Self Barbering

Thank you @GPTV! I will carry on with the separation and see how it goes. I can't remember now how old my Phoebe was when she had surgery (she's the one in my avatar), but think she was about 4 and came through it fine. My vet's concern with Maisie is the added complication of her breathing issues, so I guess I'm just hoping that the cysts don't cause her any more problems, as my vet isn't keen on draining the cysts for the reasons you mention. I'm going to start with the metacam in the morning, as I need to speak to the vets regarding some new medication they prescribed for her breathing, as it's been pointed out to me that it could cause convulsions. Just don't want to take the risk with that as it's the first time my vet has prescribed it for a piggy. She is cavvy savvy though and I would definitely trust her judgement regarding any future surgery.

Thanks for your input, really appreciate it :nod: xx
 
Connie was also 4 at the time of her problems similar to Maisie. She had a laparoscopic spay (2 small incisions one on each side & removal of ovaries). She sailed through the procedure. My exotics Vet didn’t recommend draining the cysts or trying the injections in her case.
 
GPTV said:
have you had her checked for ovarian cysts?
try discussing with your vet if she can have an ultrasound to rule them out, my Ellie had them & she had the HCG Chorulon injections, i didn't realise that she had become quite as subdued as she was until the hormones kicked in & improved her personality generally!
Hair loss can be associated with ovarian cysts, but it's generally along both sides/belly area.

Ovarian cysts can be painful, especially when smaller & growing - this could fit in with the pain issue of barbering.
Also if the ovarian cysts are growing or large, they may be filling up space & squashing her other organs into each other, there's a possibility the lungs & heart are being restricted, so not letting them work to their full potential?
If the heart isn't at 100% this could cause the build up of fluid & circulation difficulties. (did i see she had a blue tinge to her foot on one of your other posts? or have i got confused with somebody elses thread?)
Is 'Pet Remedy' a hormone/pheromone treatment? it might be worth seeing if she'll eat a stalk of lavender a day, thats meant to have calming, de-stressing, anti-inflammatory, itch relief & depression busting qualities (think i've seen it has anti fungal qualities too, but not sure).

i think the only Guinea that i have ever had barber, was one of two sisters suddenly barbered the other ones neck/chin area, this was when we discovered she had a lymphoma - I'm convinced she barbered it to expose the lump & show me there was a problem that needed sorting! Naww bless.

as the others have said - arthritis could be a possibility & she's barbering herself to ease the pain too.

Good luck with a diagnosis & hope something can be sorted soon.
Healing vibes, speedy recovery & a big hug for you too - keep your chin up you're doing well. :nod:
xx
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Hi I was reading your reply and noticed you got the injections for your piggie. I have a piggie who got sick about a month and a half ago. Had her xrayed and they said it was pneumonia. She recovered from that after a long time on antibiotics and lots of care. But she also has some scabbing on her feet and the vet noticed a mass in her right side during examination at our last follow up visit. She dropped a ton of weight but eats like a true little piggie. Constantly! And acts starved when I give her salad and veggies. Her coat has become very ragged and she is missing tons of hair. Around her middle. But on her nose and behind her ears even on her legs. She doesn’t act like she is in pain. She is only 2 years old. Now that she is recovered from the pneumonia I just received the information about the hormone injections and wanted to know from someone that actually had first hand experience with them if they really truly helped. I don’t want to put her through more unwarranted stress if it is not going to help improve her condition. I feel like she’s been through so much :((
Thanks so much for reading
 
Carmend71 said:
Hi I was reading your reply and noticed you got the injections for your piggie. I have a piggie who got sick about a month and a half ago. Had her xrayed and they said it was pneumonia. She recovered from that after a long time on antibiotics and lots of care. But she also has some scabbing on her feet and the vet noticed a mass in her right side during examination at our last follow up visit. She dropped a ton of weight but eats like a true little piggie. Constantly! And acts starved when I give her salad and veggies. Her coat has become very ragged and she is missing tons of hair. Around her middle. But on her nose and behind her ears even on her legs. She doesn’t act like she is in pain. She is only 2 years old. Now that she is recovered from the pneumonia I just received the information about the hormone injections and wanted to know from someone that actually had first hand experience with them if they really truly helped. I don’t want to put her through more unwarranted stress if it is not going to help improve her condition. I feel like she’s been through so much :((
Thanks so much for reading
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Can you please start your own thread in order to avoid confusion and get the correct advice.

