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Maisy - Ovarian cysts

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Monkeynutz

Monkeynutz

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Hi. Not sure if any of you remember, but a short while ago, probably a month or so, Maisy had her first hormone injection for two large cysts on her ovaries.

After the first month, the vet said they had reduced greatly in size and became more 'turgid'.

Two weeks later, which was last week, she x-rayed Maisy and they had gone. I was soo pleased and so was the vet, she did say she had a large bladder and had to shave her slightly in order to do the xray.

She didn't want to see her for 6 months, unless necessary etc.

Yesterday though, Maisy hardly ate anything and just resided to the back of the bendy log in the ball pit. I tried to encourage hay, which she ate a little, but not interested in veg etc.

I woke up today and when I came downstairs, there she was, in the litter tray munching on hay and looked much better. (Oh, she had conjunctivitis last week and had cream for it, but it seems to have cleared now).

I rang to make an appointment anyway and we saw the same vet this evening. She had a feel of Maisy and said that the left cyst had returned. Oh, I was so deflated by that news.

Maisy is the first piggie that this vet has used the hormone injections on, but has been so pleased with her progress.

She gave her another injection (2nd one was 3 weeks ago) and said that she hoped that this would reduce the cyst. If it didn't then we would have to consider other options.

She mentioned spaying her, but would want to make sure that the cyst had gone before doing so. Considering Maisy's age, (possible 5 years), that an operation may be risky. The other thing would be to put her to sleep. Not sure whether these cyst would be cancerous, but they wouldn't know until they operated and sent off a sample of tissue.

Please, please can anyone help me with any advice? Maisy has lost the weight due to the cysts and has been a happy piggier. She's been eating again today, veg, hay, pellets and pooping too.

I just pray and hope that this injection with reduce this cyst again. Why has it come back though, would anyone know?

I love my two soo much, I don't want anything to happen to them, the same as all of us do for our piggies, plus I know they won't live forever, but Maisy seems like a different piggies since these injections, this is just a big fall in the proceedings and I don't know how this is so.

Any advice would be lovely.

Thank you lovely ladies. (Sorry this is long).

Beth xx
 
Bless her, sounds like your trying the very best for your little girl.

Cysts and lumps can return due to th nature of the lumps, if not all of the tissue is gone then it will simply regerate and regrow, (but this is not the case with all of them). I'm no vet (just a nurse) but as far as my knowledge would say is that the hormone injections are to shrink the cysts rather than be able to diminish them all together? But i may be wrong.

As for what to do, I really couldnt say, if shes happy then maybe leave her be? I wouldnt like to say tho. An experienced vet may be able to take a sample of tissue without spaying her. Simply with a little aneasthetic gas (i know anaesthetic sounds scary but its the safest you can be with someone experienced on by watching) they may be able to simply get a sample by ultrasound guidance, though not all vets will be willing to do this. That way you may be able to send a tissue sample off and find out what the cyst is? Just a little thought. But i would totally understand if you wished not to put her through any procedures altogether.

Sounds like your doing a great job. She knows you love her no matter what you decide.

x.
 
Thank you both. :)

Can anyone else shed any further advice or thoughts on this please?

I don't want her to die and I don't want her to really have to go through an op, knowing the risks involved. It's so frustrating that I don't know what to do for the best for her. :(

I will pop on some photos later this evening of her and Dotty, she looks such a sweet little thing, almost like a little tiny bear. When she went back in with Dotty after the appointment, Dotty was rubbing her face against Maisy's and just making the noises they make, never seen that before with them.

She seems a lot brighter since yesterday though and again this morning. :)

So, I'm wondering if hormone injections can be given as and when, but surely they can't be given long term? I just can't understand or know why this left cyst came back.

Any thoughts would be so appreciated. xx
 
Care of elderly small animals with health problems is a really difficult thing. Often we are faced with impossible decisions and it's natural to want to know what the right thing to do is.

With young animals sometimes it can be worth putting them through a lot of pain if the possible outcome is a complete cure and a normal life, particularly when the alternative is euthanasia. I have a 3 legged degu zooming around who is testament to that.

But it gets much more difficult when you have an older pet and a situation where an operation doesn't guarantee a cure or an easy recovery. If it is cancer the op won't cure it (although there is the option of letting her go peacefully under the anaesthetic). Even in the best case scenario she will have a lot of pain initially. That said I wouldn't criticise you if you went for this option.

I think one of the most difficult things is being presented with a situation where we can't fix the problem. Although we would always like a complete cure sometimes managing a condition to give the piggie the best quality of life for the time they have left and knowing that at some point we may have a difficult decision about that quality of life is good enough. I don't myself know about how long hormone treatment can be repeated for - something to discuss with the vet I guess, but it is the pregnancy hormone and wild guinea pigs are pregnant much of the time.

Sorry I don't know if this really helps. I'm a bit upset over Amber myself today. Wishing you the best.

Paula
 
Thank you Paula. Plus I'm saddened to hear about you losing Amber. My thoughts are with you and Priscilla. xx

Maisy seems fine since yesterday, I guess it's just a case of waiting till next week to see whether the cyst has reduced. What to do otherwise, I just don't know. My head is so confused and my heart just aches for Maisy to be okay. I don't think I could put her through an op, given if her age is 4 or 5. I can't be sure.

Life just seems so unfair at times.

She's happy though, eating, her poops seem a little small, then they're okay, so not sure what that is all about......? At the vets yesterday evening she pooped for Wales though.

When we came back with Maisy yesterday and popped her back in with Dotty, they both rubbed each others faces so gently, it was so lovely to see. It was as if Dotty was pleased to see Maisy back.
 
I've been reading some of the 'poops' threads as I believe it may be Maisy's poos that do not seem to be the normal/usual shape.

They are small, sometimes bitty and the odd one is formed, yet some are not properly formed. Seems to be limited too. I've come home for lunch and there isn't many poops from either of the pair.

I've rang the vets, enquiring if it's okay to give Maisy (as I feel they are from her) a probiotic, surely this wouldn't cause any harm?

Following our visit to vets on Monday, she was pooping true and proper on the table at the vets. I saw Dotty's yesterday as she pooped in the hay tray and they will fine too, but where Maisy is sitting, I feel they are from her.

Maybe I should leave out the veg (which they won't like lol), but I'm worried now. I'm not here in the day to see what Maisy is like, seeing as she's the one with the cyst, but she was fine yest, eating etc.

Please can someone shed any light/ advice on this?

Thank you.

Beth xx

Any ideas why her poops should be like this?
 
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