Neuturing experiences!

[Hollie85]

Hi guys, hope everyone is well.

As I sit here a week and a half after having my two boars neutured waiting for the one that survived to come out of the vets after starting to squeal when he poos, I wish so badly I could turn back the clocks and have not done it!

Many errors on my part I feel which is very hard to come to terms with and forgive myself for and begin to think about enjoying everyday life again.
I'm now extremely paranoid I'm going to lose the other one, I'm not sure I will get through that.

I was wondering if my of you have had any similar experiences with neuturing or surgery/treatment?
I'm feeling pretty alone in this situation.

 

[PigglePuggle]

I'm so sorry you have had a bad neutering experience and lost one of your piggies, but please dont blame yourself- neutering boys is usually a very straightforward operation with minimal risks... sometimes an abscess can form if the surgery wound becomes infected but that is still quite uncommon and usually easily treated.
I wonder if you might be better finding a new vet, although even the best vets cannot minimise all risks from surgery, if something has gone so badly wrong that one piggy died and the other has complications I would be questioning whether the vet has enough guinea pig experience. I hope your surviving boy recovers x

 

[Guineapigsmcr]

Hi Hollie, feel free to message me my neutered boar had complications after his neutering surgery (abscess) (pain when using the toilet), thankfully he has fully recovered now. I hope you and your boar will be ok!

 

[Hollie85]

My surviving boy is on his way to a new vets to get a second opinion from a recommended vets!
Its obviously hard not to blame myself when clearly I chose the wrong vets resulting in the worst possible outcome for my beautiful boy!
it's still hard as we don't know exactly what went wrong it all happened so quick

I'm so sorry you have had a bad neutering experience and lost one of your piggies, but please dont blame yourself- neutering boys is usually a very straightforward operation with minimal risks... sometimes an abscess can form if the surgery wound becomes infected but that is still quite uncommon and usually easily treated.
I wonder if you might be better finding a new vet, although even the best vets cannot minimise all risks from surgery, if something has gone so badly wrong that one piggy died and the other has complications I would be questioning whether the vet has enough guinea pig experience. I hope your surviving boy recovers x

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

On no. I'm so sorry your second piggy is having issues. It maybe something unrelated to the neutering. Hope all goes well at the new vets.

Remember you had them neutered for the very best reason, to improve their lives. You wanted the best for them because you love them. And it is because you love them that you feel guilt. My heart goes out to you. Many years ago I lost a boar post neutering. My regular vet was away so I agreed for the locum vet to carry out the opp. If I could take back that decision I would. I cried so much for days and when I rang up the vets to tell them, I couldn't speak.

You are not alone. Most people in here who have lost pigggies, whatever the circumstances, have blamed themselves to some degree and questioned past decisions. Caring for our wonderful piggies can at times be very very hard. Take care of yourself x

 

[Hollie85]

Thankyou
Its just all the what ifs, could have, should have ect...
He was such a lovely pig and so young
I've learnt to do more research and not just go with your gut but hate that he paid the ultimate price

On no. I'm so sorry your second piggy is having issues. It maybe something unrelated to the neutering. Hope all goes well at the new vets.

Remember you had them neutered for the very best reason, to improve their lives. You wanted the best for them because you love them. And it is because you love them that you feel guilt. My heart goes out to you. Many years ago I lost a boar post neutering. My regular vet was away so I agreed for the locum vet to carry out the opp. If I could take back that decision I would. I cried so much for days and when I rang up the vets to tell them, I couldn't speak.

You are not alone. Most people in here who have lost pigggies, whatever the circumstances, have blamed themselves to some degree and questioned past decisions. Caring for our wonderful piggies can at times be very very hard. Take care of yourself x

 

[Hollie85]

I just can't understand why they would just take it on and not be honest and recommend elsewhere, surely it's not worth the aftermath for few hundred pounds?

On no. I'm so sorry your second piggy is having issues. It maybe something unrelated to the neutering. Hope all goes well at the new vets.

Remember you had them neutered for the very best reason, to improve their lives. You wanted the best for them because you love them. And it is because you love them that you feel guilt. My heart goes out to you. Many years ago I lost a boar post neutering. My regular vet was away so I agreed for the locum vet to carry out the opp. If I could take back that decision I would. I cried so much for days and when I rang up the vets to tell them, I couldn't speak.

You are not alone. Most people in here who have lost pigggies, whatever the circumstances, have blamed themselves to some degree and questioned past decisions. Caring for our wonderful piggies can at times be very very hard. Take care of yourself x

 

[VickiA]

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry that you have lost one boy and that the other is suffering. I'm part of a rescue that has a very active boar neutering programme and we have very rarely encountered any issues post neutering. However, our vets are very experienced in the procedure, give plenty of pain relief and prophylactic antibiotic cover for a week post surgery to help prevent issues with infection/abscesses.

I hope that the new vets are able to give your boy a through examination and help to identify what might be wrong.

Please do not blame yourself in any way for this. You have acted with the best intentions for your boys.

