Ovarian cysts – looking for experiences/advice please

[Julezfm39]

It’s quite normal I should think this soon after surgery for her to still be feeling a bit sleepy and not very hungry - I’m sure she’ll have perked up by the morning

Thank you..yes I think I’m just ultra panicky which isn’t helping! I went out to the coop just now and got some bagged salad with baby red chard as they’ve not had that in a while and it did stimulate her to eat a couple of big juicy leaves. She’s eaten a bit of parsley too so I’m hopeful this is a good sign!

 

[Wheekallweek]

Thank you..yes I think I’m just ultra panicky which isn’t helping! I went out to the coop just now and got some bagged salad with baby red chard as they’ve not had that in a while and it did stimulate her to eat a couple of big juicy leaves. She’s eaten a bit of parsley too so I’m hopeful this is a good sign!

That’s brilliant, a really good sign! Good girl Neveah

 

[Julezfm39]

Be patient and allow the natural healing process to run its due course. It's much faster in piggies than in humans but you still cannot hurry it on.

Please take a deep breath and then another one or try block breathing - your precious girl is perfectly OK for this stage post-op. She is alert, is interested in food and her surroundings and that is exactly what you want to see after a major op.

Make sure that you yourself get some rest and respite; the last thing is to hover and broadcast your own anxiety onto your piggies right now.

Whenever you start fretting, try to convert that nervous energy into calming, gentle green healing vibes for your girls. This is the best and most constructive Mindfulness exercise you can do right now that helps both species. And try to get as much sleep for yourself as you can, please.

Thank you I really appreciate this as it’s so hard to gauge whether she’s doing well but she’s eaten some baby red chard and parsley just now. Not huge amounts but she’s bright eyed and has moved around the cage too. I’m really tired and do need some sleep that’s for sure The vet who operated said that her cysts had got a bit larger since he saw her in late September so he had to drain them before removing her ovaries. So this was the best thing for her

 

[Julezfm39]

That’s brilliant, a really good sign! Good girl Neveah

I know it will take time for her fur to grow back but at the moment she has her long flowing hair around her head and shoulder area, and her rear end, but is completely shaven around her tummy and middle! Her Ladyship (Nevaeh) is not impressed

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you..yes I think I’m just ultra panicky which isn’t helping! I went out to the coop just now and got some bagged salad with baby red chard as they’ve not had that in a while and it did stimulate her to eat a couple of big juicy leaves. She’s eaten a bit of parsley too so I’m hopeful this is a good sign!

This is an excellent sign and a signal that you can go to bed now and not worry that she'll deteriorate overnight. Place some of her favourite hay and some more herbs close to her cottage if that helps to settle yourself down.

Your girl could not have a better post-op recovery. Simple as. Only get up and have a quick check if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night but do not set your alarm. It is not needed. That is how confident I am, and I have been through quite a few operations with my piggies over the years.

I know that after you have braced so much for all the worst case scenarios that is it is kind of somewhat really unsettling to be faced with the best case scenario, but that is actually what you are dealing with and what you should try and wrap your head around?

Take heart; and try concentrate to get yourself sorted out so you can really channel positive energy and strength into Nevaeh in the coming days.

 

[Julezfm39]

This is an excellent sign and a signal that you can go to bed now and not worry that she'll deteriorate overnight. Place some of her favourite hay and some more herbs close to her cottage if that helps to settle yourself down.

Your girl could not have a better post-op recovery. Simple as. Only get up and have a quick check if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night but do not set your alarm. It is not needed. That is how confident I am, and I have been through quite a few operations with my piggies over the years.

I know that after you have braced so much for all the worst case scenarios that is it is kind of somewhat really unsettling to be faced with the best case scenario, but that is actually what you are dealing with and what you should try and wrap your head around?

Take heart; and try concentrate to get yourself sorted out so you can really channel positive energy and strength into Nevaeh in the coming days.

Bless you Thank you. I’m sooo tired now so I’ll try and get some sleep

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

I sincerely hope that you have had some much needed sleep and a rest and that Nevaeh is doing OK for 'hangover' day. The day post-op is usually the worst day of recovery because the healing process has not yet really set in.

Thanking of you.

PS: My dinky coronet Cariad was also not impressed with her own emergency spay when her womb went badly wrong; but she also had some very nasty looking smaller ovarian cyst. Despite having had an operation for a fast growing bladder stone just half a year before and being only 700g, she sailed through her own op. I hope that Nevaeh does the same.

Be aware that Nevaeh is going to weigh naturally less due to being minus her ovarian cysts. What you are looking for is any weight loss of over 50g from this morning onward. Ideally she stays stable.

 

[Merab]

Glad all is well.
You could try putting a small dish of the recovery food with some mashed banana added to it in the cage.
My piggies have always loved it and it encourages eating for themselves.
Pickles will undoubtedly help but it doesn’t matter if she eats the recovery food too.

