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What Would You Do In My Position?

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The vet asked me to get more urine tests done to see if any are still saying blood present. I've just managed to get one and it said no blood present but quite a high level of protein found in the urine :( I've just read up and this is also signalling kidneys? So he's been drinking more, had blood in one of the urine tests, was loosing weight (but now maintaining) and now protein in his urine. This all sounds like problems with the kidneys and I'm shaking with worry. Please someone help me! I can't speak to the vet tomorrow as she doesn't work Saturdays
 
You would need a protein:creatinine test to show if the higher protein level was significant.

I don't want to criticise your vet but I don't think this this continual testing is healthy. We have pets so we can enjoy them. You are living in constant anxiety and getting no enjoyment from your boys. Even working day after day with poorly piggies I still enjoy having then.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
You would need a protein:creatinine test to show if the higher protein level was significant.

I don't want to criticise your vet but I don't think this this continual testing is healthy. We have pets so we can enjoy them. You are living in constant anxiety and getting no enjoyment from your boys. Even working day after day with poorly piggies I still enjoy having then.
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She wanted me to get more tests done as I got one sample that showed blood and the other that was normal. So I guess she just wanted an average reading and not expecting the protein to show up.

I have been concerned about kidney problems ever since Milan started to drink more than normal last week. He has on average drank about 100ml per day, some days as much as 150ml, other days down to 80ml but each day still seems to be more than he usually drinks. Then different things keep popping up that also indicate problems with the kidneys and it's worrying me sick (blood in one urine sample and protein in the next).

I do enjoy my pigs and they honestly make my day. They're my everything but at the moment, things are just a constant stress and worry.
 
I don't think that protein level is high at all. My bladder pig Petal often had higher levels of protein than that & blood in her urine on & off & she lived until 5 1/2 when she unfortunately got pneumonia :( My vet has suggested that sometimes blood in the urine that is unexplained can be down to stress. I know how worrying nursing poorly pigs can be & I get very attached to mine, but try not to worry as much :) x
 
Poppy'sMum said:
I don't think that protein level is high at all. My bladder pig Petal often had higher levels of protein than that & blood in her urine on & off & she lived until 5 1/2 when she unfortunately got pneumonia :( My vet has suggested that sometimes blood in the urine that is unexplained can be down to stress. I know how worrying nursing poorly pigs can be & I get very attached to mine, but try not to worry as much :) x
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Thank you for the reassurance. They really are worrying, especially as they're just so small and fragile. I say it all the time but they're just like my children and I don't know what I'd do when I loose them. I think that's why I'm not typically 'enjoying' them but instead I'm spending the whole time testing urine or researching on the internet possible issues as I'm terrified they will die so young- I'd really feel as though id failed them
 
Sian25 said:
I'd really feel as though id failed them
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Oh Sian - nobody could ever say you've failed your Guinea Pigs ! Quite the opposite ! You've had a really bad experience with Milan and Hugo's abcesses and given them A1 care throughout all of this.

I do agree with the above posters - guinea pigs should be enjoyed ! Please don't over research things .

And, please remember, none of us know when our guinea pigs time to come to pass over the bridge . The important thing is to give them a good quality of life while they are with us - and enjoy their company .
 
Sian25 said:
Thank you for the reassurance. They really are worrying, especially as they're just so small and fragile. I say it all the time but they're just like my children and I don't know what I'd do when I loose them. I think that's why I'm not typically 'enjoying' them but instead I'm spending the whole time testing urine or researching on the internet possible issues as I'm terrified they will die so young- I'd really feel as though id failed them
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You certainly haven't failed them ! :) You've gone above & beyond what the vast majority of owners do, think of all those poor piggies bought on a whim & left at the bottom of the garden in tiny hutches which some of them are :( (Not that keeping them in a hutch is bad, I've done that in the past myself, but in a nice big hutch & cuddled them daily) I treat mine like my babies too & I've been heartbroken when I've lost them, but being poorly does not mean they will die young. Petal was 5 1/2 when she died, she had been a bladder pig & had very severe health issues from the age of 2. Her daughter Daisy was my once-in-a-lifetime piggy, we had a very strong close bond & she got ill & died very suddenly aged 4, I won't ever get over it :( I cried non stop for 4 days & made myself ill. Our oldest girl lived to 7 (Poppy) so that was upsetting as well. I think Sian you may have to be a little realistic, guinea pigs are not long lived animals, I've come to accept that now & I know however attached I become they won't be around as long as the average cat or dog, sad as it is. Try to relax a little bit now, they are over the worst & as long as they maintain their weight & are eating well then you really should try not to worry as much, I know that's hard but speaking as someone who had to take theirs regularly to the vets, at least once a month, sometimes weekly for 3 1/2 years I had to learn to try to distance my emotions a little bit & looking back I don't regret the amount of time I spent or the money I just did my best to keep my piggy going, but with a comfortable pain free life. Give yourself a pat on the back for doing everything you've done for them & start thinking about the happiness you will give them once they have a wifepig each ;) x
 
Sorry I've not replied to everyone's lovely comments. I've been very busy but appreciate them so much. I can't wait to find the perfect wifepig for each of my boys but I don't know when to start looking. Hugo still has a high chance of needing surgery to remove the abscesses so I don't really want to be getting him a wife just yet but I don't know about Milan? He seems okay but I'm worried about his kidneys aren't i :( I don't want to postpone their wives for too long I unnecessarily though
 
Hi all, just looking for some advice.

