Crusty nipples -- whitish deposit
Those are the same kind of deposits that were around Bree´s nipples. I doubt it is related to her death, however. But I am wondering if there is some kind of connection to the hormonal thing, however, since Bree was always with boars, and mating did occur, but she never conceived. I wonder if it had something to do with hormones, and this could be a connection to your hormonal pig. Just thinking.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I´m just softening it at the moment. I hasn´t been removed yet. I thought it kind of washed off the first time I noticed a couple nights ago but that doesn´t seem to be the case. I think it quite possible her hormones are off but there are no estrogen pills or other regulating things for gps.
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Well, good news -- the stuff came off pretty easily with softening, it doesn´t look red underneath. It had seemed fairly well attached before. I will keep an eye on the area and check it tomorrow to see if it indeed is still okay and not reddened. I think it was skin, though it was a strange place to get a build-up. Snowflake is also the only pig I have that also gets spur-like growths on her feet.
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Well, good news -- the stuff came off pretty easily with softening, it doesn´t look red underneath. It had seemed fairly well attached before. I will keep an eye on the area and check it tomorrow to see if it indeed is still okay and not reddened. I think it was skin, though it was a strange place to get a build-up. Snowflake is also the only pig I have that also gets spur-like growths on her feet.
Last edited by Lynx on Sat Jan 05, 2002 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am so glad to find this post. I have recently noticed something very similar on Marcys nipples, except she has dark nipples and the crustiness is also dark. We had to split her up from her cage mate a few months ago because of she was constantly harassing her. Even now she will prowl along the partition rumbling and showing her bits !!. This is an everyday thing not just every two weeks or so. I jokingly said to husband that it seemd like her hormones had gone loopy. There is no discharge or any abnormal lumps (not that I´m any kind of expert though).
Well she is going to hate me now, I´m going to try and get it off. How exactly did you do it Lynx.
Well she is going to hate me now, I´m going to try and get it off. How exactly did you do it Lynx.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Do it very gently and soften them well will mineral oil. Maybe even let it sit for a day. Reapply and see if it will come off alright. I am amazed to find another pig with the same things happening. Yes, showing her bits, rumbling and mounting frequently -- not just periodically when one would expect her to be in heat. She never used to do so.
By the way, the deposits in guinea pig ears (the epitheal cells? don´t remember for sure how to spell it) are dark in dark eared piggies and light in light eared pigs. So a dark eared pig may look like it has dirt but it is just sloughing cells (there still may be dirt and wax that should be cleaned off).
Are her nipples somewhat bigger than other female´s nipples? You might not notice anything with the grease gland if she is dark. I think Snowflakes is more active than a typical female´s grease gland.
By the way, the deposits in guinea pig ears (the epitheal cells? don´t remember for sure how to spell it) are dark in dark eared piggies and light in light eared pigs. So a dark eared pig may look like it has dirt but it is just sloughing cells (there still may be dirt and wax that should be cleaned off).
Are her nipples somewhat bigger than other female´s nipples? You might not notice anything with the grease gland if she is dark. I think Snowflakes is more active than a typical female´s grease gland.
Last edited by Lynx on Sun Jan 06, 2002 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yes her nipples are bigger than the other pig. I have to admit I´m totally ignorant about the grease gland though. Would I be right in assuming it´s located in her nether regions and that´s why she´s always wiping her bum on the floor.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I think it´s on her tail bone. Above her bits (somewhere or another). At least that´s where things seemed dirtier and it wasn´t poop.
Maybe we need to come up with a special name for this condition. I used to call her my PMS pig -- might do, refers to hormones. We´ll have to give it a think.
Maybe we need to come up with a special name for this condition. I used to call her my PMS pig -- might do, refers to hormones. We´ll have to give it a think.
Actually there is a way to deal with out-of-whack hormones. Spaying. If your vet feels excessive hormone activity could lead to health problems down the road, it might be something to consider. I don´t really know if this is an issue. Josephine?
Some people advocate spaying every sow to prevent ovarian tumours and/or cysts. The surgery is invasive and a spay is riskier for pigs than cats and dogs. If your vet is experienced and you are careful with post-op care, most spays are successful.
I have lost pigs to spaying surgeries and I have had successful spays done on 5-year-old sows. Personally I haven´t experienced the huge percentage of cysts that are "supposed" to occur in sows. The rate of cystic ovaries in our herd runs at about 25%. This is about the same rate others with large herds have experienced. Some textbooks report a rate of 79%(I think) but do not make clear whether these are lab animals or companion pets. Numbers can be skewed easily. If the high rate is among companion pets taken to the vet - it´s useless sonce the stats don´t take into account all the sows who have no health problems and NEVER see a vet. If it´s among lab animals - there is a question of genetics. Are the lab animals related? If someone has stats on these "studies" I´d love to see them.
I recently asked my vet if it was worth routinely spaying all sows to avoid problems like Pyometra(sp?). She felt the surgical risks outweighed the potential health benefits and recommended against routine spaying. So we only spay when medically required.
Some people advocate spaying every sow to prevent ovarian tumours and/or cysts. The surgery is invasive and a spay is riskier for pigs than cats and dogs. If your vet is experienced and you are careful with post-op care, most spays are successful.
