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Any guinea undergoing surgery

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Lucinda

Lucinda

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For those of you who maybe are less experienced...

When I was booking Rocky in for his op at my new vet the girl on the desk (not a nurse I should say) said "You need to starve him overnight for the GA. No hay or cereal at all. Just a box with newspaper."

"No," I said, "he can't be sick so there is no need."

In fact it is dangerous to starve a guinea as they are foragers.

She wouldn't have it - but I wasn't listening to her anyway . Then a vet nurse came out and the receptionist tried to get her on side but the nurse said "No, we never starve them"

So, don't let anyone talk you into starving a pig before a GA.
 
:o :o :o :o what a dipstick 98) 98) 98) 98) 98) 98) :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff:
 
Before poor Chocolate had her eye out the vet made it very clear that I was not to starve her,so I am pleased I didn't as poor Choccie then had to be pts,bless her she loved her food ,so we enjoyed what turned out to be her last night sitting feeding her hay and her favourite corn silks...I feel I may have at last found a sympathetic and knowledgeable vet ;)sx
 
Lucinda said:
She wouldn't have it - but I wasn't listening to her anyway . Then a vet nurse came out and the receptionist tried to get her on side but the nurse said "No, we never starve them"
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What was the receptionist like after? A bit sheepish hopefully!

I filled in a anaethetic permission form for Ruby's pre-op scan's... and it said something about starving her... took me a bit by surprise, as it was the first time it had been mentioned. Anyway I didnt need to worry as the vet said it was fine that she hadn't. ;)

Thanks Lucinda for that O0
 
The receptionist at my vets is guinea-pig mad just like me, so never had that problem!
 
just a thought if yours is having surgery take a bag of food with you so he gets that food when he comes around, my vet wouldnt let gucci home until she had eaten.. so its prob best that you take the food he is used to incase he doesnt like what the vet feeds him lol
 
I never thought of that. Will remember to take food for Alex when he goes to get 'done' on wednesday. I'll be at the vets with him anyway, because I'm on work experience there.
 
Great tip will send Murphy with a pack up. He went to the vet today to get his last injection and took a towel to sit on his hay house covered with his fleece. Bowl of muesli, bowl of fresh veg, water bottle and a hay stuffed loo roll. Doesnt travel light my Murphy lol ;D ;D

Damon - Hope your Alex is ok when he has his op. Is it to be neutered? If so can you let me know how he gets on as i have to book Murphy in soon and I'm dreading it. Cheers lindsay x
 
... and mark the lunch 'post op' so it doesn't get put in with him before :) I always take a handful of grass for them them to munch on the way home too :)
 
karenrgpr said:
... and mark the lunch 'post op' so it doesn't get put in with him before :) I always take a handful of grass for them them to munch on the way home too :)
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Karen - what are boys like after being neutered do they seem off it for a few days or are they similar to cats and get over it quickly not had a piggy doctored before so unsure what to expect. :)
 
Mine end up with all kinds on the way to and from the vets! I take hay, veg, grass and dried food even if they're only in there for 10 mins ;D gotta give them a choice!
 
Mine are always perky though some have a decreased appetite for a few hours sometimes but are back to normal the morning after the op. They want to lay in the hay not the lovely VetBed you give them ::).

BUT, mine have a Rimadyl injection before the op so when they come round (within half an hour) they aren't in pain. Most vets use Metacam but my vet knows it can make guineas drowsy and doesn't use it (or she'd get an earbashing LOL!).
 
Roger would never use Metacam -I thought it was because of gut problems being a NSAID.
 
only heard of drowsiness. is that the same with paracetamol and nurofen?
 
God! Why do Vets let their receptionists give out information - if you hadn't been so clued up that could have had really bad consequences. It makes me so angry when unqualified people try to tell you what's right and wrong. :tickedoff: A Vet's receptionist tried telling me once I was over-reacting and my GP could not possibly have had a stroke because they don't have strokes - she had and luckily I managed to convince the woman to get me in on an emergency and the Vet said if I'd waited any longer I probably would have lost Jazzy. As it was she recovered really well, always had a slight tilt to her little head, and lived for several more years.
 
Did you also know that when you ring up the GP for a repeat prescription, half the time it is a receptionist who signs the script and the GP never sees it.
 
Lucinda said:
Did you also know that when you ring up the GP for a repeat prescription, half the time it is a receptionist who signs the script and the GP never sees it.
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Omigod! If that is true (sorry that sounds rude but I don't mean to be) then that is outrageous!
 
Apparently so. I heard it from one of the anaesthetists I used to work with.
 
I have got Murphy booked in for neutering next Monday. I have booked the whole day off so i can be with him when he comes home. :smitten:

When i rang to book him in they never said make sure you feed him as normal. Wouldnt you think they would say Guinea pigs are different to other animals and can eat before, because if i hadnt read so much and got info off this forum i would presume that he wouldnt be able to eat from the night before. ::)
 
Luckily, I know that doesnt happen at my vets. The receptionist isnt allowed to sign prescriptions. I feel so much more confident about my vets since I've done work experience there. I have nothing but praise for them.

Alex is booked in to be nuetered tomorrow. I'm going with him and staying to help out for the morning, so hopefully he'll be done early and I can be there when he comes round.

Lindsay, I've only ever had Damon nuetered, and he was bouncing around wheeking for hay in a few hours. It certainly didnt stop him! I was worried sick about infections, so I changed his bedding almost hourly for a while! He was absolutley fine though. The only thing I would say to you is no woodshavings for a few weeks, and try not to let him lie on hay too much. Vetbed is best!
 
Thanx Black Jack! I'd pass the message on to Alex, but I'm trying to keep it a secret from him for tonight!
 
No, I don't think Alex does. He's been spoilt today so he's in a good mood. My college friends came over and one of them ADORES Alex, so he had tons of cuddles and got hand-fed a load of cucumber.

I am a little worried about how he'll be at the vets though, because he's quite timid and can be grumpy at times.
 
Damonshumanslave said:
Thanx Black Jack! I'd pass the message on to Alex, but I'm trying to keep it a secret from him for tonight!
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When i told the other half i had booked him in for Monday i whispered lol so Murphy would not hear. I have read a good website today about when piggies have been neutered and it suggested to make up a hospital cage up using towels on the bottom light coloured ones so you could see that they are weeing ok and if any bleeding or discharge from the wound. I will put a layer of paper then towels and some vet bed and i will use a hay rack for his eating. Dont want him to get hay stuck anywhere i think i will do like you did and change the bedding regular.

Good luck for tomorrow let us know how you get on. Sending Alex lots of love :smitten:
 
Good luck :smitten:

Pale coloured towels and vetbed are good post-op as they show up any bleeding etc and are soft to sit on.
 
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