Then don't let him do it. Guinea pig spays are very complicated, and there's a 20% mortality rate in general I believe.but her vet has also never done a spay on a Guinea Pig.
Very puzzled
Thank you Mum. As I said, her vet and I have discussed this but I don't know of anyone else in the area who would be qualified either. There is one other in my town who might be qualified and I've met her but was not too impressed.
Unfortunately, here GP's seem to be "starter" or "throw away" pets. When I take the Bug for a walk many people think she's a hamster!
She is her vets longest and only return GP. He almost never sees a GP twice as people just don't bring them back. I envy you your medical resources. At least her vet is willing to listen and learn. He doesn't get all hung up with ego.
Unfortunately, here GP's seem to be "starter" or "throw away" pets. When I take the Bug for a walk many people think she's a hamster!
She is her vets longest and only return GP. He almost never sees a GP twice as people just don't bring them back. I envy you your medical resources. At least her vet is willing to listen and learn. He doesn't get all hung up with ego.
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
I would never let anyone experienced do a spay. I had a very experienced vet work on Eclair, and I lost her after a week of battling to recover from the spay. The vet was very unhappy about it. I knew she had ovarian cysts, from her symptoms, even if the cysts were tiny on the ovaries. But once the vet opened her up for the spay, she discovered the uterus was cystic. As a bonus (sarcasm, here), it was very well adhered to her, and the vet had an awful time getting it all clean.
It was a tough surgery. And as I said, Eclair never quite recovered. Made me wish I had followed my instincts and done it 9 months earlier. Doesn't guarantee a better outcome, but it would have been that much less time to let things grow.
Athena was showing symptoms of a heart pig, with heavy breathing. But her weight stayed up, and they determined she didn't have fluid in her lungs. But one of the xrays, they saw a mass in her chest. It was in an area that no one felt comfortable operating on. They gave her only a few months... which was pretty close. It was pretty far along. She died in my arms as I debated whether the drive to the vet to be pts would kill her from stress before even getting there. I was extremely grateful she took the decision out of my hands.
<sigh> This was a depressing post. Sorry.
It was a tough surgery. And as I said, Eclair never quite recovered. Made me wish I had followed my instincts and done it 9 months earlier. Doesn't guarantee a better outcome, but it would have been that much less time to let things grow.
Athena was showing symptoms of a heart pig, with heavy breathing. But her weight stayed up, and they determined she didn't have fluid in her lungs. But one of the xrays, they saw a mass in her chest. It was in an area that no one felt comfortable operating on. They gave her only a few months... which was pretty close. It was pretty far along. She died in my arms as I debated whether the drive to the vet to be pts would kill her from stress before even getting there. I was extremely grateful she took the decision out of my hands.
<sigh> This was a depressing post. Sorry.
I'm sorry PooksiedAnimals. I don't mean to depress anyone. As I said earlier, I've been a "lurker" for a long time and now I remember your thread. I was agonizing along with you. It was a tough outcome but one of those things you just can't predict. Eclair had some bad complications.
Anyway, I just don't know what to do about the Bug. Her doctor has actually done surgery on her eye when she was about 5 mos old. No, that's nothing like a spay, I know! He did a great job for someone who had never done surgery on a GP and today, you'd never know anything was ever wrong. That's what makes me think that he would be extremely careful and do the best job, but the surgery itself scares me. I know that the fur babies are very tough to do surgeries on. Goodness.
Right now she is beginning to act normal again and chowing down on her hay. Maybe this episode will last less than 24 hours. When they're done you would never know she had not felt unwell. It's nuts and driving me crazy!
Anyway, I just don't know what to do about the Bug. Her doctor has actually done surgery on her eye when she was about 5 mos old. No, that's nothing like a spay, I know! He did a great job for someone who had never done surgery on a GP and today, you'd never know anything was ever wrong. That's what makes me think that he would be extremely careful and do the best job, but the surgery itself scares me. I know that the fur babies are very tough to do surgeries on. Goodness.
Right now she is beginning to act normal again and chowing down on her hay. Maybe this episode will last less than 24 hours. When they're done you would never know she had not felt unwell. It's nuts and driving me crazy!
"It's also the regularity that disturbs me."