I have lost pigs to spaying surgeries and I have had successful spays done on 5-year-old sows. Personally I haven´t experienced the huge percentage of cysts that are "supposed" to occur in sows. The rate of cystic ovaries in our herd runs at about 25%. This is about the same rate others with large herds have experienced. Some textbooks report a rate of 79%(I think) but do not make clear whether these are lab animals or companion pets. Numbers can be skewed easily. If the high rate is among companion pets taken to the vet - it´s useless sonce the stats don´t take into account all the sows who have no health problems and NEVER see a vet. If it´s among lab animals - there is a question of genetics. Are the lab animals related? If someone has stats on these "studies" I´d love to see them.
I recently asked my vet if it was worth routinely spaying all sows to avoid problems like Pyometra(sp?). She felt the surgical risks outweighed the potential health benefits and recommended against routine spaying. So we only spay when medically required.
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Josephine
- Little Jo Wheek
Spaying (in my opinion) should not be done routinely in cavies. I have had only a couple of sows spayed in the 3-4 year range for medical reasons. They seemed to have better health afterwards and definitely did not go through the "PMS" stuff anymore. There is a risk, of course, and it is major surgery for a spay. I have yet to lose any animal under anesthesia (thank goodness), but I am probably just lucky.
As far as I know, I have had a very low incidence of ovarian cysts (and no confirmed ovarian tumors after biopsies/post mortems). The two sows I have had with ovarian cysts have been a mother and daughter, so genetics is definitely suspect. Two sows out of probably close to 50 in the past 18 years isn´t a bad ratio at all. Never had a pyo sow. The rate of reproductive cancers and tumors in dogs and cats seem much higher than pet cavies. You can bet on intact dogs and cats to develop some sort of malignancy when not altered at an early age. I´m sure lab cavies have higher incidences of ALL disorders in general. The care is much different, exposure to pathogens and artificial environments high, and gene pools are closely related. Let´s not even get into the fact that they are routinely destroyed and necropsied as soon as their purpose has been fulfilled.
I also think that there may be piggy menopause, decreased libido, or something like that later in life. I have had several sows over the age of 5 seem to have decreased/silent or non-existent estrus cycles when they had previously been more obvious.
As far as I know, I have had a very low incidence of ovarian cysts (and no confirmed ovarian tumors after biopsies/post mortems). The two sows I have had with ovarian cysts have been a mother and daughter, so genetics is definitely suspect. Two sows out of probably close to 50 in the past 18 years isn´t a bad ratio at all. Never had a pyo sow. The rate of reproductive cancers and tumors in dogs and cats seem much higher than pet cavies. You can bet on intact dogs and cats to develop some sort of malignancy when not altered at an early age. I´m sure lab cavies have higher incidences of ALL disorders in general. The care is much different, exposure to pathogens and artificial environments high, and gene pools are closely related. Let´s not even get into the fact that they are routinely destroyed and necropsied as soon as their purpose has been fulfilled.
I also think that there may be piggy menopause, decreased libido, or something like that later in life. I have had several sows over the age of 5 seem to have decreased/silent or non-existent estrus cycles when they had previously been more obvious.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I don´t have any good vets anywhere nearby -- at least not from what I can tell (I tried calling around to track down the best). For the time being I think I´ll just keep track of her. I´m sure routine hysterectomies are not done on PMSy women and it may be kind of drastic.
Interesting to consider the role hormones play in behavior. She would be pegged as a dominant pig, maybe wrongly.
Interesting to consider the role hormones play in behavior. She would be pegged as a dominant pig, maybe wrongly.
I haven´t been on the board in a few days (busy helping my son write a report and working some child care jobs) so I just now read the post about your piggie, Lynx. While I lack the knowledge to offer you any advice I just want you to know that you and your piggie are in my thoughts. I hope that she is doing allright.
As far as exotics vets in the area, I do know that there is one in Amherst, which is about an hour drive from you. It is called Laurel Stone Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Hope is the small animal specialist. I have only visited them one time when I first got my piggies just for a well check up and didn´t see Dr. Hope but saw Dr. Duncan (who usually treats reptiles and birds) as Dr. Hope was out of town and I wanted to have my boys checked the day after I got them-- I got them Sunday and took them to the vet Monday). So I can´t really comment on how they handle a cavy illness but perhaps someone in your area may have heard of them.
As far as exotics vets in the area, I do know that there is one in Amherst, which is about an hour drive from you. It is called Laurel Stone Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Hope is the small animal specialist. I have only visited them one time when I first got my piggies just for a well check up and didn´t see Dr. Hope but saw Dr. Duncan (who usually treats reptiles and birds) as Dr. Hope was out of town and I wanted to have my boys checked the day after I got them-- I got them Sunday and took them to the vet Monday). So I can´t really comment on how they handle a cavy illness but perhaps someone in your area may have heard of them.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Snowflake seems to be fine. Her nipples look good. She continues to rumble and mount if it strikes her fancy.
If you think of it, find out if he has done any spays on guinea pigs. If so, how many, how recent was the last one, and how well did they go. I´ll keep it in mind for future reference (like I said, I don´t have much confidence in the vets near me). Any other feedback you care to add would be appreciated.
If you think of it, find out if he has done any spays on guinea pigs. If so, how many, how recent was the last one, and how well did they go. I´ll keep it in mind for future reference (like I said, I don´t have much confidence in the vets near me). Any other feedback you care to add would be appreciated.
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