Ovarian Cysts - Treatment?

[Stinklepig]

Mop is very aggressive and moody, and I suspect it's very much hormone related.

Treacle has looked "saddle baggy" for years, and countless vets have ignored me saying that, till one yesterday who suspects she has cysts.

I would like both to have treatment, and spaying is not an option as Treacle is woefully out of condition (no matter how much she eats, she doesn't gain weight) and Mop is also not the youngest pig in the cage. Stupid Hairy died of post op complications from surgery for this last year, and she was a fighting fit two year old.

I've been trying to press my local vet into the HCG injection, but got a call this afternoon from them. The vet in question had never heard of it, but had phoned up a local exotic specialist who apparently had tried it to no avail. Though she mentioned parrots in there somewhere, I was stressed and thinking it was a call about Trembs, so didn't really get the full picture.

Bottom line is they seem unwilling/ unable to treat in that manner.

I was wondering if anyone who's had experience of cysty piggies and this treatment coul help, and maybe even see if their vet would be willing to discuss it with one more local to me?

I know my piggies are doing OK as they are, but if there's a treatment that would improve their quality of life I want it!

 

[Laura-CCC4]

The HCG is also called Chorulon - I wonder if that will help the vets recognise it? I had one 6 year old sow treated with this for a small ovarian cyst, it cleared it up no problem with four separate injections, 0.2ml, four weeks between each dose.

Cystic ovaries are a problem which should cause very little worry on our part, given that injections and even draining has proved effective, but with so many vets still believing that a spay is the only option it's a major crunch point between owners in-the-know and the professionals!

 

[Stinklepig]

The HCG is also called Chorulon - I wonder if that will help the vets recognise it? I had one 6 year old sow treated with this for a small ovarian cyst, it cleared it up no problem with four separate injections, 0.2ml, four weeks between each dose.

It could be the vet I'm currently using just doesn't know - They're still very Baytril obsessive so it's more than possible they're in the dark about hormone treatment. At least they were willing to look into it, even if the source they went to also seems less than clued up!

Cystic ovaries are a problem which should cause very little worry on our part, given that injections and even draining has proved effective, but with so many vets still believing that a spay is the only option it's a major crunch point between owners in-the-know and the professionals!

Last year Stupid Hairy Baby Trembles (born Baby Trembles, but then she showed she was a little daft, and later got very hairy) had the classic signs, hair loss on her sides, crusty nipples, very bad attitude. My usual vet had heard of the hormone injections, but had never thought highly of them - He'd always done a full spay and apparently with no problems. Well, Stupes came home that night, but after being rushed in teh following morning, she didn't come home again The notion was that as she was quite a small piggie, and with quite an odd shape, when he moved her intestines to remove everything they were bruised, which led to pain and more devastatingly systemic poisoning. I have no reason to argue with that, and no reason to suspect the vet was incompetant (even though I really needed someone to blame for all this). So although I agreed at the time an op was the way to go, my opinion has massively changed now.

"Owners in the know" sounds like you've had more than the odd run in with less than expert vets It can be hard going, but I'd far rather my local vet did the injections as they're much cheaper (though seemingly more expensive for surgery, by a long way too) and more importantly on my doorstep so saves a 50 mile round trip with a box of stressed piggies. I'll try the other local one next week (absolutely broke after the last few days, no money for vets till Monday) and see if I can get anywhere. They're a general and farm practice, so may well have the right stuff as I've heard it's used in cattle?

 

[alcesterpigs]

Many sows have ovarian cysts which give no problems, I would leave well alone.

 

[Lucinda]

Rocky has one (confirmed on scan) but I am not doing anything about it.

 

[Stinklepig]

With Mop I'm concerned as I do believe her over active hormones are brining her mood down and the mood of those around her. If a couple of jabs has a chance of changing that then I'm all in favour. Treacle is just so out of condition (all seems to stem back to a major upset last year) that anything that can be done to help get her a bit more on track is worth a try.

If I can get a vet to give the jabs and they do nothing, what have I lost? And if they work, I've gained a lot.

 

[*Dee*]

Hi

I'd just like to say I'm glad I stumbled upon The Guinea Pig Forum as one of my pigs Toosie had started acting grupmy and hormonal, just not her usual self. She would try to kick my hand away when trying to pick her up and she would constantly hound my other little piggy Bubbles. She started losing weight around her top half and I became increasingly worried when she started losing hair. I decided to search on the internet for an explination to the symptoms and found this forum. I took Toosie to the vet and she suspected it was ovarian cysts. Toosie had a scan and this was confirmed, it was only through reading this forum that I had the confidence to ask my vet about the injections, she's had 2 injections now and seems to be getting back to her normal self

Thanks guys xx>>>
x

 

[Laura-CCC4]

That is wonderful, Dee. Welcome to the forum.
I'm very pleased your vet was willing to go with the injections. If only every other vet would listen!