 

[Julezfm39]

@Wiebke @Merab
Thank you both You’ll be delighted to know that Nevaeh has gradually got better with her eating today and is eating happily beside Pickle! I’m going back to the vet for a check-up tomorrow and I have to take Pickle too as he’s limping. I’ve never had a case of bumblefoot before but he has a crusty foot pad. I usually have soft woodshavings and am meticulous about cleaning out wet and pooped on bedding & hay. I put towels down yesterday post-op but Pickle was already walking a bit awkwardly. It’s just become more noticeable because he’s walking on a white towel, so I’ve bathed his foot today. Anyway my vet will see Pickle at the same time as Nevaeh. I’ve had 14 piggies and never experienced bumblefoot if that’s what this is. Good Lord I’m so worn out with everything! I had about 2 hours sleep last night 🫩

 

[Wiebke]

@Wiebke @Merab
You’ll be delighted to know that Nevaeh has gradually got better with her eating today and is eating happily beside Pickle! I’m going back to the vet for a check-up tomorrow and I have to take Pickle too as he’s limping. I’ve never had a case of bumblefoot before but he has a crusty foot pad. I usually have soft woodshavings and am meticulous about cleaning out wet and pooped on bedding & hay. I put towels down yesterday post-op but Pickle was already walking a bit awkwardly. It’s just become more noticeable because he’s walking on a white towel, so I’ve bathed his foot today. Anyway my vet will see Pickle at the same time as Nevaeh. I’ve had 14 piggies and never experienced bumblefoot if that’s what this is. Good Lord I’m so worn out with everything! I had about 2 hours sleep last night 🫩

Great to hear that Nevaeh is recovering well!

Hopefully, the crust under the foot is just a stuck on soft poo (which can happen on any bedding), which you need to soak and then gradually work off with more soaking in between.

All the best for tomorrow. But please make sure that you get enough sleep yourself.

 

[Gadzy]

Just read the whole thread, I’m glad you went ahead with the op and I know the feeling of delaying and putting it off purely because of fear of the worst! How is she doing?

I hope she’s ok

 

[Julezfm39]

Great to hear that Nevaeh is recovering well!

Hopefully, the crust under the foot is just a stuck on soft poo (which can happen on any bedding), which you need to soak and then gradually work off with more soaking in between.

All the best for tomorrow. But please make sure that you get enough sleep yourself.

Nevaeh’s recovery is going very well! The vet was happy with her at the check-up today! Pickle’s foot was a bit sore but not ulcerated. The vet examined him and thought his little leg joint felt slightly swollen. He’s given me pain relief and antibiotics just as a precautionary measure in case there’s an infection. I’m very tired but the great news is that Nevaeh is eating properly again and healing well

 

[Julezfm39]

Just read the whole thread, I’m glad you went ahead with the op and I know the feeling of delaying and putting it off purely because of fear of the worst! How is she doing?

I hope she’s ok

Hi, she’s doing really well thank you! The vet checked her over today and is very pleased with her progress . I’m so happy I faced the fear and got the operation done

 

[Wiebke]

Nevaeh’s recovery is going very well! The vet was happy with her at the check-up today! Pickle’s foot was a bit sore but not ulcerated. The vet examined him and thought his little leg joint felt slightly swollen. He’s given me pain relief and antibiotics just as a precautionary measure in case there’s an infection. I’m very tired but the great news is that Nevaeh is eating properly again and healing well

Great news! What a relief for you.

Now is the time to rest up yourself.

Keep on weighing Nevaeh and Pickle every morning for another week to make sure that everything is OK - and that means holding their weight within the daily band of 30-40g.

If she gains, then that is an absolute bonus but a steady weight while the body is busy knitting scar tissue over the coming two weeks is more normal. Weight usually comes back on its own in its own time in a piggy with a good recovery; no need to push it.

Any sudden loss of over 40-50g from one day to the next in the coming weeks, please step in with extra support feed and contact the vet for a potential complication (infection). It should not happen but it would be good for you to know what to do and what to expect.

However now is the time for you to relax and look after your own body and mind. The biggest hurdle is taken.

 

[Gadzy]

Hi, she’s doing really well thank you! The vet checked her over today and is very pleased with her progress . I’m so happy I faced the fear and got the operation done

Absolutely! Very happy for you. One of my pigs I had to sadly decide to call it a day had what we thought was an ovarian cyst, she didn’t show any issues on flanks etc, but she just stopped eating, an X-ray showed what we thought was a massive cyst which was pushing on things inside. It’s was this big dark patch. Still unsure to this day what it was, but they were in the opinion of a cyst which got so big it was pushing on other stuff inside, she was around 5/6 and decided to PTS. I still to this day arnt entirely sure if it was a cyst, whatever was going on was not good, so to operate on her in that frail state to see what was going on wasn’t what I opted for. I think it was the right choice given what the X-ray showed and a few vets opinions on what it was. It could have been cancer or anything, but the dark shadow on the X-ray was probably fluid filled cyst. It was HUGE. Anyway, happy you went ahead and she’s on the up

 

[Julezfm39]

Absolutely! Very happy for you. One of my pigs I had to sadly decide to call it a day had what we thought was an ovarian cyst, she didn’t show any issues on flanks etc, but she just stopped eating, an X-ray showed what we thought was a massive cyst which was pushing on things inside. It’s was this big dark patch. Still unsure to this day what it was, but they were in the opinion of a cyst which got so big it was pushing on other stuff inside, she was around 5/6 and decided to PTS. I still to this day arnt entirely sure if it was a cyst, whatever was going on was not good, so to operate on her in that frail state to see what was going on wasn’t what I opted for. I think it was the right choice given what the X-ray showed and a few vets opinions on what it was. It could have been cancer or anything, but the dark shadow on the X-ray was probably fluid filled cyst. It was HUGE. Anyway, happy you went ahead and she’s on the up

I’m very sorry for the loss of your piggy That was the right decision for her and she knew how much she was loved. It’s so difficult with these fragile little ones. I was very scared about losing Nevaeh but she’s only 2 and I knew the operation was necessary. The vet said the cysts had grown since he examined her a month ago so it had to be done. She’s just had some more pain meds whilst she continues her recovery, with some yummy parsley