At present we think she's been in heat for at least 6 days or so, however she's not overly aggressive towards her adopted daughter Crumpet, only very rarely tries to mount etc.
Crumpet has also been observed semi-frequently choosing to follow/be near muffin, sometimes gently nuzzling her or poking her nose in Muffins ear. Crumpet has also been making noises which match audio file examples of a piggie 'being happy with the company they have'

Long story short, the duration of the heat seems to be the only potential sign of concern; yet there's no other matching behaviour to support a potential issue.

If anyone else had similar scenarios where it ultimately either was or wasnt ovarian cysts , I'd much appreciate hearing how they behaved and see if anything matches.

Many thanks

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

Welcome to the forum. I'm afraid I don't know. I’ll bump and tag your post in the hope that somebody knowledgeable gets back to you.
@Piggies&buns

 

[wheek!guinea]

Hi and !

Your post is very clear so no need to worry about that. It sounds like you are paying close attention to both Muffin and Crumpet, which already puts you in a great place as a first time owner

You are right that looking up guinea pig symptoms online can feel a bit like using WebMD. Everything points to the scariest possibility even when the picture does not really fit. Ovarian cysts can happen, but they usually come with more than one sign.

Typical cyst symptoms often include things like persistent mounting and chasing, hair loss on the sides, obvious hormonal mood swings, or changes in appetite or weight. Not every pig has all of those, but most have at least a couple. The fact that Muffin is eating well, acting normally, not losing hair, and not displaying strong hormonal behavior toward Crumpet is reassuring.

A heat that lasts longer than usual can still fall into the realm of normal variation. Some females have the occasional extended or irregular cycle, especially as they get older. Six days is on the long side, but not unheard of, particularly when everything else is stable.

It is also a positive sign that Crumpet is choosing to stay near Muffin and seems relaxed and affectionate. If Muffin were truly hormonal or uncomfortable, Crumpet would likely keep her distance

A few things you can keep an eye on:

• Any new hair thinning on Muffin’s sides.
• Sudden weight loss or loss of appetite.
• Hard swelling along the abdomen.
• A big increase in mounting, chasing, or frustration.
• Pain signs such as flinching when touched.

If none of that appears and Muffin goes back to her usual cycle soon, it is likely just a one off long heat. You can always ring a cavy savvy vet for advice without going straight in for an appointment, just to describe what you are seeing.

You are doing all the right things by watching carefully and not jumping to the worst case Hopefully Muffin settles back to normal soon. If others share similar experiences, it may help you build a better picture, but nothing you have said sounds alarming on its own.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum..
We do have some dedicated and named health experts who can advise but our normal advice is always to see a vet if you have any concerns.
Hope it’s nothing to worry about.
Crumpet and Muffin are lucky to have such an attentive owner.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I am one of the health experts/staff members, I didn’t see your post or my being tagged sooner (the staff are all volunteers so of course personal matters can limit our availability).

It is normal for sows to often experience a stronger season; On its own rumbling is just a dominance behaviour so there may be nothing in her doing this other than that.
The hormonal cysts, which cause the physical symptoms, generally appear in younger sows from around 2 years of age. However, not all cysts cause the physical signs of crusty nipples and hair loss etc. Some are silent and fluid filled and cause no symptoms until they are large. These cysts are more common in older sows but of course it is impossible for any of us to rule anything out for you.

We can only advise that you do see the vet to have her checked, in case there are cysts starting to form. It’s better to go and have cysts ruled out at this point.

Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)