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Post-Op - pain or something more

J

Jessdaisymay

New Born Pup
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Hi lovely people,

I shall preface this by saying I'm sat waiting for my vets to open so I will be taking my piggy straight there.

My beautiful piggy, Fauna, had her eye removed yesterday. The vets advised the surgery went well and kept her in until 6pm when I then collected her. I syringe fed her at 7pm as the vets advised she still wasn't eating, and she had 2 ml of complex care and then ate a couple of kale leaves.

However, since then, Fauna seems to be going downhill. I have kept up with the metacam and antibiotics and am managing to get 3ml complex care fed to her every 2 hours. But she is clearly struggling, breathing fast and barely moving. She has done 3 poops since I brought her home yesterday. She isn't even trying to lick or move her mouth now when I give her the complex care. She is making some noises of what I believe is her being in pain as she's never made these noises before and it sounds like a whimper.

I can't even describe how utterly heartbreaking it is seeing her like this. It's absolutely tearing me apart.

Part of me is wondering whether she's just too poorly and if it's best to put her to sleep. But then the other part of me thinks maybe she'd do better with more pain relief and I don't want her to be put to sleep if she can be comfortable and make it through and have a quality of life. I just want to do what's best for her. This whole process never gets any easier no matter how many pets or piggies you have does it 💔

Has anybody experienced their piggy having an op and know what's normal or not? I'd really appreciate thoughts on this.

Please be gentle with me, I've not slept for who knows how long as even prior to her op I was so worried about her that I couldn't sleep, let alone having done feeds all night.

Forgot to add - she's a rescue so age is somewhere around 6 years old.

Thank you

Jess
 
Sending comforting thoughts to you and your little piggy. It might be a reaction to the op or the anaesthetic, so hang in and keep trying to get fluid and food replacement down. I hope she improves soon 🙏
 
I've spoken to the vets and am going to take her in, I don't even know what I hope for now other than an end to her suffering 💔
 
Good luck at the vets. I hope it’s just a reaction to the anaesthetic and she will soon be feeling much better. Like you say she could just need more pain relief. Sending healing vibes and a hug to you.
 
Massage
I find this works on me. For piggies, I just gently lift and lower the tummy very slowly a few times
 
Oh wishing your little piggy healing vibes and you strength - it's such a scary horrible time for you and you must be exhausted. Sending lots of love x
 
Thank you so much for your lovely messages - it means a lot as I live alone and don't have family around. It is so hard, I find it so painful seeing her struggle.

I have been to the vets and they've given her buprelieve and given me some to give her every 6 hours. They said she will be in so much pain and they think that's the issue at play, although can never be certain. So she will be having that plus the metacam. I've just got home and she's already stopped panting and didn't whimper when I put her back into her cage. She seems very spaced out though, which they did say could happen.

My concern is that without this pain relief she was too unwell to eat or be syringe fed, but with this pain relief I fear she is too out of it to eat. I guess I just need to go with the flow of it and see how she is. The unknown is so hard though.

I'm so glad this forum exists - when my last piggy (her sister) was unwell last year and sadly passed away, this forum was so incredibly helpful - it's so good to know others care and have been through similar (though I wouldn't wish this on anybody) and can support and truly empathise. Thank you all so much

Jess
 
Truffolo said:
Massage
I find this works on me. For piggies, I just gently lift and lower the tummy very slowly a few times
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will give that a go in a bit when she's okay to be handled. She was in too much pain for me to do that earlier.
 
Jessdaisymay said:
Hi lovely people,

I shall preface this by saying I'm sat waiting for my vets to open so I will be taking my piggy straight there.

My beautiful piggy, Fauna, had her eye removed yesterday. The vets advised the surgery went well and kept her in until 6pm when I then collected her. I syringe fed her at 7pm as the vets advised she still wasn't eating, and she had 2 ml of complex care and then ate a couple of kale leaves.