I'll tell you what works for me, is to start a chart. Sounds like something is nagging at you, sorta subconsciously, that you are noticing.
Human memory is a tricky thing, though, and so writing stuff down on each date it happens, and making note of diet that day, any unusual happenings, etc, helps me to *identify a pattern.* I've often figured out what something is, when veterinary diagnostics have failed, by doing careful charting.
I'll tell you what works for me, is to start a chart. Sounds like something is nagging at you, sorta subconsciously, that you are noticing.
Human memory is a tricky thing, though, and so writing stuff down on each date it happens, and making note of diet that day, any unusual happenings, etc, helps me to *identify a pattern.* I've often figured out what something is, when veterinary diagnostics have failed, by doing careful charting.
That's a good idea Klynne instead of trying to rely on my memory. It might not be something that she ate or did on that day. It could be something two days prior that was just a little out of the ordinary and I'm not remembering. Thank you.
See, I knew I came to the right place (smiles).
See, I knew I came to the right place (smiles).
My Inca has uncomfortable "episodes" periodically, and they seem to be GI-related (much gas and/or slow motility). With meds and TLC she's pulled through a number of times, but my vet and I haven't been able to determine the cause (there's a thread somewhere). We suspect adhesions from her spay 2 years ago.
But if your piggy's Xrays don't show gas, I guess that's probably not the problem in your little one. Some piggies fluff up when cold, though your descriptions of "hunched" and not eating sounds more uncomfortable than that. Geez, hope you figure it out! Careful notes sounds like a good idea.
But if your piggy's Xrays don't show gas, I guess that's probably not the problem in your little one. Some piggies fluff up when cold, though your descriptions of "hunched" and not eating sounds more uncomfortable than that. Geez, hope you figure it out! Careful notes sounds like a good idea.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
" ... lettuce from a truck farm whose quality is great. Their stuff is pretty much local and tend to be the same suppliers that sell at our local Farmers' Market which is completely organic."
Okay, this is gonna be waaayyy out there but by any chance did this coincide with the recent freeze in Northern California that destroyed so many crops? Could she have gotten a bit of frozen lettuce leaf? As I understand it (and I am no botanist), freezing actually breaks down and destroys the leaves of plants like lettuce, essentially decaying them.
Barring something like that, one of ours was diagnosed with "acquired megacolon" and experienced cyclical spells with some similarities to what you describe.
1. If she's drinking nothing at all, where is she getting her fluids? Are you syringing her, subcue-ing her, giving her additional fruits and wet vegetables ... ?
2. Is she defecating okay?
I strongly second the notes/chart/find a pattern suggestion.
Okay, this is gonna be waaayyy out there but by any chance did this coincide with the recent freeze in Northern California that destroyed so many crops? Could she have gotten a bit of frozen lettuce leaf? As I understand it (and I am no botanist), freezing actually breaks down and destroys the leaves of plants like lettuce, essentially decaying them.
Barring something like that, one of ours was diagnosed with "acquired megacolon" and experienced cyclical spells with some similarities to what you describe.
1. If she's drinking nothing at all, where is she getting her fluids? Are you syringing her, subcue-ing her, giving her additional fruits and wet vegetables ... ?
2. Is she defecating okay?
I strongly second the notes/chart/find a pattern suggestion.
Sorry, had to do some work today and just got back.
Tracy the Bug is peeing and pooping like a real champ even on her "bad" days. Nothing has slowed down nor is there any obnxious gas coming from her. The ultra sound showed everything as being normal. Good idea though.
Talishan, the problem actually started in late Feb after the freezes. Since I grow as much of her lettuce as I can I know what frozen lettuce looks like. Actually, once the leaf has been frozen, it's impossible to bring it back to it's original appearance. The cell wall just break down too much.
Her not drinking water. That's a story. Just a few days after her 4th b'day she just up and decided she didn't want to drink anymore. She never was a big drinker. I used to give her 1 1/2 cups of greens a day. I gave her two days without drinking water and then zipped her into her vet. He told me it was ok as once in awhile an animal just doesn't like to drink. She now gets at least 3 cups of greens a day which is actually more than she eats. I still give her a bottle of water every night which is never touched by morning. She does have a mind of her own I'll give her that!