Milan (fingers crossed) seems to be okay up to now. He come off the antibiotics on friday and the abscess seems to have gone for now.

Unfortunately, Hugo's lumps have increased in size so the vet thinks there's still pus inside and not just scar tissue due to it getting bigger, so she wants to operate on Thursday as he's been on Zithromax for almost 6 weeks already. However, I asked the vet how she can be sure there's still pus and she said she can't be 100% sure until she operates as she doesn't think any pus will come out if she puts a needle in it as the tissues have thickened. Does this sound okay? I don't want him to have surgery if there's no infection, although it does seem there's pus inside as he's very lumpy and the lumps have grown.

She also wants him to stay on Zithromax after the surgery. He's already been on it for almost 6 weeks, is it safe for him to be on it for so long?

@furryfriends (TEAS) @Wiebke

Also, @VickiA have you had any surgery done by Sara before? If so, how did it go?
 
Hi Sian
Can't advise re the Zithromax as no idea (sorry) but I can tell you I have total faith in Sara (and the practice)'s skills. She spayed two of my girls (total success) and has removed various lumps.
 
Sian25 said:
Hi all, just looking for some advice.

Milan (fingers crossed) seems to be okay up to now. He come off the antibiotics on friday and the abscess seems to have gone for now.

Unfortunately, Hugo's lumps have increased in size so the vet thinks there's still pus inside and not just scar tissue due to it getting bigger, so she wants to operate on Thursday as he's been on Zithromax for almost 6 weeks already. However, I asked the vet how she can be sure there's still pus and she said she can't be 100% sure until she operates as she doesn't think any pus will come out if she puts a needle in it as the tissues have thickened. Does this sound okay? I don't want him to have surgery if there's no infection, although it does seem there's pus inside as he's very lumpy and the lumps have grown.

She also wants him to stay on Zithromax after the surgery. He's already been on it for almost 6 weeks, is it safe for him to be on it for so long?

@furryfriends (TEAS) @Wiebke

Also, @VickiA have you had any surgery done by Sara before? If so, how did it go?
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I am sorry that you still have problems! It sounds to me that there is still pus in Hugo's abscesses, as the lumps should have gone down. :(

My Hywel has been on Zithromax for his two nasty dental abscesses since the beginning of April and is still finishing his third batch now.
He was on Zithromax for a fairly long time in the wake of developing a band of swelling at the back of his groin that caused extremely painful gut adhesion in the wake of his own neutering op (which was done via a local rescue and the vet of their choice). That was five years ago, so I would not worry about continuing the Zithromax - Hywel has had a long and very happy life as a husboar despite a very narrow escape. ;)
 
Hugo is having surgery tomorrow. Naturally, I'm absolutely worried sick but I think this is our only option now. Is there a big chance of it reoccurring? He's getting so many cuddles right now.

Has anyone had a piggy that required surgery to remove an abscess? Is there anything I should know on top of all the general surgery aftercare?
 
Sian25, my pig had surgery a month ago to remove a post-neuter abscess. The abscess appeared 3 months after the neuter out of the blue and not exactly near the incision, so it may or may not have been related to the initial surgery. The vet removed the entire abscess, left a small whole to drain, and the pig had a 3-week azithromycin course. He has been fine ever since. I've read elsewhere that abscesses can appear or recur in 5 months after a surgery, so I'm afraid it will be a long wait for both of our pigs. Good luck!
 
Sian25 said:
PS hope your pig is okay @Wiebke

Edit: sorry I read that as he is still on Zithromax. Thanks for that
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Hywel is now OK and his abscess has healed off nicely; the zithromax is just there to make sure that it is not coming back. Hywel will need regular vet checks for the rest of his life. He is 6 years old now.
 
Hi all, I'm absolutely horrified and distraught at the size of the incision that poor Hugo has. I will get a photo later to show you all but I'm so worried that he won't recover from this.

