Guinea-pig-safe band aids or bandages?

[blacklegkat]

Hi there, I have a guinea pig recovering from surgery. They removed a huge bladder stone! He's slowly slowly on the road to recovery (we're having to syringe feed him but he's started pooping again so that's good). Anyways, he has a surgical scar across his bladder and belly. He has one of those sort of soft white band aids on it if you know what I'm on about. It's starting to become dirty as he has got wee on it. He's okay but I'm very conscious that it could cause an infection if his wound breaks open somehow. He had a medical shirt but the vet suggested keeping it off because it makes him so uncomfy. So it's important we find something else to cover the scar so that he doesn't lick it or pick at it.

My question is, is there any guinea pig safe band aids or bandages we can put on him? Or anything else we can use to cover the wound? It would be really nice if we could replace that dirty bandage.

Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Have you spoken to your vet about it?
In all the surgeries my animals have had over the years, not once has the wound ever been covered. The most recent surgeries were two or so weeks ago when I had two rabbits spayed.

 

[piggieminder]

When mine have had surgeries the wounds have only been covered the first day while they are still at the vets. They use a surgical sock type dressing, on guinea pigs they use the kitten one. All dressings are removed before they come home.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there, I have a guinea pig recovering from surgery. They removed a huge bladder stone! He's slowly slowly on the road to recovery (we're having to syringe feed him but he's started pooping again so that's good). Anyways, he has a surgical scar across his bladder and belly. He has one of those sort of soft white band aids on it if you know what I'm on about. It's starting to become dirty as he has got wee on it. He's okay but I'm very conscious that it could cause an infection if his wound breaks open somehow. He had a medical shirt but the vet suggested keeping it off because it makes him so uncomfy. So it's important we find something else to cover the scar so that he doesn't lick it or pick at it.

My question is, is there any guinea pig safe band aids or bandages we can put on him? Or anything else we can use to cover the wound? It would be really nice if we could replace that dirty bandage.

Thank you!

Hi!

Just take the bandage off. It is not needed.

Operation scars are usually safely stitched or glued closed and do not need bandaging. Guinea pigs only gnaw their stitches open if there is a serious problem with healing or a massive pain issue. Using staples to close the wound has become rarer. Air getting to the wound will actually help speed up the healing process.
The operation scar should start knitting within about 2 days of the operation and be fully kitted within 10-14 days - much faster than humans.

Here is an example of my Cariad on the day after her emergency spaying op and 10 days later. She wasn't wearing a bandage at any point, and neither have any of my own bladder stone op piggies, including Teggy with her mahoosive urethral stone that have become firmly wedged in just before the opening where it was really a toss up as to whether she would remain incontinent or the exit would heal closed; thankfully she has made a full recovery. She needed a grossly enlarged, fluid filled womb with a potentially cancerous lump removing and also presented some rather nasty ovarian cysts (quoting the operating vet) but thankfully flew through her op despite being only 700g and only a few months past a major bladder stone op.


With her paw-holding companion Bryn in the hospital cage the day after the op. I'd just removed anything she could catch her belly and put a heap of soft hay on some newspaper for easy access.


Here is our post-op care advice. How many days post-op are you? Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[Betsy]

My RB piggy Christian ( ) had a MAHOOSIVE abscess removed and had a big scar and the site was left without a covering.

Here is the scar



And here is the abscess


Here is the scar on day 23 post op.

 

[blacklegkat]

Okay, I think I'll leave it a day longer just to be safe and then remove it if my dad agrees thank you both so much! Also oh my, that abscess is MASSIVE. I'm glad it's gone now lol

 

[Piggies&buns]

I don’t think id leave it on a day longer particularly if it is becoming dirty - I would have thought that is more likely to cause a problem. I would just remove it. As i say, my animals have all come home hours after surgery and have never had a wound covered

 

[blacklegkat]

To be quite honest we're not happy with the vets we're seeing. We're going to try and use another one recommend to us by the rescue we got our pigs from. The nurses and everyone are lovely but the system just isn't working for us. They're not too knowledgeable about piggies there (although the surgery went well so I wouldn't call them completely ignorant) so maybe that's why they left the dressing on.

 

[blacklegkat]

I don’t think id leave it on a day longer particularly if it is becoming dirty - I would have thought that is more likely to cause a problem. I would just remove it. As i say, my animals have all come home hours after surgery and have never had a wound covered

Got it. I still want to check with my dad first to see if he's comfortable with the idea (we look after the guinea pigs together) but I'll let him know what you've said. thank you!

 

[blacklegkat]

Hi!

Just take the bandage off. It is not needed.

Operation scars are usually safely stitched or glued closed and do not need bandaging. Guinea pigs only gnaw their stitches open if there is a serious problem with healing or a massive pain issue. Using staples to close the wound has become rarer. Air getting to the wound will actually help speed up the healing process.
The operation scar should start knitting within about 2 days of the operation and be fully kitted within 10-14 days - much faster than humans.

Here is an example of my Cariad on the day after her emergency spaying op and 10 days later. She wasn't wearing a bandage at any point, and neither have any of my own bladder stone op piggies, including Teggy with her mahoosive urethral stone that have become firmly wedged in just before the opening where it was really a toss up as to whether she would remain incontinent or the exit would heal closed; thankfully she has made a full recovery.
View attachment 167488 View attachment 167490

With her paw-holding companion Bryn in the hospital cage the day after the op. I'd just removed anything she could catch her belly and put a heap of soft hay on some newspaper for easy access.
View attachment 167489

Here is our post-op care advice. How many days post-op are you? Tips For Post-operative Care

I will look at that link now, that's so helpful! Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

I will look at that link now, that's so helpful! Thank you!

If a rescue recommends a particular vet in your area, please always take their opinion because they will have made their own experiences and will usually know who's best.

Keep in mind that guinea pigs count as exotics, which do not feature large on a general vet's curriculum despite being one of the more common pets.
If the rescue recommended vet is not yet on our recommended vets list, please let us know so we can update.

You may find our dietary advice helpful (see general diet as well as the relevant chapter in the special diets section): Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets