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Piggy With Ovarian Cysts

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Adelle

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Hi there, I'm new!

I have 3 sows, one of which has ovarian cysts. She is a ginger abssynian type piggy named Crunchie, shes 5 years approx and was diagnosed around 7 months ago. The cysts are small and arent growing- its the effect it has on her mood thats the problem. Around twice a month, she'll have a 2-3 day spell of being grumpy, rumbling and mounting her cagemates. She becomes very agitated and throws her head in the air repeatedly. She bloats in her abdomen and is picky with her food for around a day or 2. She is generally quieter but doesnt seem in pain when abdomen is palpated. I have a pig savy vet that agrees spaying is too risky at her age and there is no need to drain as cysts are small and arent growing. The implant has drawn a total blank with the research done on them, and a specialist exotic vet i know of also says they are unsuccesful in guineas at making any sort of difference. When she has her "episodes", she is seperated and her cage is on the floor with all her favourite things in (preferred bedding and hidey etc), and has free run of the room with a puppy pad, a hidey and hay in the corner of the room- this is the only way to calm her agitation and she chooses where she wants to settle down. Does anyone have any advice with regards to treatment? Vets tell u alot of things but i think cavvy owners who have actualy gone through it with their pets are better equipped for giving advice! Thank you

Heres my girl x
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Hi and welcome!

What a gorgeous girl indeed! She looks similar to my sanctuary foster Essylt/Jessica.

Could you please add your country, state or (for the UK) your county to your details, so we can adapt any advice to what is available and possible where you are. Just click on your username on the top bar, go to personal details and scroll down to location. We have got members from all over the world, so our advice can differ quite a lot accordingly.

Small ovarian cysts are usually the ones that cause the aggression issues and behavioural changes, not the big ones.

Hopefully, some members with personal experience of hormone treatment or draining can help you with making up your mind. I have had an older sow of mine undergo an emergency spay successfully at only 700g (the womb had gone horribly wrong and she also had a nasty looking ovarian cyst), but it is a major operation and you need to be able to trust your vet, which in my case I thankfully could.

I am moving your thread to the health/illness section where it can be seen by our medical specialists.

On the behaviour side, you are doing what you can, as far as I can see.
 
Thank you for moving it! I have updated my location :) Thank you all for your kind comments, she is fiesty and has alot of attitude! All 3 of my girls have totally different personalities but they all make me laugh! Hopefully i can get some more info.. Feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place with what to do- if anything! Thanks again. Heres my other 2 little ladies: Fudge, 5 years smooth coat and Mallow 6 month old coronet type piggy! All rescues x

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i was going to suggest the hcg injections but i'm thinking your vet probably would have mentioned them to you had they thought it was a good option. usually a course is two or three injections 7-10 days apart, but it does depend on the ovarian cysts. not all are the same so it may not be an option for her.

it's a difficult one. i hope you can work something out :)
 
They hadnt mentioned them exactly but i think they said they do the same as the implant but short term- and the research done on the implant itself has drawn a blank apparantly. Thank you for your reply x
 
Hi there,
Welcome to the friendly furball forum :)
My Ellie had awful problems with reoccurring urinary tract infections &bleeding badly when she pooped. No classic signs of hair loss, crusty nipples, hormonal behavior, etc associated with ovarian cysts.

She had a conscious ultrasound that showed a walnut sized lump that turned out to be an ovarian cyst. The vet said my only option was a spay&at 5yrs old she wouldn't operate because it was too risky.

I suggested the hormone injections, the vet did a bit of research &agreed to the injections. She had 2 jabs 7-10days apart. This was march 2014. She only had 1bleed afterwards The lump shrunk &Ellie improved considerably Then march 2015 she was all puffy &not her usual self. With a big lump protruding from her side. The vet gave her a second round of hcg hormone injections &the lump decreased again. There was no visual sign of it by about a month later.

