• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Worrying times....

Status
Not open for further replies.
mork

mork

Joined
Sep 24, 2009
Messages
147
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Location
Stoke on Trent
Hi
about a month ago we adopted a female pig called Dolly to keep out other female company (Mabel). Dolly is about 8mths old.
2 weeks ago we noticed a lump under Dolly's chin and took her to the vet's to be checked. He thought it was an abcess and luckily it was.
The lump was lanced and drained under GA on Tuesday. Since when she has sort of being doing ok.
The hole was left open to drain and we were told to keep them separate because apparently piggies can carry an infection that is harmful to other pigs. We were told to keep them apart for up to 10 days. This caused a massive drama as we only had 1 indoor cage. We ended up having to trade ours in for a 2 tier one which cost an extra £50 on top of the £40 vet's fee!
Then we had to fix the 2 tier one so that the hole to the upper floor was blocked so that Mabel could go on top and Dolly below. This was because we were told that even bedding or bits of hay transferring from one cage to the other could cause infection!
Anyway the hole has healed really quickly which leaves me wondering if a) some of the infection is sealed in and we will back to square 1 (cannot afford another £40!) or b) is all well and can they go back together again?
When they can go back together again my daughter will make bannisters for the ramp so that there is no chance of any falls. Mabel loves the penthouse and is particularly keen on the mezzanine which she leaps on and off from with wild abandon. She is now the size of a house and if she doesn't produce any babies in the near future (we have reason to suspect she may) is definitely a very overweight piggy!
Anyway, back to Dolly. Since her op she has not been eating so well and I have started syringe feeding today. I weighed her today and was v shocked to discover that she has lost 100g since coming to us. I don't know if that is all down to the abcess and the op etc or also partly to blame with Mabel being so greedy and pinching half the food when they were in the same cage although we worked hard to make sure Dolly was getting her share.
Fortunately Dolly has accepted the syringe ok so hopefully we can build her up. But now I am worried that her teeth will grow too long as she is only nibbling on hard food although she is eating hay I think but next to no nuggets or brunch.
I know in these cases it can take only a matter of days for the teeth to grow so much that they make eating painful or difficult.
I am in Stoke on Trent and the only person I know who can trim teeth without anaesthetic, who is very kind and helpful, is a long way a way the other side of Birmingham so someone nearer would be very helpful as I don't want her to have another anaesthetic if at all possible. I will take her to Brum if I have to but am trying to keep costs down as we are both disabled and only have our benefits to live on. Does anyone know of anyone any nearer to Stoke?
We've had a sad time this year, losing our first 2 piggies within weeks of each other and I am desperate that Dolly and Mabel should live long and healthy lives.:...
 
Hi, sorry you're having a rough time of it all.

First of all, the abscess. It's good that it's healed so quickly, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. All you can do now is wait and see and return the pig to the vets if you think the abscess is returning.

Next, you say Mabel may be pregnant. Is there any chance at all that Dolly could be a boy? If you are expecting babies you should be prepared to keep them seperate, rehome them or buy extra accomodation.

You don't need to syringe feed Dolly if she is eating already by herself. This could cause her to become lazy and complacement and rely entirely on syringe feeding. Good foods for building pigs up are dry bran, dry porridge oats and beetroot, as well as hay and lots of it. If she isn't eating well, you may need to take her to the vets ASAP as there could be an underlying condition. I would only syringe feed if eating stops entirely, is she still passing large poos as normal etc? Also worth a try is a probiotic from Pets at Home called Vetark Pro-C Probiotic, it's good stuff.

Hope this helps. :)
 
What caused the abscess?
Head and neck abscesses are difficult to treat/cure.
It is possible, indeed desirable, to drain an abscess without the need for a general anaesthetic.
Has she still got both of her lower front teeth intact?
 
Tracyxx said:
Hi, sorry you're having a rough time of it all.

First of all, the abscess. It's good that it's healed so quickly, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. All you can do now is wait and see and return the pig to the vets if you think the abscess is returning.

Next, you say Mabel may be pregnant. Is there any chance at all that Dolly could be a boy? If you are expecting babies you should be prepared to keep them seperate, rehome them or buy extra accomodation.

