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Buttons' spay

stef.trg

stef.trg

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Buttons spay is on Thursday (drop off time at the vet is 08:30am). I'm not sure yet if it's going to be an ovariectomy or a full spay (I don't even know if ovariectomies are a thing here). I have taken Thursday off so I'm able to drive and prepare everything without having to work as well and then I'm working from home on Friday so I can be around to take care of her. Not going to lie, I'm very nervous and I'm just hoping that she pulls through alright. I don't even want to imagine if anything was to happen to her, I would feel so guilty!

I'm going to prepare a hospital cage so it's there if we need it but the plan is to put her in with the other 2. The girls seem to have settled into their new life together and have been seen lazing next to each other a couple of times now. So I even though Pewter probably won't be the most caring cage mate she at least won't make anything worse. Hopefully anyways. 😅

I have read the post OP guide probably 10 times by now and my first aid kit is stocked with everything we need. If anyone has any further tips or words of encouragement, I'm all ears. Other than that, I'll be spoiling my little chicken with all her favourites until Thursday so she is as happy and healthy as possible going into her surgery.
 
It sounds like you have planned everything really well. I hope it goes really well for Button’s on Thursday 🤞
 
Good luck Buttons. You sound as prepared as you can be. I’m sure everything will be fine ❤️
 
The universe is sending me signs that spaying Buttons is the right way forward. Up until a few weeks ago she showed 0 hormonal signs whatsoever but her last 3 seasons were so much stronger than they usually are. She was/is moody, nippy, chasing Pewps & Dog around the cage, humping them, rumbling. I've never seen her like this. Even Pewter is a bit speechless at the change of behaviour and doesn't quite know what to do with it.

The last few days I was really contemplating whether it's actually the right thing to do or not (mostly out of fear that something happens to her) but she's showed me very clearly now that it needs to happen before things get worse. So she will get spoiled with her absolute favourites today and then I'm hoping for the best!
 
Good luck for tomorrow and it’s always reassuring when they give you more evidence! Hazel was continuously rumbling, chasing and nipping her herd. So much so they all rejected her. By neutering her (she had a full spay as in addition to some small cysts her uterus was slightly abnormal) she’s a different pig, and the others welcomed her back with open paws.
 
VickiA said:
Good luck for tomorrow and it’s always reassuring when they give you more evidence! Hazel was continuously rumbling, chasing and nipping her herd. So much so they all rejected her. By neutering her (she had a full spay as in addition to some small cysts her uterus was slightly abnormal) she’s a different pig, and the others welcomed her back with open paws.
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That is really reassuring to hear that the spay worked for Hazel and that everything is back to normal with her. May I ask how her recovery was and if you had her separated at all after her spay? Thankfully, Buttons is only super hormonal when in season as of now because constant rumbling, chasing and nipping likely wouldn't go down well with the queen of the house aka Pewter.
 
stef.trg said:
That is really reassuring to hear that the spay worked for Hazel and that everything is back to normal with her. May I ask how her recovery was and if you had her separated at all after her spay? Thankfully, Buttons is only super hormonal when in season as of now because constant rumbling, chasing and nipping likely wouldn't go down well with the queen of the house aka Pewter.
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As Hazel had fallen out so badly with Iris and as she had a full spay I did put a barrier up between them so that they could see and smell each other but there couldn’t be any chasing. But with my other sows who were spayed I didn’t separate them at all.
 
We’ll be thinking about Button’s tomorrow. I’m sure she will be much happier once she has healed (and everyone else by the sounds of it)
 
I dropped Buttons off at the vets at 8:30am today and should be able to pick her up again anytime from 4pm if they don‘t call me. They‘re a very small practice with only one vet and one vet tech so they don‘t have the resources to update everyone after the surgery to let people know how it went. So no news is good news! I will update you all when I have her home with me.
 
Buttons is home. She had a full spay which was successful albeit very complicated because she had a massive 7cm double-cyst on the left side. My vet really struggled to get it out but managed at the end, took longer than usual though. The cyst on her right was completely gone. The vet said it was a very tough surgery for Buttons’ little body and she gave her an infusion to make sure she doesn’t get volume shock. She isn’t eating for herself at the moment and so far I‘ve only managed to get about 1ml of recovery food into her (which she took her sweet time chewing down until she was in her cage). I will try to feed her little and often and hope that she might pick up a bit once she has a few ml of food in her.

My vet and I both agreed that for the little scaredy-cat being home is more beneficial than staying at the vet office as she likely wouldn’t ever start eating there. My vet gave me her private phone number though so I can call her all night if there is an emergency. Buttons currently resting on a heated pad to keep her body temp up. She is completely out of it and looking very sorry for herself.

So overall it was definitely necessary to do the surgery but at the moment it feels a bit touch and go. I will do my very best and hope she‘ll pull through. I will keep you posted! x
 
Oh poor Button’s sounds like she has had quite a time. Sending loads of healing vibes her way x
 
I’m glad Buttons is home. I wish her a speedy recovery
 
Bill & Ted said:
Oh poor Button’s sounds like she has had quite a time. Sending loads of healing vibes her way x
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She says you wouldn’t believe the day she‘s had! I was also speaking too soon, managed to get 15ml of recovery food and a whole lot of coriander into her! 🤩 She‘s now back in the cage resting on her heat pad. Fingers crossed she continues to improve like that. It was definitely the right decision to bring her home.

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stef.trg said:
She says you wouldn’t believe the day she‘s had! I was also speaking too soon, managed to get 15ml of recovery food and a whole lot of coriander into her! 🤩 She‘s now back in the cage resting on her heat pad. Fingers crossed she continues to improve like that. It was definitely the right decision to bring her home.

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Gorgeous lady! Fingers and toes her recovery is smooth x
 
Glad to see that Buttons is home. Hope that she makes a good recovery.xx
 
We have the first 2 poops! 🤩 I have never been more relieved to see poop. She still doesn’t show any interest in hay but since she‘s taking critical care well I don‘t mind too much. Currently she is laying down (up until now she was just sitting hunched up in her hidey) on a newly heated heat pad and I will let her rest until her next feed at 9:30pm.
 
2 more poops and a wee later we managed another 10ml of CC. She had a buprenorphine injection when I picked her up because my vet wanted to make sure she‘s definitely pain free over night. That‘s really kicked in in the last couple of hours and she‘s super sleepy and doesn’t want to stand up. But she seems to be pain free and I still manage to a get a good amount into her with each feeding so I‘m ok with that. However, we definitely have a long night ahead of us!
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
It's great that you see poops and a wee.
I hope all of you will have a "good" night without too much drama.
Sending massive healing vibes!
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Thank you, fingers crossed we get through it quietly! But when I look at Buttons passed out I think there‘s not gonna be much going on tonight 😅

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