Sakura - Medical Thread
Sakura is a beautiful guinea pig. I did not know abyssinians sometimes have long hair. Keep us posted.
My Rubypea has exactly this bilateral hair loss.
She has received "HRT" therapy in the past and I am going to discuss further treatments with Vedra at CCT but so far it has failed to halt the hair loss. Consequently her flanks are completely bald.
I would only want to consider surgery if her condition was/became life limiting.
She has received "HRT" therapy in the past and I am going to discuss further treatments with Vedra at CCT but so far it has failed to halt the hair loss. Consequently her flanks are completely bald.
I would only want to consider surgery if her condition was/became life limiting.
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- Let Sleeping Pigs Lie
Thank you for the good thoughts and well wishes!
Sakura is back from the vet's office. She is healthy, except for the possible cysts and hairloss.
The first thing on Dr. Wright's list of possibilities is ovarian cysts. He recommended a few other tests to rule out other possibilities (parasites, fungus).
He did not find anything in the fecal float. The fungal test results will not be available for 10 days.
He said that her belly felt a bit rounder than he would prefer, but that could mean that she is changing as she ages, or ovarian cysts.
He was not able to palpate any cysts, but he said they could still be present, just very small.
The recommendations for ovarian cysts (if the fungal test is negative):
1. Drain cysts periodically. This will not stop hairloss, of course.
2. Surgical spay.
3. Hormone therapy.
He said that hormone therapy can get expensive for the monthly shots of Lupron. A few of his patients can go as long as 3 months between injections.
I thought that other GL members had been able to wait longer between hormone shots? I will have to do some reading.
Sakura has a recheck on the 18th.
I feel a little confused.
Everyone at Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital was very nice and caring. It was very pleasant in their quiet waiting room. We even had the opportunity to admire some other "exotic" patients -- a gorgeous blue and gold macaw, and a handsome potbelly pig.
Sakura is back from the vet's office. She is healthy, except for the possible cysts and hairloss.
The first thing on Dr. Wright's list of possibilities is ovarian cysts. He recommended a few other tests to rule out other possibilities (parasites, fungus).
He did not find anything in the fecal float. The fungal test results will not be available for 10 days.
He said that her belly felt a bit rounder than he would prefer, but that could mean that she is changing as she ages, or ovarian cysts.
He was not able to palpate any cysts, but he said they could still be present, just very small.
The recommendations for ovarian cysts (if the fungal test is negative):
1. Drain cysts periodically. This will not stop hairloss, of course.
2. Surgical spay.
3. Hormone therapy.
He said that hormone therapy can get expensive for the monthly shots of Lupron. A few of his patients can go as long as 3 months between injections.
I thought that other GL members had been able to wait longer between hormone shots? I will have to do some reading.
Sakura has a recheck on the 18th.
I feel a little confused.
Everyone at Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital was very nice and caring. It was very pleasant in their quiet waiting room. We even had the opportunity to admire some other "exotic" patients -- a gorgeous blue and gold macaw, and a handsome potbelly pig.
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- Let Sleeping Pigs Lie
During the appointment, the doctor gave me the impression that this wasn't an urgent situation.
Before I made the appointment, I felt that a spay was the best choice, because I still thought of Sakura as "young 3 year old".
Dr. Wright was honest about surgical risks, and how some guinea pigs can develop serious problems after a successful surgery.
Perhaps the best thing to do is wait and monitor her condition, and use Lupron when/if other problems develop.
Before I made the appointment, I felt that a spay was the best choice, because I still thought of Sakura as "young 3 year old".
Dr. Wright was honest about surgical risks, and how some guinea pigs can develop serious problems after a successful surgery.
Perhaps the best thing to do is wait and monitor her condition, and use Lupron when/if other problems develop.
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- For the Love of Pigs
Last spring our vet discovered ovarian cysts in Celia. He gave her a series of 2 sets of shots and she's still doing fine in that department. However he said at the time that the shots work for some cysts and not for others and couldn't predict how it would turn out for Celia.
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- You can quote me
Ditto Bookfan. The shots work for some pigs and not others; some cysts and not others, and for varying periods of time. I wouldn't necessarily assume it will be a once-monthly injection. It could be less. It could be more.
I am very very very scared of spays. One, I don't have a vet here I would even remotely trust to do one, and that has a lot to do with my attitude. Granted, I'd probably look at it differently if I did. But their ovaries are in a very awkward place surgically ... up and behind, near their backs, sorta analogous to where our kidneys are. Thus, to do a spay the vet essentially has to dig through, or dump out, their entire GI tract, then hope the GI resumes working properly once stuffed back in and closed.
With an animal whose GI is as sensitive, and such a major part of their mass and their metabolism, as a guinea pig I'd just want to try the shots first. IMO *only*.
I am very very very scared of spays. One, I don't have a vet here I would even remotely trust to do one, and that has a lot to do with my attitude. Granted, I'd probably look at it differently if I did. But their ovaries are in a very awkward place surgically ... up and behind, near their backs, sorta analogous to where our kidneys are. Thus, to do a spay the vet essentially has to dig through, or dump out, their entire GI tract, then hope the GI resumes working properly once stuffed back in and closed.
With an animal whose GI is as sensitive, and such a major part of their mass and their metabolism, as a guinea pig I'd just want to try the shots first. IMO *only*.