You don't need to syringe feed Dolly if she is eating already by herself. This could cause her to become lazy and complacement and rely entirely on syringe feeding. Good foods for building pigs up are dry bran, dry porridge oats and beetroot, as well as hay and lots of it. If she isn't eating well, you may need to take her to the vets ASAP as there could be an underlying condition. I would only syringe feed if eating stops entirely, is she still passing large poos as normal etc? Also worth a try is a probiotic from Pets at Home called Vetark Pro-C Probiotic, it's good stuff.

Hope this helps. :)
Click to expand...

No, Dolly is definitelynot a boy as Nutmeg says :) Whether or not Mabel is pregnant is down to another piggie, now deceased poor lamb - she was a he! Ohh, its a long story. But anyway we have a little longer to wait to have exhausted the window of opportunity and be really sure that Mabel is not carrying! Hopefully not. But yes we are prepared re separation etc.

I kknow what you mean about syringe feeding making her lazy but I was so shocked by her weight loss. Also, as she is a big fan of burrowing and thus had large quantities of hay it is difficult to know how much of it she is eating. Today I mananged to tempt her with a few washed dandelion leaves, she has also had a pretty good chomp on some cucumber but ignored her bit of apple - usually a favourite - and has not wanted cabbage or parsley for a few days. Carrot is nibbled but not eaten much.
She is still doing normal poos tho.
I've got the Vetark Pro-C Probiotic but as she drinks next to nothing - Mabel doesn't drink either - I just waste it in the water bottles lol. Also, I was told by someone "in the know" that it is rendered inert as soon as it comes in contact with the metal bottle spout!

Please tell me more about the dry bran - is that the fine stuff you get to put in baking? And beetroot - raw I presume? that's probably a really daft ? isn't it? I will get some porridge tomorrow and beetroot if its available - I presume its the big flakes of prorridge that are best?
Thanks for your advice and support. its very helpful and kind. x
 
alcesterpigs said:
What caused the abscess?
Head and neck abscesses are difficult to treat/cure.
It is possible, indeed desirable, to drain an abscess without the need for a general anaesthetic.
Has she still got both of her lower front teeth intact?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how she got the abcess. I did notice a lump within a day or 2 of Dolly coming to us but I thought it first it was what I call a "woggle" you know when they have like a fatty "turkey" neck? But it grew so I soon realised it wasn't.
I'm sure yoou are right about the draining without anaesthetic - in fact we had to wait a few days for the op to be scheduled and when I changed her bed each day in the interim I began to notice small amounts of what I thought was pus. But having just lost 2 of my beloveds I was super paranoid and carried on with veterinary intervention. With hindsight tho, I think it may well have opened itself and that we might have been able to help the drainage along ourselves.
She does have both her front teeth yes.

Thank you for your support. x
 
furryfriends said:
My vet has had excellent results in the treatment of abscesses using the antibiotic Zithromax. PM me if you need any further info about this.
Click to expand...

I don't know what antibiotic was used but I do know the abcess was pumped full of antibiotic once it was cleaned.
 
What do you think about.......

What do you all think about the separation/infection issue? If the hole has closed can they/should they go back together/
I think Dolly might eat more if she had to compete with greedy Mabel again. And I do think they miss being together a bit although it was always a "marriage of convenience" where Mabel was concerned, lol.
Also, given that they are now living apart but closely - do you think they will actually want to go back together or might there be friction as there was when they started out?
thanks x
 
Can you feel any heat at the abscess site? This is usually a good indicator of infection. The best way to give the probiotics is to syringe it to them a few times a day (keeping the solution in the fridge for upto 24 hours). Sweetcorn is also good for putting on weight. You will probably be best reintroducing them as though they have never met before, neutral territory, clean cages etc etc
 
With abscesses there can sometimes be a false recovery of sorts, initially - it heals over and seem to be doing well then it refills a week or two later. It does not always happen in fast-healing abscesses though, sometimes it only needs to be lanced and drained once, squeezed for a few days and it heals up for good very quickly. It is not uncommon for it to refill though so don't be disheartened if it does!

The "rule" I went by with the abscesses I came across in my pigs, is to leave the hole open for at least a day after the pus has stopped filling the cavity. The area was thoroughly squeezed and flushed 2-3 times daily and only left to heal over once I'd had a full 24 hours of no pus buildups. I still felt the area twice daily to feel for any new lumps which would suggest it was refilling; in the first day or two after the skin heals over the top it remains fairly weak and bursts more easily if the pus puts enough pressure on it. It is by no means a hard and fast rule - just a rough guide I went by.

