Post op care advice.

[BlueBird]

Hi there,

We've just brought our guinea pig Bonnie home from an operation to remove a mamory growth and a cyst on her side.

I've read the post op care guide but I can't help but worry. Originally we had her separated in her own section of our c&c cage but when we bought her home (we weren't allowed to keep her with one of her cage mates for the pre op wait) both her and her herd were chewing bars to get together again. So we gave up on the separation idea pretty quickly.

She seems to be very sore. She's gotten into bed and not moved. Generally feeling sorry for herself. Her friends seem very sweet though. With lots of face/ear locks from both her mum figure and her husboar. Just very worried about her. She will eat if we hand feed her stuff. Should I ask the vet for more painkillers? Should I start thinking about syringe feeding? I don't really want to do that since she's got two wounds? I don't really want to move her much? Should I just leave her to recover a bit since it's still only hrs post op? Or should I move her to make sure she's not lying in poo and wee right next to one of her wounds for too long? Any advice would be most appreciated. You guys are the expert after all.

 

[Swissgreys]

How much pain killer has she had and what did she come home with?

It sounds like you are doing a good job monitoring her and it is good she is in with her friends.
Depending on what meds she has had already you may not be able to give her more tonight, but your vet should let you know.
Hand feeding small amounts of food is a good idea too.
Make sure she has hay and water within easy reach.
When I bought my boar home from his dental I stuffed one of his favorite houses with hay at one end, so he didn't have to get out of bed if he wanted to chew a few strands.
I also put several water bottles at different places in the cage.

Good luck with everything - she sounds like a tough little piggy.

 

[BlueBird]

How much pain killer has she had and what did she come home with?

It sounds like you are doing a good job monitoring her and it is good she is in with her friends.
Depending on what meds she has had already you may not be able to give her more tonight, but your vet should let you know.
Hand feeding small amounts of food is a good idea too.
Make sure she has hay and water within easy reach.
When I bought my boar home from his dental I stuffed one of his favorite houses with hay at one end, so he didn't have to get out of bed if he wanted to chew a few strands.
I also put several water bottles at different places in the cage.

Good luck with everything - she sounds like a tough little piggy.

I'm not sure what she had but my fella told me that the nurse was very clear we had to start the meloxaid she's come home with tomorrow morning so maybe she's had her full quota.

I'm a bit worried. The eating news was second hand. I've got home from work and she takes a piece of baby corn, takes a bite then stops and eventually drops it. I've got some recovery feed and tried to give her 10mls but it was quite watery and most of it went on the floor I think. But it seems to have perked her her enough to nibble at some baby corn again. That's at least half a baby corn down her

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there,

We've just brought our guinea pig Bonnie home from an operation to remove a mamory growth and a cyst on her side.

I've read the post op care guide but I can't help but worry. Originally we had her separated in her own section of our c&c cage but when we bought her home (we weren't allowed to keep her with one of her cage mates for the pre op wait) both her and her herd were chewing bars to get together again. So we gave up on the separation idea pretty quickly.

She seems to be very sore. She's gotten into bed and not moved. Generally feeling sorry for herself. Her friends seem very sweet though. With lots of face/ear locks from both her mum figure and her husboar. Just very worried about her. She will eat if we hand feed her stuff. Should I ask the vet for more painkillers? Should I start thinking about syringe feeding? I don't really want to do that since she's got two wounds? I don't really want to move her much? Should I just leave her to recover a bit since it's still only hrs post op? Or should I move her to make sure she's not lying in poo and wee right next to one of her wounds for too long? Any advice would be most appreciated. You guys are the expert after all.

It is always an anxious time when your piggy is not quite bright and not eating by themselves after an operation. Just try to hang in there; send her soothing and healing thoughts whenever your worries are taking over and turn the negative energy into a positive one.

The presence and support of her mates is helping a lot. Keep her warm but not hot and rather reheat her snugglesafe to half-time every 6 hours than to full strength.

I would start offering syringe feed, just to keep her going, but at this point not forcing a lot down her. Sometimes a little syringe feed can trigger a bit more eating by themselves. Offer more syringe feed once that stops in every sesson. Use a cose to gently lift her up and to feed her in so you have to handle her as little as possible, apart from giving her piggy kisses as well.
Piggies can be rather quiet in the hours after the operation. Try some fresh herbs or greens; they go usually down best. Have hay close by, both for nibbling and soothing.