I would definitely consider the injections as they seem to be low risk compared to surgery & the only side effect was that Ellie squealed like a diva for the actual injection (painful apparently) but was quickly consoled by some nom-noms :luv:
Some members have noticed no difference with the treatment but it was good for Ellie each time.
It would be the cheapest, least invasive option I should imagine to begin with.
@helen105281 @biscandmatt @Elwickcavies can probably help you further as they have all had dealings with the hcg chorulon injections. (actually a cattle hormone, so u may have to sign a disclaimer)
Let us know what u decide.Xx
 
definitely ask about the hcg injections because whilst not a 'cure' as such, they do seem to help and keep the piggy comfortable. and at her age, if a spay isn't an option you feel comfortable with then these may be the best option for her. maisie had one course which kept her symptom free for around six months i think, however some piggies get alot longer than that and even have a second course. at her age, the courses may well see her comfortable the whole of her time left so well worth thinking about. *if* you ever get to a situation where a spay becomes necessary and the only option (as it did with maisie) then you can weigh up the situation again and decide what you feel is best at that time. i was never worried about the actual op with maisie because even though it is invasive, our vets do alot of spays on older piggies, however i was worried about her in terms of aftercare and the toll it would probably have taken at her age. we never got the chance to make a decision as she passed away, but i feel like she knew what was going on and she made the decision to slip away peacefully. x
 
biscandmatt said:
definitely ask about the hcg injections because whilst not a 'cure' as such, they do seem to help and keep the piggy comfortable. and at her age, if a spay isn't an option you feel comfortable with then these may be the best option for her. maisie had one course which kept her symptom free for around six months i think, however some piggies get alot longer than that and even have a second course. at her age, the courses may well see her comfortable the whole of her time left so well worth thinking about. *if* you ever get to a situation where a spay becomes necessary and the only option (as it did with maisie) then you can weigh up the situation again and decide what you feel is best at that time. i was never worried about the actual op with maisie because even though it is invasive, our vets do alot of spays on older piggies, however i was worried about her in terms of aftercare and the toll it would probably have taken at her age. we never got the chance to make a decision as she passed away, but i feel like she knew what was going on and she made the decision to slip away peacefully. x
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Thank you for that. I'll definately speak to my vet about it. My vet and i both agree she isnt in pain so pain relief wouldnt do any good. But she certainly isnt happy during her episodes and becomes very agitated, angry and unsettled- its horrible to see. She constantly throws her head up in the air and side to side- almost like the human equivalent of screaming and throwing your fists! My nearest specialist in exotics and furries has recently retired but my current vet is keeping in contact with him about her case- although he just keeps saying "spey or drain!". I dont know if I'm just being a wimp about it with regards to the op.. I hate the thought of losing her just to stop a few grumpy days as the cysts arent large or growing or near bursting. Sorry to hear about your little one xx its never easy.
 
Adelle said:
Thank you for that. I'll definately speak to my vet about it. My vet and i both agree she isnt in pain so pain relief wouldnt do any good. But she certainly isnt happy during her episodes and becomes very agitated, angry and unsettled- its horrible to see. She constantly throws her head up in the air and side to side- almost like the human equivalent of screaming and throwing your fists! My nearest specialist in exotics and furries has recently retired but my current vet is keeping in contact with him about her case- although he just keeps saying "spey or drain!". I dont know if I'm just being a wimp about it with regards to the op.. I hate the thought of losing her just to stop a few grumpy days as the cysts arent large or growing or near bursting. Sorry to hear about your little one xx its never easy.
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thank you. maisie was too tired to fight anymore i think. she was ready to leave and thankfully both o/h and i were able to comfort her as she passed. i still miss her so much. x

you can tell how much you care about her from your first post, so i think just go with your gut instinct on this one. you know her better than anyone else. maybe discuss the hcg injections and if they aren't an option, weigh up whether you think her bad days are causing her enough upset to make a spay worth the risk. it was really tough when we were trying to decide what to do, i remember being so torn about it. i thought maisie would have longer before symptoms returned and i also thought when they did it would just be a case of another course of the hcg injections, so it really threw me when they said a spay was really our only option.

anyway, i think only we worry about the future and the what-if's. piggies tend to live in the moment, so i try my best to focus on the here and now with them and deal with the rest later if/when it happens. alot easier said than done though i know! :)
 
Advice needed please..

