Ovarian Cysts in my older piggy

[OSUCavies]

My guinea pig Layla who I have had for a little over three years now is showing all of the signs of ovarian cysts. She is itching at both of her sides near her tummy, she is mounting the other piggies almost every single day and has been for a few weeks now. I cannot tell if her sides are pushed out or if she is just overweight (she is a big piggy!).

I have read the way to fix this problem is to have her spayed. Is this okay to do in such an older piggy? I'm pretty sure she is about 3. I got her in...February I believe three years ago and she was pretty young when I got her.

I have a vet appointment set up at the same vet that neutered Clancy (they treated him like a King!) to have her checked out.

What is the procedure for this? I mean, how do they know for sure if she has cysts? The price is not that big of a deal, but of course I hope to not walk out of there with a 300 dollar bill because they did a bunch of unncessary things to check her out that perhaps they didn't need to do. Any suggestions, comments, concerns? This is my first time with any serious medical problem aside from her ear infection a couple of months ago which cleared up, thank goodness!

Thanks for any help.

[Biscuit]

Sometimes an experienced vet can tell from palpating the area and an x-ray. Sometimes an ultrasound is needed.

I have read of spaying a piggy as old as 5 being done. It's all about the health of the pig and the prognosis in my opinion.

Are her nipples swollen? Discharge? Is she experiencing any hair loss or thinning? If so, where is the hair loss (on both sides, just one side, etc)? Does she appear thinner along her spine or shoulders? My end-stage cyst/tumor rescue of the past had lumps on sides, left greater than right, but was thin all along her top side, shoulders sticking out, and bilateral hair loss over a long period of time.

Vet experience is the key in my opinion. My vet has seen hundreds, if not thousands of x-rays in her time as the guinea pig vet for a local rescue...she can tell a lot more from an x-ray than other vets seem to be able to.

[auburnmare5]

I have never dealt with a situation liek this, but if you think she has signs of them; go to a vet!

If it were me, I'd rather be safe, than sorry. (Sorry if that sounds harsh)

[clotho]

My vet was able to diagnose both of my girls who had cysts by palpitating. In both cases, they had atypical symptoms. Both of them had weight gain, pear shape and were hormonal - but there was no hair loss or crusty nipples. I could have sworn they were pregnant - that's exactly how they acted (even though I knew they couldn't be).

The spay operation cost approximately $200, but costs will vary depending on where you live. That included the vet visit, surgery, anesthesia, pain meds, antibiotics, and the check up afterwards.

You may want to search out some threads on hormone therapy though. I know members have opted to go for hormone injections with some success rather than spay their piggies. You would have to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision that was best for your piggie.

[VoodooJoint]

3 isn't necessarily too old to spay a GP. It's risky at any age but that it still in their prime.

Another treatment route is injections of Lupron. My vet has seen great results by using it and it's a good alternative in an older pig or one unsuited for surgery. Lupron is a hormone and it shrinks the cysts (sometime gets rid of them altogether). The only drawback with this treatment is that the pig may need injections every few months to keep the cysts at bay. My vet is happy to help other vets and give them instruction/teach them so if you want his number I'll be happy to supply it.

You can read more about ovarian cysts and treatment on this thread http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...inea-pigs.html

[OSUCavies]

Thanks for the information, guys


VooDoo, I will see what the vet suggests after he sees her and we'll go from there. I, of course, being a very worried mommy was just worried about her going under. But I was also worried about this for my neutered male and they said he did great. They did the surgical procedure beautifully out there and his wound/stitches looked great afterwards and never had any problems with him after the surgery. That is why I was so adamant about going to this particular vet again.

I think spaying her would be the best option, I think she can pull through, but if they say they are worried about doing the procedure I will consider the injections. Thanks for the help!