Angel has an ear infection and a tumor....she need surgery,

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 2:03 pm


Well, it turns out that Angel has an ear infection...just a regular one, not an inner ear one. She got a shot of Baytril and Baytril cream put in her ears. The vet cleaned out both ears and said she had a lot of gook in their so that may have caused the infection. She prescribed Baytril liquid once a day and Baytril cream in the ears once a day for two weeks. She also said it wasn´t contagious.

Now the bad news...she felt a pea sized tumor under her arm and she had me feel it too. She said it has to come out and be biopsied..the sooner the better. She uses Isuflorane gas for anesthesia. I will let her do the surgery in about 3 weeks.

Is there anything I should know about these two situations??? Angel seems okay as she is eating and perky.

By the way, todays visit cost me $120.00 and the surgery will cost $249.00. They charge $20 for the shot, $40.00 for the Baytril liquid $20 for the cream and $40 for an office visit!!!!

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Jill

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 2:53 pm


Carol, I just had our Piggie in to the vet last week. Our bill was just over $120. She has an abscess on her neck under her chin. The vet put her under using the isuflorane in order to take a sample of the abscess. We are still waiting for the lab results. In the meantime she is on Bactrim. The abscess is shrinking, but the vet also said that it may yet need to be surgically removed. I posted regarding the abscess, and Pinta posted information on a place to read further. I´ll look for that.

edit-----
I couldn´t get the link to work, such a computer dolt. Look under the Emergency Medical Forums for a posting entitle "abscess" on 2/12/02. The link is posted there.

Good luck. I know it is scary.
Last edited by Jill on Sat Feb 16, 2002 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 5:13 pm


Thanks for the info and your support. Hope things turn out well for you. The vet called it a tumor and said it had to come out while it was small. I´m going to let it be taken out because my first guinea pig had a huge tumor which I didn´t know about until it was too late. I learned a lesson the hard way that these piggies should be checked by a knowledgeable vet at least once a year. That is what I will do.

If she hadnt´ gotten the ear infection who knows how big the tumor would have gotten before I felt it..it´s very small right now and I hold Angel all the time and never felt a thing!

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Jill

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 5:19 pm


I hope everything goes well for Angel. Sorry, I guess I didn´t read your post thoroughly, now I see that the lump is under her arm.

Is she the one pictured in your avatar?
Last edited by Jill on Sat Feb 16, 2002 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 6:27 pm


Good luck, Carol. I hope everything goes alright. Don´t forget about the possibility of a parasite having caused this in the first place (they could start an infection). The cost of the baytril seems high. I think every vet is different. You could check around to see if someone else is qualified and reasonable. Snowflake´s spay was about $140 for everything (could have been more if more services would have been required post operatively) so your surgery seems somewhat high. I do think there are variations in different areas, though.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 9:02 pm


Thanks guys...I live in Northern New Jersey so that would explain the high costs! I just thought it would be interesting to let people now.

The vet said her ears were really dirty and that´s what probably caused bacteria to grow and get infected. She´s not tilting or shaking her head anymore so that is good. The vet cleaned her ears out real well and also checked her teeth and her mouth. I was impressed! She is the first one to check their teeth. She has a guinea pig herself so I feel comfortable having her do the surgery.

IAMPM - Elsie is my avatar photo...Angel is in the photo at the top of the Cavy Chat forums page...she´s the one on the left.
Last edited by GP Lover on Sat Feb 16, 2002 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 16, 2002 10:32 pm


Okay. One of the things that happens with ear mites is a build up of ear dirt.

I reiterate it still could have been initiated by a parasite.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:03 am


Okay Okay Lynx..got it. I will be open to the possibility that the other two may get the same thing.

Do you think I should give Angel Bene-Bac while she is on the Baytril?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:09 am


Oh, I don´t necessarily think the other two may get an ear infection -- just that treatment with ivermectin might help.

You haven´t heard I bought stock in the company???
Last edited by Lynx on Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:11 pm


So, you´re a shareholder now are ya???? How about Bene-Bac? You own that too? I think not since you didn´t answer me about using it....O:)

So how about it? Do you think I should give it to her. Today is her second day on Baytril and she is acting normal and eating just fine.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:23 pm


No, no Bene-Bac. I´m a poop promoter, remember? If there is an infection, you need to continue the Baytril (need to do full courses of antibiotics -- UNLESS the animal is having a reaction to them [withdrawn, not eating, looking ill, NOT IMPROVING].

I was hoping Josephine would weigh in on this thread. I don´t mind if she tells me I have a mite fetish.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:41 pm


Angel is acting so normal I am beginning to think perhaps there is no infection. Maybe she just got something in her ear. As long as she acts normal and eats I will continue to give her the antibiotic.

The hard part is when she has to have the tumor taken out. I will be a basket case. I just read the thread about Snowflake and her surgery...sorry I missed all that. Hope she is all better now. I hate having to put her through the surgery..it´s actually the anesthesia that scrares me. At least the vet has her own guinea pig so that´s a comfort. Plus there is an assistant there that loves guinea pigs. She holds mine as if they were her own.

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