On wednesday morning, crunchie had another episode of grumbling/mounting her cagemates and becoming agitated. I done the same routine as always, seperated her, cage on the floor with ramp access to free run of the room. Bur she was quiter than usual and although shes never very happy when she has her episodes, i could tell something was different. That day she passed urine with blood (either in the urine or as well as the urine). Took her to the vets where i was told it was a UTI and given septrin (antibiotic) and loxicom (anti inflamatory pain relief). I was told what i already knew, that ots hard to differentiate between this blood coming from bladder or womb. The next day she had thick yellowy discharge and blood on her vulva with normal urine on the pads under vet beds. I took her back and was told the treatment is the same regardless if its from her ovarian cysts or if its a UTI (shes never had bladder issues and i always watch their calcium intake as means of prevention). I am worried due to the fact she has never had this bleeding in the 6/7 months since she was diagnosed and I'm seriously reconsidering spaying which i had decided against, because this is unfair on her. She has been noticably quieter this time than normal when she has her hormonal episodes, still eating/drinking/peeing/pooing but not as active and not her usual feisty self. I dont want her on antibiotics and NSAIDs long term as I'm just risking her liver and kidneys doing that- and she doesnt tolerate oral meds well at all, which is adding to her stress. There is a specialist coming from the vet hospital on the 29th that I'm going to go ahead and get a more detailed scan, but alot can go wrong in that time. The discharge is reducing after 4 days of antib's but shes still not herself. Any help would be appreciated :ple:

This is what she passed initally before vet trip
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Back of puppy pad
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Oh dear poor little girly :(

My Ellie had some very severe uti's . She was bleeding badly on her last few. She was bleeding very deep red, undiluted looking blood too.

She was too old to even consider a spay. I think maybe u should be discussing with your vet a trial of hcg chorulon hormone injections. These helped Ellie immensely, she had one bleed after the injections but no more uti's or further bleeds.
Its relatively low risk &non invasive &I dont know of any detrimental side effects if they dont work.

I think u should also ask for painkillers if she isn't already on them. She is likely to be in pain if her symptoms are this severe.

I would be concerned about the yellow discharge as this could indicate infection in the bladder or womb etc. I would ask about the possibility of some heavy duty antibiotics if it is an infection. (Baytril will probably not be strong enough.) So a spay may be your only option from here if the antibiotics dont work &it is a bad infection.


Please take her back to the vets or a cavy savvy vet can be found on the vet locator if you're not happy with your usual vet &their drain or spay options &get further investigations carried out to come to a conclusive diagnosis.

The sooner you can take her the better. Please keep us updated &healing vibes for a speedy recovery being sent to your poorly girl

The girls &I xx
 
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GPTV said:
Oh dear poor little girly :(

My Ellie had some very severe uti's . She was bleeding badly on her last few. She was bleeding very deep red, undiluted looking blood too.

She was too old to even consider a spay. I think maybe you should be discussing with your vet a trial of hcg chorulon hormone injections. These helped Ellie immensely, she had one bleed after the injections but no more uti's or further bleeds.

I think you should also ask for painkillers if she isn't already on them. She is likely to be in pain if her symptoms are this severe.

I would be concerned about the yellow discharge as this could indicate infection in the bladder or womb etc. So a spay may be your only option from here.

Please take her back to the vets or a cavy savvy vet can be found on the vet locator if you're not happy with your usual vet &their drain or spay options &get further investigations carried out to come to a conclusive diagnosis.

