Rosie is Limping

[PooksiedAnimals]

She is a cutie!

I do know that fur color can change over time. Its happened with a couple of my pigs (but usually going grey!).

I have to wonder still about possible cysts. I think now that she's feeling better from the heart meds, that she has enough energy to act out on the hormone imbalance. I know Eclair was rumbley all the time before she was diagnosed with ovarian cysts.

Good luck with her.

[Webs]

Just a thought, but could it be that this is how she should look like and was just too pale before?

[Trick]

Ah, I hadn't thought of that Webs but that might well be it. She'd perhaps never been dark enough long enough before for it to be noticeable. It doesn't seem to be a symptom of anything or a side effect to any of her medication at least so I think it's either like you say, that this is how she should have been anyway, or just her colour changing with age like you say PooksiedAnimals.

I think that's pretty much put my mind at rest really, I guess Rosie was always going to look like a cat burglar with that face mask after all!

Now just to keep an eye on the rumbling... thanks for the luck!

[jarbax]

Just read through the last couple of pages - what a roller coaster! I feel exhausted - can only imagine what it must have been like for you!

SO glad to hear that Rosie has got her energy back, and is obviously responding positively to the heart medication! Must be such a relief!

I hope the rumbling is not a symptom of ovarian/hormone troubles and she settles down again - but know you will be keeping a close eye on her, you have done really well for her over all this!

[Trick]

Almost ten days of rumbling and humping now. Today at nail clipping time one of her nipples had some dark flakey crusty bits on near the base to about half way up :/ They came away with some gentle rubbing and didn't seem to have any smell - I was sniffing to make sure it wasn't sat in poo. Is it even possible to get sat in poo on nipples? I dunno.

I'm pretty upset but I feel like I should be acting now rather than waiting? But I also don't want to jump the gun after all we've been through with her heart. If the nipple is crusty will it re-crust?

[PooksiedAnimals]

My guess is, they're recrust.

Sorry that you, and Rosie, are going through all of this.

[Trick]

Thanks Pooksied, and for all your support - it helps so much :)

This afternoons check showed nothing unusual but I'll be checking her again this evening. I'm torn between worrying that if it is cysts I need to act fast, and that if it isn't I don't want to put her through the stress of a vet visit.

[Trick]

We went to the vets today and the although the vet couldn't feel anything with a physical examination she wanted us to get her scanned again.

I'm going to take her in on Thursday for another x-ray and ultrasound but I've decided that it will be with the instruction that if they can't do the x-ray without sedation then I want it skipped completely. We feel that even if an ultrasound doesn't show anything we may have to make the decision to spay anyway and so would rather any sedation outside an operation be avoided.

Her symptoms are constant rumbling, sexual aggression, one nipple having been crusty once properly and once slightly, as well as her genitalia being swollen/enlarged according to the vet. She isn't happy with the rumbling at all and the discomfort both she and the other girls are suffering as a result makes me think that a spay is really the best option. Because something is obviously wrong.

For a spay I will probably go to another practice once I've found a vet with a good deal of experience and success in guinea pig spays. Our vets are more experienced with rabbits.

I'll do some searching of the forums and see if anyone else has had their pig spayed based mostly on the constant rumbling and sexual aggression.

[Trick]

Rosie is going in to be spayed next Tuesday. We are using the vet who sees to the piggies in the local guinea pig rescue who comes highly recommended. He went over it all with my partner, reminding him of the risks and so on. I feel terribly guilty but I know it needs doing. She's started biting and scratching at her sides and she's miserable living on her own but she's too aggressive to house with anyone at all now.

I'm very scared about the whole thing, I couldn't bear to lose my little girl.

[Bugs Mom]

Fingers and paws crossed here for little Rosie. In the hands of a good vet her chances will be good.

[Tracis]

We will be thinking of you and Rosie next Tuesday, and also sending some positive thoughts. She's a lovely girl.

[PooksiedAnimals]

Ugh. Its so hard to be where you're at. I think you're doing the right thing, though. Good luck with Rosie, and I hope all goes well without a hitch.