However, since then, Fauna seems to be going downhill. I have kept up with the metacam and antibiotics and am managing to get 3ml complex care fed to her every 2 hours. But she is clearly struggling, breathing fast and barely moving. She has done 3 poops since I brought her home yesterday. She isn't even trying to lick or move her mouth now when I give her the complex care. She is making some noises of what I believe is her being in pain as she's never made these noises before and it sounds like a whimper.

I can't even describe how utterly heartbreaking it is seeing her like this. It's absolutely tearing me apart.

Part of me is wondering whether she's just too poorly and if it's best to put her to sleep. But then the other part of me thinks maybe she'd do better with more pain relief and I don't want her to be put to sleep if she can be comfortable and make it through and have a quality of life. I just want to do what's best for her. This whole process never gets any easier no matter how many pets or piggies you have does it 💔

Has anybody experienced their piggy having an op and know what's normal or not? I'd really appreciate thoughts on this.

Please be gentle with me, I've not slept for who knows how long as even prior to her op I was so worried about her that I couldn't sleep, let alone having done feeds all night.

Forgot to add - she's a rescue so age is somewhere around 6 years old.

Thank you

Jess
Click to expand...

HUGS

My thoughts are with you.

I am very sorry that your old lady is reacting so badly to the operation. Eye removal operations in older guinea pigs can be tricky as the pressure needed to remove them is putting a direct strain on the heart but then it is never an operation that is done lightly so you are very much between a rock and a hard place. :(

PS: The poo output reflects what has gone into her yesterday; the fact that you have funny operation poos means that her digestive system is actually still working. They are what you'd expect to see at this stage.

My thoughts are with you and your poorly lady.
 
Oh no I’m so very sorry. You did all you could and she knew she was a much loved piggy. Take care ❤️
 
weepweeps said:
Oh no I’m so very sorry. You did all you could and she knew she was a much loved piggy. Take care ❤️
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Thank you. I absolutely doted on her and her sister. The vet said she'd never known a piggy so attached to their owner as fauna was with me. She just loved snuggles. A gorgeous girly and what's making all of this slightly less painful is knowing she is no longer suffering. I just wish she didn't need to have suffered in the first place.
 
Jessdaisymay said:
Thank you so much for your replies, sadly I went in to give her some critical care at 11am and she had passed away 😪
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HUGE HUGS

I am so, so sorry.

Please try not to blame yourself too badly. You wouldn't have consented to the operation if it wasn't absolutely necessary for a longer, happy life. Fauna clearly knew how much she was loved right until her end and she reciprocated it.

Unfortunately we can only ever buy our piggies a chance for a prolonged happiness; we can never buy them a guarantee of success - not even with the best of vets. Any loss of life is also not what your vet has intended or is due to negligence of the operation/post-op care team and they usually take it hard as well. They wouldn't have gone ahead with the op if they had found anything worrying in the pre-op examination. Guinea pigs are unfortunately still one of the more difficult of species to operate on. There is currently some ongoing research into how medication and operation drugs are metabolised.

You have not failed Fauna. What guinea pigs want from life is many happy todays in good care and filled with love but in as little discomfort as possible. You have clearly given her those - 6 years is a very good age - and you have sought a possible way out when your normal care was no longer enough. Your decision was made with her welfare foremost in mind; the only other option would have meant chronic pain and/or a potentially shortened life/euthanasia. :(

Please be aware that as humans we are wired to reflect everything back onto ourselves. As I know from my own repeated experiences as a long term owner, these feelings are much stronger after a failed op. But they are in fact much more an expression of how deeply you care about those you love than about you actually having done anything wrong. You haven't. It was the right choice; it just hasn't come off. Operations in older piggies are always riskier.

If you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, trapped in your guilt loop, unable to sleep and function or are suffering from other PTSD symptoms, please contact the free pet bereavement platforms of the Blue Cross if you are UK resident. You can find tips on how to look for what is available in your country or part of your country in our Grieving Guide if you are living outside the UK.
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Here is some very practical advice what you can do for Fauna's companion right now and in the coming days and weeks, depending on how she is coping. We can help with practical advice and tips for any individual solutions if wished: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Again, please try to be kind with yourself. It is OK to not be OK right now; give yourself time to be numbed with shock, time to be sad and time to gradually process what has just happened. Just try not to feel so bad that it is taking over everything else. talking is the best thing you can do for yourself so it doesn't start to fester. This is not something you'll walk away from quickly but you can do things to make the process easier on yourself.