You start a thread by clicking on a the large 'post thread' button at the top on the right hand side when you go back to the section. Thank you!
Health & Illness

Please see your vet again promptly and step in with syringe feeding support as over 80% of the daily food intake is hay with vegetables around 10% and pellets only 5%. If your girl is not eating enough hay (which you can only control by weighing daily), then she will lose a lot of weight. Your care in this respect can make the difference between getting your girl through any necessary treatment or not. Please switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time and step in with syringe feeding your girl NOW. Cut off the tip of the syringe you should still have when feeding mushed up pellets.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Stopping to eat hay and major weight loss can be a sign of pain.

We can only guess as much as you about the problem; it requires a thorough hands-on examination by a vet and if necessary a scan. We can help you with the care side, but cannot diagnose safely (nor are we qualified to) replace a vet examination. Ovarian cysts are only one possibility; I am not quite convinced that you have got the right diagnosis.
You can only make an educated decision once you know what you are up against, but unless it is a matter of a make or break emergency operation you always have the right to think over your options at home before you commit.
 
Carmend71 said:
Hi I was reading your reply and noticed you got the injections for your piggie. I have a piggie who got sick about a month and a half ago. Had her xrayed and they said it was pneumonia. She recovered from that after a long time on antibiotics and lots of care. But she also has some scabbing on her feet and the vet noticed a mass in her right side during examination at our last follow up visit. She dropped a ton of weight but eats like a true little piggie. Constantly! And acts starved when I give her salad and veggies. Her coat has become very ragged and she is missing tons of hair. Around her middle. But on her nose and behind her ears even on her legs. She doesn’t act like she is in pain. She is only 2 years old. Now that she is recovered from the pneumonia I just received the information about the hormone injections and wanted to know from someone that actually had first hand experience with them if they really truly helped. I don’t want to put her through more unwarranted stress if it is not going to help improve her condition. I feel like she’s been through so much :((
Thanks so much for reading
Click to expand...

Hi there
Welcome to the forum :nod: as Wiebke suggested if you start a thread of your own it should help you get some more answers tailored to your guinea pig & hopefully sort her situation quicker :))

if she is definitely clear of fungal & mites, (they can also cause hair loss). Afraid i cant remember which side Ellie's lump was, but it was approx 2.5cm. The HCG Chorulon injections helped to stop the recurring UTI's & heavy bleeding that Ellie suffered with, she had one more genital bleed after the injections, but never any more.
Ellies lump could be felt on her side, when i knew it was there, but i hadn't noticed it before the ultrasound scan as it was hidden quite well! within a couple of days Ellies coat became silky smooth & i hadn't realised how coarse feeling it had got prior to the injections.
the lump reduced within a few weeks to not being able to feel it.
Ellie had another batch of 2 injections (they were 7-10 days apart) each injection cost approx £20 plus the consultation fee (although my vets are very reasonably priced & not an exotics vet, but a large rural practice (the Chorulon injections are a cattle hormone & not licensed for use on Guineas, so you may have to sign a disclaimer).

Ellie did shriek like a diva at each injection (in her back leg/rump area) but i took a handful of grass or herbs in & she soon forgave us when she was stuffing her face 5 seconds after the injection!

Ellie was 6 when she had the injections & the vet considered her too old for a spay & the risks were too high, the injections were a less invasive alternative to a spay. although i know there are a few members who have had elderly sows spayed with no issues (partly due to the experience/competence of the vet)

all the info i could find was that the injections either worked... or they didn't! they don't seem to have any negative side effects recorded anywhere other than they just may not work.

@Carmend71 good luck & let us know how you get on. xx
 
Update: Maisie's self barbering is getting worse. We are visiting the vets again on Monday, as she's also off her food, so I'm topping her up with pellets and critical care; I will speak with the vet about the barbering again as I've read on here that it could also be down to depression (she is a very static piggy). I'm so worried that if it is stress/depression, the only option I have is to surrender Alice to a rescue and in return have Maisie pick out her own choice of companion. However I really don't want to do this, as I love Alice too and it's taken her so long to come out her shell and start being the happy piggy she is, that the thought of surrendering her and putting her through another change of home is quite upsetting.
 
I'll be sure to update you all tomorrow and let you know whether the vet thinks we're at the end of the road with Maisie, or if I'll have to surrender Alice and find another companion for Maisie. It would have been nice to know what other peoples' thoughts were.
 
Huge hugs Janey. You are clearly not having an easy time with the girls. I don't have experience of this so can't really give you any thoughts but wanted to send my well wishes in hopes that it all works out
 
Thank you so much Kelly, it's really appreciated. I'm just lost as to what to do for the best as Maisie is about 5ish and Alice is about 2ish. It's not good for Maisie if it is stress/depression causing her to barber - even if she only lives for another 6 months or so ...
 
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