Benji's big snip

chii
I Love Lucy

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:54 pm


Well, I did it. I scheduled Benji's neuter for next Thursday. Miss Pea is going in also so Dr. E can x-ray her (to check on the bumblefoot). What should I expect in terms of Benji? They said they keep him overnight that night-- should I press to bring him home, or will he be okay there?

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salana
GL is Just Peachy

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:02 pm


Do they have vets and/or vet techs checking on the animals staying overnight all night long?

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icesprite

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:18 pm


What time is the appointment set for? Is it possible to schedule and early morning one and then bring him home in the evening? That is what we did with Tuck.

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:21 pm


If they aren't around overnight, I would rather have Benji home. My guy came home after his (morning surgery, I picked him up around 3 pm). I would have gone crazy with worry if I didn't get him. It isn't that invasive, so he should do fine at home with you. Pain meds are a must-have. I didn't, and felt so terrible for my guy.

Evangeline

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:13 pm


Yes, unless there is someone to check on him and handfeed him around the clock, bring him home and keep him on pain meds for several days. Meloxicam is probably what I'd use. Many vets like to add a Torb injection rigth after surgery, but I wouldn't repetedly use a narcotic.

Fuzz

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:14 pm


I brought Oliver home the same day and you would have never known he had any surgery. He ate drank and hung around like it was any other day. No pain meds either. I did confine him to a cage for a couple of days as a precaution and to keep him from over doing things though. I'd bring Benji home to his familiar surroundings. Good luck. I hope the surgery is uneventful.

chii
I Love Lucy

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:50 pm


I'll talk to Dr. E about it. The techs aren't there all night, just until about 8 or 9pm and back at 7am. I'd rather bring him home, personally. The tech I spoke to sounded like they wouldn't let me, but I think Dr. E would say it's okay. Yeah, they'll definitely prescribe pain meds. Dr. E is one of the better cavy vets from what I can tell...

I hope he gets over it quickly and easily.

Evangeline

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:25 pm


The tech I spoke to sounded like they wouldn't let me, but I think Dr. E would say it's okay.
Last I checked, vets were providing a service for which you pay through your nose, generally. That makes you a client and the client is always right. It's your pig and you make important decisions, not them. The hell with them, especially if your post-op pig is going to spend the night alone, without supervision and without handfeeding.

Bring that pig home. Don't ask: demand.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:28 pm


Bring him home!

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richardsdm
All for the Hogs

Post   » Wed Oct 06, 2004 1:02 pm


Chii,

I saw this thread but didn't have time to comment on it until today.

I had Lucien neutered there and he stayed the night. (This was before I really knew any better.) If I had to do it over again I would bring him home.

When I went to pick him up the next morning, they said that he had eaten well but still lost weight. They were pretty nervous about this so I asked if he should stay through the day for observations just in case, and the vet tech told me that it would be better for me to take him home because they would be too busy to check on him. They gave me some critical care and I happily took him home. Lucien handled it like a champ and I didn't even have to give him any critical care (he ate a ton of veggies and hay when he got home). If they didn't have time to check on him during business hours and prefered that I take him home, then I can't imagine why they would require him to stay the night.

chii
I Love Lucy

Post   » Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:20 am


I talked to Dr. E when I dropped Benji off this morning. She was *VERY* adamant that the safest option is for him to stay the night. She says they're in the office late and in super-early the next morning. I know this to be true from experience, so I'm not hesitant on that front. I worry about the time inbetween though. In my experience, Avian & Exotic is really great about keeping an eye on the animals during the day. There was one tech who was absolutely in love with Elliot and insisted to be the one who hand-fed him whenever he was there for the day to be looked at for whatever reason.

I have to go back after work to pick up Miss Pea (she's getting an x-ray, blood panel, and exam, and a checkup on the bumblefoot...), so I suppose I could ask about it again then. I trust Dr. E a LOT though, and she's very aware of how capable I am in terms of emergency care-- Remember all the stuff she set me up with for Mr. P? She actually told me to *not* take him back to the dumb ER vet if he had another problem. The fact that she was so insistent that he should stay kind of makes me want to trust her on it. And honestly, he'd probably have better observation there since he'd be there under observation until I get off work tomorrow, whereas if I brought him home, he'd be alone for the entire day while I'm at work.

So, in conclusion... I don't know. I'll decide by this afternoon, I guess. My biggest concern is most likely how he's eating by then. If he's not eating well, I want him where I can hand feed him throughout the night. I could always bring him to work with me tomorrow if I needed to. I've done it before with Elliot. Although I'd feel bad lugging him around... that might be a little stressful.

chii
I Love Lucy

Post   » Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:57 am


Dr. E called about 15 minutes ago. (Wow, that was fast.) Benji's all done and is awake, and seems to be doing well. He's been given pain meds and they're keeping a close eye on him. She's done Miss Pea's x-rays but they're still waiting for the film to develop. They're also waiting on her blood tests. She's going to give me an update on Benji when she calls back again. Apparently Miss Pea also has a blocked tear duct. (I had asked her to look at her eyes as one seemed to be watering.) She flushed it and is prescribing a topical antibiotic just in case there's any inflammation there. She also mentioned that it could have something to do with root elongation, so she'll be looking for that on the x-ray. On the plus side, her teeth still look excellent in every other aspect.

I feel so much better simply knowing that Benji's awake. I was really nervous about this neuter since it's the first time I've had to put a piggy under for surgery.

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