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Suspected ovarian cysts

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Kay701

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
I suspect strongly that one of my piggies has ovarian cysts. I want to get her to the vets asap (will have to wait until after Christmas now) but am moving to a new town on 11th Jan so will have to change vet practice then. My options are:

1. Get a vets appointment asap, if they recommend treatment take this recommendation to the new vets after I move

2. Get to the vets asap, get treatment if recommended (but I'm worried about transferring care, and travelling post-op or while needing extra care)

3. Sign up to a new vets and book an appointment for asap after the move

I am leaning towards 1 I think... the biggest dilemma is what in earth to do if urgent treatment is needed but I'm trying not to catastrophise. Also how soon should I get to the vets? Realistically I'm not going to be able to until 4th Jan 😭 or potentially 28th December if they have appointments.

Context:
My girls are both 18 months. A few months ago I noticed slightly crusty nipples and they both seemed to be acting far more hormonally than normal. I was really busy so I waited, and Honey's extra hormonal behaviour died away and went back to normal seasons. Her nipples are still a tiny tiny bit crusty. However, Waffle has continued to try to mount Honey literally every day, her nipples are now very crusty, and she seems a little bit more sleepy than normal. Today I noticed a bald patch on her side. I feel so bad for not taking her to the vets sooner 😭. I think I want honey checked out too just in case, but it's Waffle I'm most worried about. Their weights did seem to be very very slowly dropping but then went up again so idk what was happening there.

I'm absolutely terrified of her needing an operation, I don't know how bad the risks are and I don't want to lose her 😭😭
 
Vet recommendations near Banbury? Am moving and have one piggy potentially needing treatment so want to make sure I get a really good vet
 
Kay701 said:
Vet recommendations near Banbury? Am moving and have one piggy potentially needing treatment so want to make sure I get a really good vet
Click to expand...

Hi

The by far best guinea pig vet in the region are the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton.

Here is our link to our member recommended vets list: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
 
Kay701 said:
I suspect strongly that one of my piggies has ovarian cysts. I want to get her to the vets asap (will have to wait until after Christmas now) but am moving to a new town on 11th Jan so will have to change vet practice then. My options are:

1. Get a vets appointment asap, if they recommend treatment take this recommendation to the new vets after I move

2. Get to the vets asap, get treatment if recommended (but I'm worried about transferring care, and travelling post-op or while needing extra care)

3. Sign up to a new vets and book an appointment for asap after the move

I am leaning towards 1 I think... the biggest dilemma is what in earth to do if urgent treatment is needed but I'm trying not to catastrophise. Also how soon should I get to the vets? Realistically I'm not going to be able to until 4th Jan 😭 or potentially 28th December if they have appointments.

Context:
My girls are both 18 months. A few months ago I noticed slightly crusty nipples and they both seemed to be acting far more hormonally than normal. I was really busy so I waited, and Honey's extra hormonal behaviour died away and went back to normal seasons. Her nipples are still a tiny tiny bit crusty. However, Waffle has continued to try to mount Honey literally every day, her nipples are now very crusty, and she seems a little bit more sleepy than normal. Today I noticed a bald patch on her side. I feel so bad for not taking her to the vets sooner 😭. I think I want honey checked out too just in case, but it's Waffle I'm most worried about. Their weights did seem to be very very slowly dropping but then went up again so idk what was happening there.

I'm absolutely terrified of her needing an operation, I don't know how bad the risks are and I don't want to lose her 😭😭
Click to expand...

Hi

I would recommend your option 1 in combination with my vet recommendation. For that reason I have merged your two threads. I have had a number of sows spayed at the Cat&Rabbit, always successfully even when done as an emergency in 5 years old sows and never lost one with them. By far the best place to go with ovarian cyst issues! :tu:

Here is some more information:
Wiebke

Thread 'Sow Problems 'Down Below' (Ovarian Cysts, Super-seasons, Womb Infection, Pregnancy & Mammary Tumours)'

1 Important reproductive information
- Start of making babies - seasons - lack of menopause
- Pregnancy
2 Sows in season
- How a season runs
- Strong seasons (snap seasons; the social role of strong seasons; problem seasons)
3 Health issues of the reproductive tract
- Ovarian cysts (types, symptoms and treatment options)
- Other health...

All the best. I am very sorry about the timing. These things tend to happen at the most inconvenient of times just on principle... You have got my full sympathies. :(
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

I would recommend your option 1 in combination with my vet recommendation. For that reason I have merged your two threads. I have had a number of sows spayed at the Cat&Rabbit, always successfully even when done as an emergency in 5 years old sows and never lost one with them. By far the best place to go with ovarian cyst issues! :tu:

Here is some more information:
Wiebke

Thread 'Sow Problems 'Down Below' (Ovarian Cysts, Super-seasons, Womb Infection, Pregnancy & Mammary Tumours)'

1 Important reproductive information
- Start of making babies - seasons - lack of menopause
- Pregnancy
2 Sows in season
- How a season runs
- Strong seasons (snap seasons; the social role of strong seasons; problem seasons)
3 Health issues of the reproductive tract
- Ovarian cysts (types, symptoms and treatment options)
- Other health...

All the best. I am very sorry about the timing. These things tend to happen at the most inconvenient of times just on principle... You have got my full sympathies. :(
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your recommendation - I've heard lots of good things about them on here and it would really put my mind at rest using such an experienced vet! My only worry is, would a 45 mins ish drive be okay for a post-op piggy?
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
It's better to drive a little longer to go to a vet who really knows what he/she is doing than using a closer vet who doesn't. 45 minutes isn't that long.