The vet has injected him with metacam and vetergesic and instructed me to continue to dose these by mouth. The vetergesic- I can't find much about it and what I have found doesn't seem too positive. Does anyone have more info? He's to be given 0.06ml twice a day. Unsure how much they have injected but worried about that too
 
Big hugs to you, you have been through so much worry with these piggies.
I haven't seen any piggy operation sites, just my own (I have quite a few!). That looks good to me, neat tidy, a good colour, hardly any swelling.
Try not to panic, easy to say I know but no one can do more to help your piggies than you have.
Hope a pig expert comes along soon to help. :hug:
 
Your boy does look sore, but I'm sure he will recover, especially with the care you provide for him. Think about sprays and bladder surgeries - there, the trauma is much deeper. Compared to that, lancing an abscess is superficial, even if the cut is longer. For what is worth, my own boy's second incision to remove the abscess was also much larger than the initial teeny tiny incision for the neuter, but he recovered just as quickly. Wish your boy a speedy recovery and a calm night to both of you!
 
piggieminder said:
Big hugs to you, you have been through so much worry with these piggies.
I haven't seen any piggy operation sites, just my own (I have quite a few!). That looks good to me, neat tidy, a good colour, hardly any swelling.
Try not to panic, easy to say I know but no one can do more to help your piggies than you have.
Hope a pig expert comes along soon to help. :hug:
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Thank you. We've not long arrived home and he seems well in himself. Not sure how much he is interested in food at this moment in time, leaving him alone for a few mins then will check to see if he's eaten anything.

I've counted his pellets (only give him 10 at the moment so I can see how many he is eating) obviously will top up if he eats some. I've put a few strands of Timothy hay next to him with some of his fave fluffy bits until I work out where to put his hay without him lying in it. I've got a hay feeder for the side of the cage that I will find in a min. I've taken his hay tray away until he's healed. I've just never seen such a big incision on a Guinea pig
 
Hi Sian what did the vet say she'd found? I honestly don't think the wound looks that bad, he's probably had a lot of tissue removed this time as the vet wanted to clear it all up. Best thing to do is not to touch it in any way, there might be a little swelling (Oedema) later which is natural but that should go down after a few days x
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Hi Sian what did the vet say she'd found? I honestly don't think the wound looks that bad, he's probably had a lot of tissue removed this time as the vet wanted to clear it all up. Best thing to do is not to touch it in any way, there might be a little swelling (Oedema) later which is natural but that should go down after a few days x
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I'm glad you don't think it looks that bad. I've been really panicking. He woofed some grass down and has picked at his hay and ate 2 nuggets so ate least he's not completely refusing food. I spoke to the vet briefly on the phone, thinking I would see her in person when I picked Hugo up but it was the nurse and the vet had gone home. She said the lumps where dead fat? So I'm unsure of whether there was even any pus but will ask in more detail when I can speak to her.

What I'm really concerned about it that she has prescribed vetergesic and I've read online that it's not very good for Guinea pigs as although it helps the pain, it makes them drowsy and not want to eat. Anyone have more info about this?
 
Has she given you it in oral form? I think it's Buprenorphine which I am not a big fan of myself, my piggy Petal had a horrible reaction to it after her spay. If you have Metacam I would stick to that, but if he has had an injection of pain relief at the vets you would usually start the Metacam the following day. I'll tag @Abi_nurse to answer that question.What time was his operation? It is possible it was fat but I would think more likely adhesions/scar tissue from the original incisions x
 
She has given an injection of metacam and an injection of vetergesic and prescribed both of these medications in oral form for me to start in the morning. 0.5ml metacam twice daily and 0.06ml vetergesic (can't remember if this is once or twice daily as I'm in the bath ha). What type of reaction did she have @Poppy'sMum? I would rather just give the metacam after the few things I've read but don't want him to be in pain. His surgery was at about 2.30pm today
 
My piggy became very unresponsive, I picked her up & fluid poured out of her bottom parts, she wasn't moving or even blinking :( However after 3 days in intensive vet care she was fine after that, but I have heard people say their piggies wouldn't eat after being given it, so it's difficult to know, it was possible it was just her reaction to it (She also couldn't tolerate Zitromax either) so I wouldn't let that put you off giving it, especially as he has already had some today with no ill effects :) x
 
Sian25 said:
Absolutely heartbroken. He's not going to make it through is he?

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Poor boy! That looks like a huge abscess... Can you please confirm whether your vet has removed it surgically so tehre is no chance of it coming back this time?

He has every chance of making it. The scar should knit within 10-14 days. ;)

Please follow our tips for post op care and syringe feeding if necessary. Contact your vet asap if Hugo is suddenly very apathetic or doesn't pick up. Try your best to not listen to any horror stories and concentrate your energy on sending Hugo healing vibes. You care is important, as much as what your vet has done.
 
Wiebke said:
Poor boy! That looks like a huge abscess... Can you please confirm whether your vet has removed it surgically so tehre is no chance of it coming back this time?

He has every chance of making it. The scar should knit within 10-14 days. ;)

Please follow our tips for post op care and syringe feeding if necessary. Contact your vet asap if Hugo is suddenly very apathetic or doesn't pick up. Try your best to not listen to any horror stories and concentrate your energy on sending Hugo healing vibes. You care is important, as much as what your vet has done.
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I didn't get to speak to the vet properly as I hoped but from what I gather, there was no abscess but dead fat instead. I'm not 100% on this until I get to speak to her

@Wiebke the vet has prescribed vetergesic alongside metacam but I've heard awful things about it. Do you have anymore info?

@Poppy'sMum that sounds horrifying. So glad your girl recovered in the end
 
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