My thoughts are with you.
 
Wiebke said:
HUGE HUGS

I am so, so sorry.

Please try not to blame yourself too badly. You wouldn't have consented to the operation if it wasn't absolutely necessary for a longer, happy life.

Unfortunately we can only ever buy our piggies a chance at that; we can never buy them a guarantee of success - not even with the best of vets. Any loss of life is also not what your vet has intended or is due to negligence of the operation/post-op care team. They wouldn't have gone ahead with the op if they had found anything worrying in the pre-op examination.
Guinea pigs are still one of the more difficult of species to operate on. There is currently some ongoing research into how medication and operation drugs are metabolised.

You have not failed Fauna. What guinea pigs want from life is many happy todays in good care in as little discomfort as possible. You have clearly given her those - 6 years is a very good age - and you have sought a possible way out when your normal care was no longer enough. Your decision was made with her welfare foremost in mind; the only other option would have meant chronic pain and/or a potentially shortened life/euthanasia.

Please be aware that as humans we are wired to reflect everything back onto ourselves. As I know from my own repeated experiences as a long term owner, these feelings are much stronger after a failed op. But they are in fact much more an expression of how deeply you care about those you love than you actually having done anything wrong. You haven't. It was the right choice; it just hasn't come off. Operations in older piggies are always riskier.

If you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, trapped in your guilt loop, unable to sleep and function or are suffering from other PTSD symptoms, please contact the free pet bereavement platforms of the Blue Cross if you are UK resident. You can find tips on how to look for what is available in your country or part of your country in our Grieving Guide if you are living outside the UK.
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Here is some very practical advice what you can do for Fauna's companion right now and in the coming days and weeks, depending on how she is coping. We can help with practical advice and tips for any individual solutions if wished: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Again, please try to be kind with yourself. It is OK to not be OK right now; give yourself time to be numbed with shock, time to be sad and time to gradually process what has just happened. Just try not to feel so bad that it is taking over everything else. talking is the best thing you can do for yourself so it doesn't start to fester. The grieving guide link has more practical ideas s to what to do and - if needed - guidance links on how to best break the news and support your children.

My thoughts are with you.
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Thank you so much - the vet who operated on her was absolutely brilliant, she had really taken to Fauna herself and did everything she could whilst being open and honest about the risks, her experiences with these operations etc. It is just one of those things - she was in so much pain last night and the stress of being at the vets this morning to get more pain relief...I imagine when she got home to the peace and quiet of my house (I live alone), she could finally feel safe enough to pass away. I'm already flitting between uncontrollable tears and weirdly numb. Grief is a very strange thing. I have to remind myself that I rescued her from a truly awful environment and have given her more love, care and home comforts than most. She truly was a pampered pig. I just wish she hadn't have struggled so much last night, I wish I could have taken that pain away. I'm such a huge animal lover and I don't know about others but it feels physically painful seeing your pet suffer, knowing they don't understand everything.
 
Jessdaisymay said:
Thank you. I absolutely doted on her and her sister. The vet said she'd never known a piggy so attached to their owner as fauna was with me. She just loved snuggles. A gorgeous girly and what's making all of this slightly less painful is knowing she is no longer suffering. I just wish she didn't need to have suffered in the first place.
Click to expand...
I lost my gorgeous Percy after a bladder stone op. He was a big strong boy and only two and a half years old but he just couldn’t recover from the anaesthetic 😢

I wished after that I hadn’t put him through it but of course the only other option was PTS straight away and I had to give him a chance of a longer life.
 
weepweeps said:
I lost my gorgeous Percy after a bladder stone op. He was a big strong boy and only two and a half years old but he just couldn’t recover from the anaesthetic 😢

I wished after that I hadn’t put him through it but of course the only other option was PTS straight away and I had to give him a chance of a longer life.
Click to expand...