I also never separated the abscess pigs from the others. I have heard the concerns your vet told you of, and I think if one of the other pigs was showing any interest in licking the wound and pus then I would separate until the skin healed over. Since Dolly's skin has healed over, even though you are unsure if the abscess with return, I think you can put Dolly and Mabel back together.
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
With abscesses there can sometimes be a false recovery of sorts, initially - it heals over and seem to be doing well then it refills a week or two later. It does not always happen in fast-healing abscesses though, sometimes it only needs to be lanced and drained once, squeezed for a few days and it heals up for good very quickly. It is not uncommon for it to refill though so don't be disheartened if it does!

The "rule" I went by with the abscesses I came across in my pigs, is to leave the hole open for at least a day after the pus has stopped filling the cavity. The area was thoroughly squeezed and flushed 2-3 times daily and only left to heal over once I'd had a full 24 hours of no pus buildups. I still felt the area twice daily to feel for any new lumps which would suggest it was refilling; in the first day or two after the skin heals over the top it remains fairly weak and bursts more easily if the pus puts enough pressure on it. It is by no means a hard and fast rule - just a rough guide I went by.

I also never separated the abscess pigs from the others. I have heard the concerns your vet told you of, and I think if one of the other pigs was showing any interest in licking the wound and pus then I would separate until the skin healed over. Since Dolly's skin has healed over, even though you are unsure if the abscess with return, I think you can put Dolly and Mabel back together.
Click to expand...

Ok, well I confess not to have squeezed! Not because I'm squeamish but because I was only told to bathe the open wound which I hvae done of course. I think you are probably right about it closing and then possibly refilling so I'll have a good old feel and gentle squeeze later see what results flushing if necessary.
I think also I will try them together on the floor tonight if all is ok with the abcess as the sooner they are back together the better.
I daren't tell my daughter what you and AP have said about them being together tho as she paid the extra £50 for the bigger cage while I paid the vet's bill!
Still at least they now have even more room and a penthouse to boot. Oh, just reallised, can't put them back together until we have adapted the new one to make sure the ramp is safe for piggies.....good grief!
Do you know when I was young (I am a grumpy old woman now) I had a piggy who lived in a hutch outside with no luxuries and not even a great deal of attention and he lived to be a grand old age.
Piggies these days seem to be so much more frail - I never realised when we decided to rescue a couple 3 years ago and its been fraught pretty much ever since!
Not that I would NOT have them you understand we love them to bits. But its just so much harder than I remember!
Thanks to all for your support, advice and understanding. Its amazing how much there is to learn always. x
 
I understand what you mean! It is quite something how some pigs can live without any luxuries, only the most basic needs met, and live a long life and some of the most carefully looked after pigs can have one problem after another. One of life's completely illogical mysteries! Perhaps there are more cases of in-bred piggies since guinea pigs became more mainstream, more people without the necessary research bred pigs and got in over their heads...maybe. We can only speculate on the reasons why but it does seem that some pigs are more hardy than others.

It's also apparent that a lot more thought is put into guinea pig care now than it was 15 or 20 years ago, my mum often tells of how it was back in the 70s when she had a guinea pig and it could not be any more different than it is now.
 
Last edited:
Re: separation

check out this thread before you jump and put them together. Cervical Lympnoma is contagious when the abscess bursts. When I had Patches here and realised he had an abscess on his neck, I separated him to protect the other four boars from him. Poor Patches was under strict quarantine regulations in the living room.

Quarantine especially if you don't know what caused the abscess in the first place, and if you can, try to get a culture on the abscess to see exactly what caused it.

http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?p=160439
 
Drama again but some good news too

Hi
Please excuse the length of this post - I need tell our tale!

blimey what a day! There's never a dull moment with our guinea pigs!

First an update on Dolly and her abcess! All explorations show that the abcess has disappeared completely - although I am not trusting to luck as it usually proves me wrong. But there is only a bit of loose skin where the abcess was and a completely healed over hole.
Yesterday I raided Aldi for practically the whole of their veggie range. And am delighted to say she began to eat - first on mixed salad leaves - then a pretty good go at a small carrot - and then devoured with great pleasure some sweetcorn leaves. She also chomped down some cucumber and a bit of apple. However she is still showing little interest in brunch/excel.
Today she continued to eat and included some cauliflower leaves and flowers for variety!
Knowing its "big clean out" day and that the abcess site was healed (and having not read the links supplied by teadragon) I decided to put Dolly and Mabel in the play pen. Basically they just ignored each other abnd chomped on to their treats.