This is actually why I wanted particular attention paid to her bladder and kidneys when she got her physical.
Tracy the Bug is peeing and pooping like a real champ even on her "bad" days. Nothing has slowed down nor is there any obnxious gas coming from her. The ultra sound showed everything as being normal. Good idea though.
Talishan, the problem actually started in late Feb after the freezes. Since I grow as much of her lettuce as I can I know what frozen lettuce looks like. Actually, once the leaf has been frozen, it's impossible to bring it back to it's original appearance. The cell wall just break down too much.
Her not drinking water. That's a story. Just a few days after her 4th b'day she just up and decided she didn't want to drink anymore. She never was a big drinker. I used to give her 1 1/2 cups of greens a day. I gave her two days without drinking water and then zipped her into her vet. He told me it was ok as once in awhile an animal just doesn't like to drink. She now gets at least 3 cups of greens a day which is actually more than she eats. I still give her a bottle of water every night which is never touched by morning. She does have a mind of her own I'll give her that!
This is actually why I wanted particular attention paid to her bladder and kidneys when she got her physical.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Man, I wish we could grow our own lettuce. How cool is that. I'm envious.
1. Ditto Mum; and
2. If it were me I'd offer her some unflavored Pedialyte via syringe and see if she wants it. A 3cc, 6cc, up to 10 or 12cc works just fine since you're not forcing it, just offering it.
We have one who for the first three years or so we had him didn't drink very much, hardly any at all. He did not appear nor act dehydrated, and he got plenty of wet vegetables, but still. It bothered me.
I offered him some unflavored Pedialyte and he took syringe after syringe after syringe of it. His water bottle now has about 50-50 water and Pedialyte in it, and he drinks, maybe, 6+ oz. per day.
His demeanor, behavior, appearance and energy have all intangibly improved. Nothing I can put my finger on, or could put my finger on as wrong, before. But he's better. I don't know if there's such a thing as subclinical dehydration, but if there is, he had it and he's better now. Bug may benefit from more direct fluid (short of subcue if not yet necessary).
1. Ditto Mum; and
2. If it were me I'd offer her some unflavored Pedialyte via syringe and see if she wants it. A 3cc, 6cc, up to 10 or 12cc works just fine since you're not forcing it, just offering it.
We have one who for the first three years or so we had him didn't drink very much, hardly any at all. He did not appear nor act dehydrated, and he got plenty of wet vegetables, but still. It bothered me.
I offered him some unflavored Pedialyte and he took syringe after syringe after syringe of it. His water bottle now has about 50-50 water and Pedialyte in it, and he drinks, maybe, 6+ oz. per day.
His demeanor, behavior, appearance and energy have all intangibly improved. Nothing I can put my finger on, or could put my finger on as wrong, before. But he's better. I don't know if there's such a thing as subclinical dehydration, but if there is, he had it and he's better now. Bug may benefit from more direct fluid (short of subcue if not yet necessary).
Hi Mum. Her bottle is and always has been the standard Oasis, 16 oz. I think it was the water not the bottle she boycotted. All she ever got was plain, Britta filtered water. Our town has terrible water that I won't drink so there was no way the Bugster was getting any.
Hi Talishan. I've never tried a syringe and I think perhaps I should try. As for what she's had, you name it. I've tried both in her bottle and a small bowl, Pedialyte unflavored, organic carrot juice (which I thought was terrible too), both sweet and unsweetened apple juice and unsweetened as well as sweetened cranberry juice. She loves apples and cranberries from the freezer. She just sniffs all this stuff, tosses her head and ignores the whole thing. I know the sugar isn't good for her but all I was trying to was get her started drinking again. I figured I could switch back to straight water after that.
Hi Talishan. I've never tried a syringe and I think perhaps I should try. As for what she's had, you name it. I've tried both in her bottle and a small bowl, Pedialyte unflavored, organic carrot juice (which I thought was terrible too), both sweet and unsweetened apple juice and unsweetened as well as sweetened cranberry juice. She loves apples and cranberries from the freezer. She just sniffs all this stuff, tosses her head and ignores the whole thing. I know the sugar isn't good for her but all I was trying to was get her started drinking again. I figured I could switch back to straight water after that.
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