The high painkiller dose that is part of the operation cocktail needs to wear off before you can give more. That is at least 12-24 hours, depending on the vet.

 

[BlueBird]

It is always an anxious time when your piggy is not quite bright and not eating by themselves after an operation. Just try to hang in there; send her soothing and healing thoughts whenever your worries are taking over and turn the negative energy into a positive one.

The presence and support of her mates is helping a lot. Keep her warm but not hot and rather reheat her snugglesafe to half-time every 6 hours than to full strength.

I would start offering syringe feed, just to keep her going, but at this point not forcing a lot down her. Sometimes a little syringe feed can trigger a bit more eating by themselves. Offer more syringe feed once that stops in every sesson. Use a cose to gently lift her up and to feed her in so you have to handle her as little as possible, apart from giving her piggy kisses as well.
Piggies can be rather quiet in the hours after the operation. Try some fresh herbs or greens; they go usually down best. Have hay close by, both for nibbling and soothing.

The high painkiller dose that is part of the operation cocktail needs to wear off before you can give more. That is at least 12-24 hours, depending on the vet.

Thanks for the advice.

I've relaxed a bit as I've given her another round of liquid feed which thankfully she really likes and wolfed down. Afterward she happily munched on another baby corn (one of her favourites) and half a spinach leaf before she gave up.

I'm finding it a bit hard getting stuff down her as she's obviously in a lot of pain. She shifts a lot as if she can't get comfy and what I describe as heaves which I guess are waves of pain. And the others will steal her food before she finishes it and she'll only eat something unless it's within an inch of her face. Unfortunately she's refusing hay even if I put it right under her chin.

Should I still treat her as a 'not eating piggy' or not? She obviously will eat but just reluctant to unless it's right in front of her.

I also think her mamory wound is bleeding a bit. I will take her back to the vet to check the wound if it continues. I think 'weeping', would be the correct term.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the advice.

I've relaxed a bit as I've given her another round of liquid feed which thankfully she really likes and wolfed down. Afterward she happily munched on another baby corn (one of her favourites) and half a spinach leaf before she gave up.

I'm finding it a bit hard getting stuff down her as she's obviously in a lot of pain. She shifts a lot as if she can't get comfy and what I describe as heaves which I guess are waves of pain. And the others will steal her food before she finishes it and she'll only eat something unless it's within an inch of her face. Unfortunately she's refusing hay even if I put it right under her chin.

Should I still treat her as a 'not eating piggy' or not? She obviously will eat but just reluctant to unless it's right in front of her.

I also think her mamory wound is bleeding a bit. I will take her back to the vet to check the wound if it continues. I think 'weeping', would be the correct term.

Yes, as long as she is just nibbling and not eating hay (which is over 80% of the daily food intake), then she is not eating. However, it is a very good sign that she is interested in food. offer her syringe feed and veg every 2-3 hours until she starts eating on her own volition. If necessary feed her away from her friends, picking her up in her cosy.

Contact your clinic first thing in the morning if the heaving is still there or see an emergency vet if she suddenly becomes apathetic and refuses to take any food at all. As long as she is showing interest, her pain is still on a manageable level. the first night is always the most difficult one to get through.

 

[Merab]

When Jemimah had major surgery last year I put a small dish of the critical care food in her part of the cage where she could get at it easily. This was to boost the syringe feeding.
She had painkillers morning and evening which helped.
It took a few days but I knew she was well on the way to recovery when she pooped all over my lap.
We don’t get over an op in a day, neither do piggies but you sound as if you’re really on the ball and doing everything right.
Hoping for a full and speedy recovery

 

[BlueBird]

Hi there. Update on Bonnie for you. Today she seems to be marginally better. I made the executive decision not to get up and feed her in the night. It's difficult to get her out of the cage to feed her as she has a favourite hidey corner which she refuses to get out of and I obviously hurt her when I get her out of it. So I thought it would be wise to let her rest instead.

When I checked on her this morning she ran away from me when I lifted the logs she was hiding under. And she seems to be using the leg the op was on a bit more. Before she either dragged it behind her or hopped. Not surprisingly she's dropped 80g since yesterday's weigh in. But she happily takes the liquid feed. So happy she takes it almost like she's drinking from a water bottle. She takes almost the whole syringe in one go like this. I have trouble getting it to the right consistency really so I give her the dregs I can't suck up the syringe to her from a tea spoon which she seems happy with.

