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Unsure about surgery

Bettyb26

Bettyb26

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Mar 20, 2022
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I posted about my piggy Eugene having two lumps under his chin a few days ago. One was an an abscess which burst and we had cleaned up by the vet yesterday, but the other lump under his chin is currently a mystery. The vet gave us a quote for him to be put under anaesthesia and a proper biopsy of the lump taken, they would also look at his teeth to see if that is the cause. Best case scenario is that it’s just another abscess and that will be it, but we are not sure if that will be the case. I expressed my concerns about anaesthesia but the vet reassured me that the risks are low, particularly as he is young. She did say though that if he needed further dental work they might be reluctant to put him through it. I am really not sure what to do as it is going to be very expensive and he seems fine at the moment. She said that the lump is likely causing him pain which makes me feel terrible, but I also don’t want to put him through the procedure if it then turns out to be a dental problem and we have to let him go. I know we need to make a decision and it is Easter bank holiday weekend this week, and then on the 14th we are supposed to be going away for the weekend so they are booked into a boarder. I just really don’t know what to do and would appreciate any advice or if anyone has been through something similar.
 
It’s a tough choice.
When I have a difficult decision to make I weigh up the pros and cons of the situation, make a deci and then live with it for a few days.
If it still feels right then I go with it, if it doesn’t feel right then I rethink.

Holding you in my thoughts
 
I would personally not recommend doing any major things when they are going to board. I am not a vet, but i do have a couple experiences with such things, and i find it so much easier and safer having them at home.
It also depends how many days ahead of your holiday the procedure would be.

The advice already given is great, and i would also recommend to make a pros and cons list and make a decision as a owner.

He may be able to get through with pain meds until you can have him in his own area to recuperate, or can you get a friend or family member to look after them in your home if it was right before their board.
If you are worrying about the operation in general, please dont worry to much. There is little help in worrying about what and why, but I do understand how stressful it is. I am struggling with similar things right now with one of my boars, he is going under anesthetic and mine is old and has breathing problems, but this is a step we must take as my boy is ill. There is a chance he will be fine but theres always a chance something will go wrong.

You may find having a conversation with your vets if you dont have a time/date set and work through it with them, it is a really hard decision.
Wishing you well x
 
Just to add that there is a guina pig specialist in Northampton (The Cat and Rabbit Clinic) wh offer conscious dentals, so this could be an option if the issue is dental. I also had a piggy who had dental issues and he had 2 dentals under anaesthetic (our vets do not do conscious dentals) and although we were warned he might need regular treatment for the rest of his life, he was actually fine after the initial 2 treatments.
 
Merab's Slave said:
It’s a tough choice.
When I have a difficult decision to make I weigh up the pros and cons of the situation, make a deci and then live with it for a few days.
If it still feels right then I go with it, if it doesn’t feel right then I rethink.

Holding you in my thoughts
Click to expand...
Thank you. We have decided to book the surgery but after speaking to the vet we are going to wait a couple of weeks until after we have been away and it will also be easier to pay for. I feel guilty but he seems absolutely fine so hopefully nothing else will happen before then 🤞
 
pigmotherof6 said:
I would personally not recommend doing any major things when they are going to board. I am not a vet, but i do have a couple experiences with such things, and i find it so much easier and safer having them at home.
It also depends how many days ahead of your holiday the procedure would be.

The advice already given is great, and i would also recommend to make a pros and cons list and make a decision as a owner.

He may be able to get through with pain meds until you can have him in his own area to recuperate, or can you get a friend or family member to look after them in your home if it was right before their board.
If you are worrying about the operation in general, please dont worry to much. There is little help in worrying about what and why, but I do understand how stressful it is. I am struggling with similar things right now with one of my boars, he is going under anesthetic and mine is old and has breathing problems, but this is a step we must take as my boy is ill. There is a chance he will be fine but theres always a chance something will go wrong.

You may find having a conversation with your vets if you dont have a time/date set and work through it with them, it is a really hard decision.
Wishing you well x
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the advice. We have decided to book the procedure for a couple of weeks time so that we will be around, so hopefully he’s ok until then. Unfortunately my we are going away with my entire family and there is no one else that could look after them, I'm not super happy about them going to a boarding place but we didn’t really have a choice 😬 I did try to get out of the trip but it’s important to my family. It’s only an hour and a half away from home so we could come back if anything happened. Eugene seems happy at the moment so fingers crossed!
 
Swissgreys said:
Just to add that there is a guina pig specialist in Northampton (The Cat and Rabbit Clinic) wh offer conscious dentals, so this could be an option if the issue is dental. I also had a piggy who had dental issues and he had 2 dentals under anaesthetic (our vets do not do conscious dentals) and although we were warned he might need regular treatment for the rest of his life, he was actually fine after the initial 2 treatments.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this, we unfortunately live on the south coast and don’t drive so I don’t think this would be an option but it’s good to know. I’m hoping that it’s just an abscess or something benign but who knows
 
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