The sooner you can take her the better. Please keep us updated &healing vibes for a speedy recovery being sent to your poorly girl

The girls &I xx
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Thank you for your reply. The bleeding with the urine has stopped but shes still passing small amounts of the yellowy discharge with blood, sometimes red sometimes old brown blood. It is reducing each day with the antib's, and she is on pain relief. I took her back to vet when the discharge started but i was told treatment was the same. I just dont feel happy this time with the treatment but normally this vet is excellent.
 
I'm glad she is improving :nod: I think I would consider a second opinion on the injections though when she is in better health/no discharge. Ellies first batch of 2 injections lasted about a year. The second batch took her through until the end when I lost her to other health issues at the grand age of approx 8yrs.

If I had another girl in the same situation I would definitely try them again.

Fingers crossed for your girly :luv: xx
 
recurrent uti's and ovarian cysts can often go hand in hand. so she may keep developing them. they may be right that a spay is really her only option now as she's got more symptoms and is in pain, but i would still get a second opinion on the hcg injections first and see where you're at then. if they're completely ruled out then you can focus on the options you do have. x
 
I think i will. Thank you. Do you know if the injections actually help shrink/prevent growth in the cysts and help with discharge etc? Or do they more help with hormone levels?

Thanks again
 
I have had 100% success with pigs that my very has drained, usually 1 draining was sufficient , but occasionally
a second drain was nessessary,
it's is amazing how much fluid come out,
in my collection on stones I have a sample container that contains 30ml of over an cyst fluid

If you don't feel comfortable getting it drained , rather than risk the opp , try and find a vet that
is practised in flank incision , this is a common method of removing the overies in horses , and is
now becoming a recognised method for pigs

I was talking to one a few years ago , and she said as long as the sow was a suitable, candidate , ie
age , length of tubes to ovaries , then it was by far safer, than the standard opp
 
I have had 100% success with pigs that my very has drained, usually 1 draining was sufficient , but occasionally
a second drain was nessessary,
it's is amazing how much fluid come out,
in my collection on stones I have a sample container that contains 30ml of over an cyst fluid

If you don't feel comfortable getting it drained , rather than risk the opp , try and find a vet that
is practised in flank incision , this is a common method of removing the overies in horses , and is
now becoming a recognised method for pigs

I was talking to one a few years ago , and she said as long as the sow was a suitable, candidate , ie
age , length of tubes to ovaries , then it was by far safer, than the standard opp
 
Adelle said:
I think i will. Thank you. Do you know if the injections actually help shrink/prevent growth in the cysts and help with discharge etc? Or do they more help with hormone levels?

Thanks again
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Ellie had a very large protruding lump on her side &the hormone injections reduced it quite quickly. It was a matter of a few weeks &it wasn't noticeable to look at &a slight lump if u just felt for it knowing it was there.

I think its when the small cysts grow is when its at its most painful. Probably when she's thrashing her head around.

Ellie seemed in better condition after the injections, her coat had a lovely shine to it again, whereas before it looked a bit dry &she would be often puffed up a bit which was a sign of pain.

Xx
 
Thank you all for your help, it really is appreciated. Crunchie has gone from strength to strength, i tried her without her loxicom (anti inflammatory pain relief) this morning and she is even brighter tonight. Abdomen is back to normal, shes eating and pooing like a good'un and is extra cheeky today. Urine is clear and no discharge since last night. After your experiences with the hormone injections i am going to take this further with my vet- she is booked in on the 29th for an ultrasound with a diagnostic imaging specialist from The Small Animal Hospital at Glasgow Vet School, hopefully things stay settled until then, and il then discuss the injections with my vet after we see her scan results. Its definately a good idea to try these before risking an op- if it doesnt work il reconsider but if it does and she gets a year? I'll be delighted with that as will she. Fingers crossed for us and thank you for all your healing vibes- they have clearly done the trick.