 

[Hollie85]

Thankyou for responding
It appears he has a couple of bladder stones that the other vets didn't pick up from the xray they did
So he's on some meds to hopefully shrink them and pass naturally, he was only operated on 10 days ago so I'm presuming they were already present but the op has made him sorer in that area?

The new vet we've seen has said he's healing well and his surgery sites look good but they've used the old method
So I hope you don't mind me asking but it is helpful for me to know, so you've had no fatalities after neuturing?
What complications have you had?

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry that you have lost one boy and that the other is suffering. I'm part of a rescue that has a very active boar neutering programme and we have very rarely encountered any issues post neutering. However, our vets are very experienced in the procedure, give plenty of pain relief and prophylactic antibiotic cover for a week post surgery to help prevent issues with infection/abscesses.

I hope that the new vets are able to give your boy a through examination and help to identify what might be wrong.

Please do not blame yourself in any way for this. You have acted with the best intentions for your boys.

 

[VickiA]

Thankyou for responding
It appears he has a couple of bladder stones that the other vets didn't pick up from the xray they did
So he's on some meds to hopefully shrink them and pass naturally, he was only operated on 10 days ago so I'm presuming they were already present but the op has made him sorer in that area?

The new vet we've seen has said he's healing well and his surgery sites look good but they've used the old method
So I hope you don't mind me asking but it is helpful for me to know, so you've had no fatalities after neuturing?
What complications have you had?

Can I ask what size are the stones and when did he have an X-ray?
What method has been used? The 2 incisions - one on either side? That’s the one most vets use.
We have lost a couple of piggies over the years. One to anaesthetic complications, one who failed to come round from the surgery and one who did develop an abscess but had underlying health issues that were not identifiable before the operation. But this is against a background of several neutered each month over many years.

 

[Hollie85]

He had an xray last Friday and an ultrasound this morning done by previous vets who couldn't see anything but new vet from looking at xray images done at Old vets said he could see a couple of very small ones so will try the medication and then re examine re xray to see if it's worked!
Yes it was the two incisions but new vet says he does it with one incision it's hard to know what happened with our boy who passed, he came round fine was eating within 2 hours of being home, wasn't himself but obviously he'd just had an operation so I expected that I was just looking for pooing and eating which he was doing that night and the next morning so we were happy and complacent but he went downhill through the day and we went to the emergency vets and his gut had stopped working and they said he was a little more swollen at one side than they felt it should be but i has checked that morning and didn't feel it was, no amount of medication or rescue food would bring him round we were too late

Can I ask what size are the stones and when did he have an X-ray?
What method has been used? The 2 incisions - one on either side? That’s the one most vets use.
We have lost a couple of piggies over the years. One to anaesthetic complications, one who failed to come round from the surgery and one who did develop an abscess but had underlying health issues that were not identifiable before the operation. But this is against a background of several neutered each month over many years.

 

[Posyrose]

I have had four boys neutered and have experienced a lot of heartache, despite using an extremely experienced vet.

The first two were done by a local vet. The first went smoothly and the second caused an abscess which healed quickly.

The second two were performed at different times by an extremely experienced exotics vet who neuters all the local RSPCA boars. Both seemed fine when they came home but deteriorated a few days later. I had an appointment with the vet before the second of these because of my experience and he explained that he'd neutered 40 the previous week or two from RSPCA and had no problems with any of them. I've since spoken to the RSPCA and they said that over the years they could only remember one or two piggies with abscesses resulting from the neutering and no deaths.

So, I have just been incredibly unlucky. It's about 8 years now and I still bitterly regret my decisions but I know I did everything I could have done and had bad luck. So, please don't blame yourself, even if you had gone to the most experienced vet, these things occasionally happen.

 

[Flutterby]

Sending lots of hugs and healing vibes for your other boy. I'm so sorry for your loss. We've had many neutered here and very rarely encounter problems. You trusted your vet, it is them that has let you down, you have done nothing wrong.

 

[Hollie85]

So sorry for your experiences
I know how hard it's been for me, the guilt has crippled me, I should have done more research ect but your experience with an exotics vet has proved that some of us are just extremely unlucky

I really felt alone so your comment has helped me greatly
I hope your enjoying the piggies you have now

 

[Posyrose]

So sorry for your experiences
I know how hard it's been for me, the guilt has crippled me, I should have done more research ect but your experience with an exotics vet has proved that some of us are just extremely unlucky

I really felt alone so your comment has helped me greatly
I hope your enjoying the piggies you have now

I have two lovely (unneutered) boys now, thank you

I'm glad my story helped.

 

[Merab]

Guilt is a natural part of grief. We all experience that feeling when hindsight says maybe we could have done something differently.
You made the best decision you could at the time, with the knowledge you had.
Forgiving yourself is hard so take it a small step at a time.
Each day remind yourself that you did the best you could at the time and that you forgive yourself for what happened. That’s it.
At some point you will realise that you have forgiven yourself.
Hugs