Sending lot's of healing vibes!
Click to expand...
This is excellent advice in my opinion - I had to learn the hard way and have felt guilty ever since. Hope all goes well for you and your piggies
 
She's been to the vets and prescribed 0.5 ml cat meloxaid twice a day to see what happens for two weeks... the vet said then go get an ultrasound after that. One side looks bald, the other barbered which is odd. The vet could feel a tiny lump so she said if it's a cyst it's not big enough to be certain by feeling. Waffle has lost a decent amount of weight as well so I'm gonna start syringe feeding alongside the meloxaid. She's also shedding hair like crazy 😭 so hopefully in two weeks her weight will be up a bit and we'll be off to the Cat & Rabbit for an ultrasound. In between that time we've got to move flat as well!
 
All the best. It sounds a bit unusual.
 
Thank you, looking forward to some answers on Monday at the Cat & Rabbit. I'm top-up feeding Waffle at the moment; she's maintaining weight at 850g roughly now which is good. She should be at least 900g to be healthy (based on heft) but the weight loss was so gradual it initially passed me by. I'm glad she's maintaining now though, although she's in two minds about syringe feeding! She likes taking it and eats eagerly to start with but gets fed up easily - I have to syringe as she won't sit and eat it from a bowl, she's too impatient. I have to have another syringe ready at all times or she'll wander off! She'd rather eat hay and play so I have to hold her for it. Fortunately she has decided she likes the taste of her medication. Honey is very very jealous, she loves syringes and keeps begging for syringe feed, she even stole and ran off with a syringe once! If she was the ill one it would be so much easier 😂
 
So Waffle was diagnosed without needing an ultrasound, it was pretty clear (as I suspected) and they actually had space today so she and Honey are at the Cat & Rabbit right now, Waffle will be spayed at some point today and I'm collecting them in the evening. Everyone at the clinic was so professional, knowledgeable and kind, I'm so glad I went there.

The house is so quiet without my little wheekers, I'm so terrified waiting to see if she's okay. My girlies are actually written into the contract with our landlord as 'emotional support guinea pigs' and I've never felt that to be more true than today when they're not here. Just got to distract myself until later, and hopefully look forward to making them feel safe and happy again at home with lots of veggies this evening.
 
Kay701 said:
So Waffle was diagnosed without needing an ultrasound, it was pretty clear (as I suspected) and they actually had space today so she and Honey are at the Cat & Rabbit right now, Waffle will be spayed at some point today and I'm collecting them in the evening. Everyone at the clinic was so professional, knowledgeable and kind, I'm so glad I went there.

The house is so quiet without my little wheekers, I'm so terrified waiting to see if she's okay. My girlies are actually written into the contract with our landlord as 'emotional support guinea pigs' and I've never felt that to be more true than today when they're not here. Just got to distract myself until later, and hopefully look forward to making them feel safe and happy again at home with lots of veggies this evening.
Click to expand...
Hope all goes well today
 
I hope that all goes well.

My own several sows have all been spayed there (apart from the first one) and have made a full and problem-free recovery.
 
Hope surgery goes well, fingers crossed for you all xx
 
Thank you everyone! The operation went fine, and both girls came back yesterday evening. Waffle seemed quite spaced out and sorry for herself, and was a bit grumpy with Honey to start with. I've seen her eat, and she eventually allowed Honey to come and comfort her (lots of kisses, it was very very cute). Honey clearly missed Waffle during the hours of the operation and knows she's feeling ill, she's being very loving and protective 🥺. Hopefully it'll all go smoothly from here, got the checkup on Saturday, and will do twice daily medications & health checks until then. Such a relief - once she's recovered Waffle can go back to being a normal, happy, healthy, crazy little piggy 🥰
 
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

That's such good news! I'm really happy for the 3 of you, hopefully it's onwards and upwards from here x
 
Kay701 said:
Thank you everyone! The operation went fine, and both girls came back yesterday evening. Waffle seemed quite spaced out and sorry for herself, and was a bit grumpy with Honey to start with. I've seen her eat, and she eventually allowed Honey to come and comfort her (lots of kisses, it was very very cute). Honey clearly missed Waffle during the hours of the operation and knows she's feeling ill, she's being very loving and protective 🥺. Hopefully it'll all go smoothly from here, got the checkup on Saturday, and will do twice daily medications & health checks until then. Such a relief - once she's recovered Waffle can go back to being a normal, happy, healthy, crazy little piggy 🥰
Click to expand...
So glad all went well.
After her op Phoebe behaved as if she’d had been to a really wild party and this was the morning after the night before 😁

It takes a while for the anaesthetic to wear off.
 
Thanks everyone! Waffle has been doing really well, it's healed nicely apart from where to knot is at the top, which unfortunately became filled with pus - the vet removed it and she's on antibiotics for a week, with a checkup at the end of that time. She seems unbothered by it all fortunately, is slowly but steadily putting on weight (with help from top-up feeds) and is so much more energetic and happy than she was for months before the operation, with none of the hormonal or grumpy behaviour she'd been displaying before. Guinea pigs really are wonderful creatures - once Waffle had recovered from the anaesthetic, Honey began acting all hormonal and I was confused until I realised it's because we'd moved flat. Honey didn't assert her dominance for the first week after the move because she knew Waffle was ill - it was only once Waffle felt better that she started, she's had her two weeks saying she's boss and is now back to normal too! I can't get over how empathetic and sweet they are to each other, and it's so lovely seeing them both so much happier now Waffle is back to normally. Hopefully the antibiotics will just be a blip :) so grateful for vets!
 
Final update months down the line - Waffle is (and has been for a while) fully healed and her belly floof has grown back beautifully, she's completely back to normal personality wise, and is maintaining weight at her lowest healthy weight with the help of a little top up feed (hoping for improvement there but I know it can be slow). So happy that it all worked out well and thank you so much again for the vet recommendation!
 
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