Slightly worried about her mamory wound though. It's still weeping a bit and with her sitting on it all day cause she's still reluctant to move to eat I worry about infections. So I will ask the vet this morning how to handle that. I wonder whether wiping it every so often with those disinfectant wipes you get in first aid kits would be a horrendous idea.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there. Update on Bonnie for you. Today she seems to be marginally better. I made the executive decision not to get up and feed her in the night. It's difficult to get her out of the cage to feed her as she has a favourite hidey corner which she refuses to get out of and I obviously hurt her when I get her out of it. So I thought it would be wise to let her rest instead.

When I checked on her this morning she ran away from me when I lifted the logs she was hiding under. And she seems to be using the leg the op was on a bit more. Before she either dragged it behind her or hopped. Not surprisingly she's dropped 80g since yesterday's weigh in. But she happily takes the liquid feed. So happy she takes it almost like she's drinking from a water bottle. She takes almost the whole syringe in one go like this. I have trouble getting it to the right consistency really so I give her the dregs I can't suck up the syringe to her from a tea spoon which she seems happy with.

Slightly worried about her mamory wound though. It's still weeping a bit and with her sitting on it all day cause she's still reluctant to move to eat I worry about infections. So I will ask the vet this morning how to handle that. I wonder whether wiping it every so often with those disinfectant wipes you get in first aid kits would be a horrendous idea.

Hi!

Please feed her plenty during the day, whether that is from a spoon or a syringe to help with the weight - 80g in 24 hours means that she has eaten or drunk very little apart from any missing lumps.

However, it is a very good sign that she is a lot brighter and better in herself now that the GA drugs have fully worked out of her system; that takes about a day. The weeping is not unusual. Make sure that you change her sleeping area twice daily and that you do a spot clean whenever she is up and moving. Give her a gentle wipe with hibiscrub or saline solution if necessary. The wound should be ideally stitched in a way that infection can't get in and she should be on antibiotics.

All the best! The next 2-3 days are still going to be noticeably not as bright as her churned up body takes about as long to settled down and get healing, but as long as she is interested in food and a little brighter with every day there is nothing to be frightened about.

Keep an eye on the operated areas and contact your vet promptly if there are signs of swelling, heat/redness. Most swellings are harmless, by the way, but they should be checked.

 

[BlueBird]

I've been to the vet and got seen by the senior vet of the practice. Slightly unhelpfully she said that she was very nervous seeing us on the operation register because it was such a major operation for her. (which made me feel really good about myself - not!) But she's happy with how Bonnie's doing all things considered and as you've said she said the weeping was normal. We just need to be sure it's clear/bloody and not yellow puss.

She did say she didn't want to put us on antibiotics because it kills Bonnie's appetite and because she's reluctant to eat as it is she didn't want to make it worse so we will just keep an eye on it. She's got a proper post op checkup appointment on Monday too.

In the meantime, it's keep giving her the liquid feed and popping food right under her nose to eat. Hope she doesn't get used to this 5 star treatment hahaha

 

[Merab]

Have you tried sprinkling some oats where she can get at them easily?
That helps with weight gain.
You could also add some Pro - C to her water, or sprinkle it on food to help her.
Hope all goes well on Monday.

 

[BlueBird]

Update.

Bonnie had really perked up by 3pm yesterday we found her out of the cosies and nibbling on some hay.

Today she is pretty much back to herself again but I'm still giving her top up feed. If she needs some extra help weight wise I will try the oat trick but this morning she had stayed the same weight as yesterday so she seems to have gotten her appetite back. She must be feeling better since she bit me when I was trying to turn her face away from the cosy side to offer her recovery food. I guess that's her way of saying. 'This is for all those times the last few days when you've hurt me by moving me when I just wanted to be left alone'. She's an absolute sweet heart normally but I can't be angry with her and I don't blame her for telling me off.

This afternoon she's even hopped into the hay box (photo below) which has a considerable lip on it so I see this as a positive sign that she's on the mend. And now I'm trying to listen to her complaint and offer the recovery food on a spoon while she's still in the cage.

Many thanks for your advice the last few days. I really thought I'd broken my pig back there and was really worried I'd done the right thing (which the vet didn't help with). But she seems fine now and hopefully it has bought her some many happy healthy months and maybe years to come.

Thank you all love from Bonnie and I.