At this point I must go back in time a little - a couple of months ago a very helpful guinea pig contact of mine who was helping me with another piggy (now over the rainbow :( ) took a look at Mabel who had only been with us a short time. It was a bit of a shock when he said he was 40% certain she was pregnant. No, actually it was a HUGE shock, as I don't believe in bringing more animals into a world where so many are unwanted.
Anyway, we did as he suggested - got her a new friend - Dolly - and brought them inside. Then began feeding Mabel whatever she wanted. She took to the new regime with gusto and piled on the pounds. But time passed and passed and I began to think as I said before that she was having us on, She's always been greedy anyway.....

Then 2 weeks ago when we took Dolly to the vets with her lump I asked him to look at Mabel and see if there was any chance she was pregnant. He said he could feel nothing other than a fat belly - and he's supposed to be very knowledgeable and experienced about cavies.
I know you can guess what's coming but please bear with me - I need to unload.......later last night Mabel went quiet - she is NEVER quiet and didn't rush out hoping for food every ten mins. I was worried by this and kept checking her to see if all was well - she seemed fine - just kept giving me "funny" looks (I swear - she looked quizzical!).

So, as I've said I scooped her up and plonked her in the pen with Dolly. She was completely her old self and jumped around enthusiastically. I returned to bed cleaning and found - of course you've guessed - 2 babies! Even tho I had half expected it for ages it was still a massive shock!
Baby no 1 is HUGE - 4 & 1 eigth oz! Totally independent and interested in anything that looks edible. But baby no 2 - oh dear - TINY! Literallly half the weight of its sibling and very weak and unhappy.
So we did the obvious thing - panicked! How to keep little babe alive? - it didn't seem the right time to repeat all the reading up I'd done (and forgotten) 2 months ago.
Luckily for me the contact I referred to earlier was at the end of the phone to give help and support and he put me in touch with a lady who is an expert in rearing sad little babes.
At her instruction we have put Mabel and both babies in a much smaller bed - previously she had room to ignore the littley and that she had clearly done. Then she said to give Mabel LOADS of wet food - as in juicy - to encourage lactation. Unfortunately Mabel only has one teat - heaven knows why - but luckily big boy (he MUST be a boar he is so big) is already very independent and he has obviously had more than his fair share inside the womb!
We were then told to put them in the quietest, darkest room possible, cover the bed with a towel and position Dolly, in another bed, right next to them so she can share in the smells and sounds. For 2 disabled people at this point it got a bit hectic I can tell you - rushing round finding suitable beds and making space in my daughter's bedroom.
So we got them settled. But we weren't holding out much hope for littley. That was a good few hours ago and my daughter had just gone up to bed. So we checked them with trepidation expecting the worst BUT littley is looking better and Mabel is looking less freaked out!:(|) At this point we also replenished the mountain of food she had already consumed. Thank you God of new mother guinea pigs! Tho I suspect we have a ways to go with tiny tot......
BUT an unfortunate aspect of all this drama is that it has totally unsettled Dolly. She clearly is not happy with her new living accomodation and has eaten nothing of the delights provided. So now I'm worried about her again.
She's not a water drinker and she needs her cucumber etc for water!
Currently I don't know how to feel - excited or scared?

Sorry for going on so much - but its been a dramatic day - and I needed to talk x>>
 
OK well BIG HUGS to you! and minikisses to piggies and will keep my fingerscrossed for the littlest one! Hope the abscess does not return and you are in the clear! Best wishes
 
Gosh more hugs to you that's quite a day!

I hope you manage to deal with everyone, sounds stressful.

If you get any photos of the babies I'd love to see them, see the difference in size. I already feel sorry for the littley.

Fingers crossed they are okay and Dolly starts eating again.

x
 
Updates

Thank you for your good wishes.
More updates on the pregnany & labour thread. Hope to post some pix later too.
x>>
 
Dolly update...

Today, for the first time since she came to us, Dolly has wheeked for food!:(|)
She's having her r &r in her big cage (instead of the cat carrier where she has to spend her nights so that she and Mabel & babes don't forget each other) and I was in the sitting room and she called to me. I was so shocked I thought ssomething was wrong! And she has just been "killing" some spring greens.
So she must be better! Hooray.
Thanks to everyone for help and support. -c
 
HOOORAY! That's excellent news bless her.

Happy for you :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top