Discharge from a Sow - Is this a mucus plug?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:33 am


Interesting mmeadow - perhaps then I'm overreacting.

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AliceMcmallis
Supporter in '08

Post   » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:58 pm


I've known of a couple of guinea pigs who bled small amounts around the time they were in heat. Diagnostics were done and ruled out anything else - stones, sludge, infection, cancer, etc. Basically they just bled a small amount for a day or two when they were in heat and were totally fine otherwise.

I sent this picture to our vet and she said she doesn't think it could be anything but a mucus plug, but she's never seen such a big one!

I think for now we're just going to keep an eye on her, and if anything changes she'll go in tomorrow morning.

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rshevin

Post   » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:13 pm


How utterly weird. I hope it's nothing!

clotho

Post   » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:50 pm


Update: Twinkie is doing just fine. She has not spotted any blood since yesterday early morning.

She is active, alert, running around with her cagemates, eating, pooping, and peeing just fine. I hadn't seen her drinking, so I soaked her lettuce and veggies to make sure she was getting more fluids.

She runs for the hay when I put it in the cage and seems to be perfectly fine other than that little bit of spotting.

I am keeping a close eye on her, and if anything else develops, she will go to the vet. However, at this point, she seems fine.

clotho

Post   » Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:52 pm


I wanted to post an update about Twinkie. She is in heat again and is spotting blood again. It's exactly the same as last time. There isn't much blood - just slight spotting.

She seems ok otherwise.

The most interesting development is that her sister Sadie (same litter) is also in heat (all my girls go into heat within a couple days of each other) and she is also spotting blood - just like Twinkie!!

I never would have known Sadie was spotting if I hadn't picked her up and specifically checked. I am also checking the mom, Bandit, just to see if she happens to spot as well.

It sure seems that this spotting is related to the girls' heat cycles.

We will be taking both Sadie and Twinkie to see Dr Munn on Saturday. I have the "mucus plug" from Twinkie in a baggie in my fridge still, so I will bring it and let Dr Munn check it out. Hopefully we will have some more info for everyone.

I also wanted to mention that Twinkie has been rumbling non stop when I pick her up and pet her - ever since she lost that mucus plug. Before she lost that, she was only rumbling when in heat. I am a little concerned about ovarian cysts.

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outfoxed98

Post   » Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:41 pm


Ok that is a seriously strange thing to come out of a pig! I believe I found a my Margeys mucus plug after Mable (who I thought at the time was a girl) had obviously mated her. I didn't know what it was at the time but read something in one of my books about it. It was more like a small waxy lump than a huge long thing like that.

I would def seek medical advice just in case. Although unless your vet is really cavy savvy I doubt they'd have a clue either! Plus Marge did have some bloody but ONLY because Mable had mated her. After that I seperated them but to no avail, Marge was already knocked up by then!

Are you 100% sure that one of your herd is not in fact a male?

clotho

Post   » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:15 pm


I appreciate the concern outfoxed, but I am absolutely, 100% certain all the piggies in my girls' cage are females. And my males have NO access to my girls.

I hope to have some more answers after our vet visit on Saturday. Dr Munn is a very cavy savy vet with lots of experience.

This spotting appears to be linked to the girls' heat cycle. And now there are two girls from the same litter experiencing the same thing.

clotho

Post   » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:44 pm


I am not sure if I did this right or not, but hopefully these pictures will come through ok and not be too big.

Here are a couple pictures of my little sweetie, Twinkie:

Image

Image

And here is a picture of her sister, Sadie:

Image

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Athena
Notorious P.I.G.

Post   » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:45 pm


This came out of Dara's vagina years ago when she was a "teenager." I was holding her and noticed something down there kind of hanging out a bit. I gently pulled on it and out this thing came. It's exactly the same as your picture, Clotho, and the same thought occurred to me at the time: it looked just like a condom. It must be a mucous plug. I doubt many of us get to see them in person. They probably usually come out and get lost in the bedding.

Here are my pictures:

Image

Image

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:49 am


Twinkie and Sadie are very beautiful girls, and I hope your vet visit goes well on Saturday.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 09, 2008 9:49 am


How interesting, Athena. May I add these to the thread? Assuming you are right, it might help someone else down the line.

clotho

Post   » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:51 pm


We are back from the vet. I took the mucus plug with me, and our vet did, indeed agree that it was a mucus plug. When she squished it (it was in a plastic baggie) you could see that it was mucus. Now that I know how to post pics on here, I'm going to put two pictures of the mucus plug.

Image

Image

Thank you Athena for posting those pictures. That is exactly like what came out of Twinkie. I think maybe this happens more than we realize, but most times no one ever sees it.

Our vet visit went very well. Both Twinkie and Sadie had a thorough check over. She palpitated, but was unable to feel any cysts.

We have been advised to keep an eye on the girls and see how things develop. If there are any more symptoms of cysts, etc, we will take them back in. We will have to wait to see if both sows continue to spot blood each time they are in heat.

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