Oh I'm so sorry. It's awful isn't it, truly awful. We do what we can for the best but sometimes nature takes its course. Did Percy stop eating and whimpered like my Fauna? I don't know how common it is for piggies to pass away like this after operations, and whether it was from the pain or something else for my beautiful girl.
 
He didn’t eat or move around much after. He went to the vets 4 times in 5 days but nothing worked.
 
Jessdaisymay said:
Thank you so much - the vet who operated on her was absolutely brilliant, she had really taken to Fauna herself and did everything she could whilst being open and honest about the risks, her experiences with these operations etc. It is just one of those things - she was in so much pain last night and the stress of being at the vets this morning to get more pain relief...I imagine when she got home to the peace and quiet of my house (I live alone), she could finally feel safe enough to pass away. I'm already flitting between uncontrollable tears and weirdly numb. Grief is a very strange thing. I have to remind myself that I rescued her from a truly awful environment and have given her more love, care and home comforts than most. She truly was a pampered pig. I just wish she hadn't have struggled so much last night, I wish I could have taken that pain away. I'm such a huge animal lover and I don't know about others but it feels physically painful seeing your pet suffer, knowing they don't understand everything.
Click to expand...

Feeling helpless in the face of suffering is one of the worst feelings you can have. Especially when you cannot medicate with more painkillers until the operation drugs cocktail of which they are an essential part of has worn off and you are sitting there counting the hours until it is safe to do so again. I have learned to ask a vet on my post-op pick up how soon I can give painkillers the hard way, so I fully understand where you are coming from. :(

You cannot explain these things to piggies but you have stayed with Fauna all throughout the night and have carried her with your love and dedication. Don't underestimate the importance of your cmpany for Fauna; she hasn't had to face making her journey alone and in distress - she has been carried and buffered by the wings of your love all the way. You haven't let her fall until she felt safe to make the jump. That was the greatest gift of all, short of being able to remove her pain altogether.
 
Wiebke said:
Feeling helpless in the face of suffering is one of the worst feelings you can have. Especially when you cannot medicate with more painkillers until the operation drugs cocktail of which they are an essential part of has worn off and you are sitting there counting the hours until it is safe to do so again. I have learned to ask a vet on my post-op pick up how soon I can give painkillers the hard way, so I fully understand where you are coming from. :(

You cannot explain these things to piggies but you have stayed with Fauna all throughout the night and have carried her with your love and dedication. Don't underestimate the importance of your cmpany for Fauna; she hasn't had to face making her journey alone and in distress - she has been carried and buffered by the wings of your love all the way. You haven't let her fall until she felt safe to make the jump. That was the greatest gift of all short of removing her pain altogether.
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Thank you SO much for such kind words
 
I am so sorry that you lost your beloved piggy. We bring these little animals into our lives knowing that they will only be with us for a short time but it doesn't make the goodbyes any easier. Fauna has had a wonderful caring owner who has given her many happy piggy days and that is what you must hold in your heart. Not how her life ended but how it was lived. xx

Sleep tight beautiful girl. 🌈 ❤️
 
YvonneBlue said:
I am so sorry that you lost your beloved piggy. We bring these little animals into our lives knowing that they will only be with us for a short time but it doesn't make the goodbyes any easier. Fauna has had a wonderful caring owner who has given her many happy piggy days and that is what you must hold in your heart. Not how her life ended but how it was lived. xx

Sleep tight beautiful girl. 🌈 ❤️
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Thank you for such kind words. I feel sick from being so upset, it's just so devastating 😪 it has hit me so hard 💔
 
Such sad news, it must be very difficult. We often get very close to pets, often closer than to most humans, because they are so unguarded and real, and because they need us so much. She clearly loved you very much, sweet little piggy. Getting by without her is difficult. There may be other losses shadowing the present. Take care of yourself. I think these small animals set up nest in our hearts and their warmth is there and stays with us.
 
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