 

[BlueBird]

Right so the drama continues. We've been to the vet for post op check. It would appear her belly would has opened up a bit and is looking a bit swollen. So it's back on the antibiotics for Bonnie.

I'm a little worried about her weight as she's around 930g now and the antibiotics have killed her appetite before. I've been giving her about half a tea spoon of porridgy level recovery feed to keep her topped up. If I could feed her 4hrly intervals I would but sadly I've got to go to work and I don't think my work would allow me to bring her to work to feed her (plus that would mean her sitting in a carry case all day and carrying her by foot back and forth from work everyday as I don't have a car).

What would your advice be on keeping her wound clean and keeping her weight up? If I feed her oats. How much? How much liquid feed should I be feeding her per day? How often should I be cleaning her cage? She's in with 2 other pigs so clean fleece every day would probably amount to a full clean everyday which I nervous of. Mainly because I don't want to handle her too much because I'm paranoid that it will make her belly wound worse.

Sorry for the 101 questions. I'm worried about her and I have in the back of my head that the senior vet was nervous about putting her through this operation so I've got bad owner doubt (guilt) runnng around in my head.

 

[Swissgreys]

Hang in there - hopefully this is just a very minor set back and once the new meds kick in she will perk up again.
What meds is she on now?

If she has antibiotics you should also try and give her a probiotic (usually an hour before or after the antibiotics for maximum effect).
But not all antibiotics cause appetite issues in guinea pigs, so hopefully it won't affect her this time.

For a pig that isn't eating at all you should aim for 40ml syringe feed per day, and in fact my vet feels this should be closer to 70+ (which I personally have never achieved!).
Use actual syringes and a note pad and try to keep track of how much goes in and when.
Feeds every 4 hours is ideal, but the reality is that you need to just get as much as you can into her at regular intervals.
If you are working then try to feed before work, immediately after work and before bed, and aim for 10+ mls per feed.

As for the cage, is there a special place she usually lies in?
Vet bed is the best for keeping a pig with a wound clean and dry, but I find it a total pain to wash, so I use small pieces around the cage as needed.
Maybe put small pieces of bedding in key areas and try to change them daily, and then do a major clean once a week.

You are doing a good job, and it is exhausting so don't forget be kind to yourself too.

 

[DM030819]

@BlueBird With oats you can just give her a bowl of oats and let her have as much as she wants.

 

[BlueBird]

Hang in there - hopefully this is just a very minor set back and once the new meds kick in she will perk up again.
What meds is she on now?

Thanks Swiss greys. That has made me feel a bit better! Seeing her wound opening up again was just crushing news and a bit of a shock as behaviour wise she's pretty much back to normal.

She's on a version of baytril that I forget the name of. It begins with e. She was on it before the surgery and she lost a good 70-100g over a course of a week. So she's not, not eating just not as interested and at 930g now I don't really want her dropping any further. (Her natural weight is around the 1100g mark). I think she just loses interest in stuff that's good for her when she's on these anti biotics.

She does like her 'junk' food so I'm hoping the rolled oats will be a hit with her. Just to keep her weight stable since I can't do syringe feeds during the day. (Thank god she likes it!) Any gain will be a bonus. The day after her surgery her diet consisted of a pellet or two, a nibble of some leaves but mainly baby corn. But at this point I don't really care whether the diet is bad, I just care that she's eating full stop.

As for the cage, is there a special place she usually lies in?
Vet bed is the best for keeping a pig with a wound clean and dry, but I find it a total pain to wash, so I use small pieces around the cage as needed.
Maybe put small pieces of bedding in key areas and try to change them daily, and then do a major clean once a week.

Unfortunately I don't have any vet bed but I do have lots of squares of fleece that I put under houses I can change round. Sadly Bonnie is bottom of the guinea food chain here so she sits wherever someone else doesn't want to. :/

 

[BlueBird]

So a little update.

I've been away on holiday last week but Bonnie was left in the care of my other half. Unfortunately while I was away, Bonnie's belly wound got badly infected and burst open. She's now going to the vet daily to get the wound flushed out. Needless to say me and my fella felt like we had failed her at the time.

The wound to my untrained eyes seems to be slowly closing up on its own but yesterday our vet did tell us there is some necrotic tissue at the bottom that we just have to wait to fall away. We've been doing a full clean every 2 days with the fleece under houses etc being changed daily. She's also been given stronger antibiotics. And her weight seems pretty stable.

Hopefully her recovery is nearing its end and it will all be worth it in the end.