Much love from me and my 3 little ladies xx
 
So Crunchie had her scan today, she has several small cysts, almost resembling a bunch or grapes, and has an enlarged womb. The good news is the cysts are follicle cysts and not serrous cysts- follicle cysts are the only one that has a chance of reducing with hormone therapy. She had her first injection of gonadotrophin releasing hormone and another in 2 weeks time. They couldnt get the human one HCG as supplier was out. Her injection site is fine. She was very quiet when we got home but has since ate veg (half her usual portion as she ignored the rest), and is looking a little brighter. Pooing more than recently too. Hopefully this works and she goes on the right track. Had an email from previous owner, turns out Crunchie was 1 when i adopted her and is now 4- not 5.5 years old! Thanks for all the help x
 
Adelle said:
So Crunchie had her scan today, she has several small cysts, almost resembling a bunch or grapes, and has an enlarged womb. The good news is the cysts are follicle cysts and not serrous cysts- follicle cysts are the only one that has a chance of reducing with hormone therapy. She had her first injection of gonadotrophin releasing hormone and another in 2 weeks time. They couldnt get the human one HCG as supplier was out. Her injection site is fine. She was very quiet when we got home but has since ate veg (half her usual portion as she ignored the rest), and is looking a little brighter. Pooing more than recently too. Hopefully this works and she goes on the right track. Had an email from previous owner, turns out Crunchie was 1 when i adopted her and is now 4- not 5.5 years old! Thanks for all the help x
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fingers crossed the injections help :)
 
She wasnt impresed when we got home..

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Excuse the poops- i was in so much of a rush today i didnt have time to poop scoop before we left!
 
Crunchies doing a bit better today again. Does anyone have any idea when i will start seeing results? (From the hormonal/aggression point of view) as she is still seperated. I know this isnt ideal but she was trying to nip and with another poorly girl at the time, i couldnt risk it for all their sakes. Here she is this morning with her back leg streched out which she hasnt done in a long time so i think shes more comfortable?

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Adelle said:
Crunchies doing a bit better today again. Does anyone have any idea when i will start seeing results? (From the hormonal/aggression point of view) as she is still seperated. I know this isnt ideal but she was trying to nip and with another poorly girl at the time, i couldnt risk it for all their sakes. Here she is this morning with her back leg streched out which she hasnt done in a long time so i think shes more comfortable?

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awww she's so adorable. and she does look realxed :luv: not sure how long it might take but maisie did seem to appear more comfortable fairly quickly after the course of two injections and continued to improve symptom wise as we went on.. but she never had the nipping type behaviour so that may take longer i would think. :)
 
My lady Liberty is eight and has ovarian cysts that can make her moody with the younger ones. However she has been deemed to old for treatment. Be thankful you have a young piggy that cam be looked after well! Also I was preparing for the worst when I had a look, and one had gone down, phew. The best feeling! I hope you and Crunchie are feeling happy, she is a gorgeous girl x
 
LizGuineaGurl said:
My lady Liberty is eight and has ovarian cysts that can make her moody with the younger ones. However she has been deemed to old for treatment. Be thankful you have a young piggy that cam be looked after well! Also I was preparing for the worst when I had a look, and one had gone down, phew. The best feeling! I hope you and Crunchie are feeling happy, she is a gorgeous girl x
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Why is she too old for hormone treatment? I fully understand too old for a spey but the hormone injections dont really have any side effects other than poss reaction at injection site (which my girl hasnt had) which would be the same risk in any age of sow.. Maybe enquire about it? Its not a guaranteed fix, may not work or might only work for 6 months to a year but can have another course when symptoms resurface. My sow just twitched a little when injected, no screams or any signs of increased pain. She was a little quiet that evening but to be fair not anymore quieter than she had been. Its been 48 hours post injection and shes eating better, much brighter and reintroduced her to my other 2 sows and not as much as a simple grumble or even head lifting.. Just friendly bum sniffing. 3 days ago she was trying to actually bite and constantly mounting them. Its helped her already and that was the Gonadotrophin releasing hormone. Xx
 
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