Hi,
This is an update on Poppy's health issues. I brought Poppy to the vet back in April because of her "crusty nipples". The vet "palpitated" her, checked for ovarian cysts and didn't find any. I was relieved, but I assume an ultrasound is the only way to know for certain if she has a cyst. Ultrasounds are expensive so I decided to wait and monitor her behavior. My vet also prescribed Chlorhexidine to clean her nipples. The vet removed some of the crust, but a lot remained. Poppy hated it when I used the Chlorhexidine. I was afraid I really hurt her trying to remove the crust.
That crust is really stuck on. Her nipples are making her very uncomfortable. I thought the taste of the Chlorhexidine might have been why she stopped eating her pellets so I stopped using Chlorhexidine. Lastly, my vet recommended that I have her spayed. Surgery scares me ...
EXTRA INFO:
Poppy was treated with an antibiotic for an upper respiratory infection back in May because she had some eye crust and I heard a lot of sneezing one night. Those symptoms began right before I was scheduled for surgery. I knew that I wouldn't be able to take her back to the vet so I was extra cautious. Normally, I would have waited a few days to see if she got worse. I don't think she really had an infection, but I'm not certain. Nonetheless, she was treated for an infection. The eye crust did go away and sneezing stopped so ...
For the past 2 weeks (or so), on and off, Poppy and her sister, haven't been finishing their pellets. They eat their hay and veggies. No other symptoms. After a few days of receiving Ben-a-bac, they finished all of their pellets. Then they weren't given Ben-a-bac for about a week and
now they aren't eating their pellets again. Ugh!
Clearly, they are trying to tell me something is wrong!
WEIGHT
Weight was 800 grams in April and now is 774 grams which isn't terrible at all.
However, she has lost a tiny bit of weight.
BEHAVIOR
Poppy has been much calmer; I think she only mounts her sister when she is in heat.
QUESTIONS:
1) Is not eating pellets a symptom of ovarian cysts?
2) What if she does have a cyst? Would a spay still be beneficial? [Sorry, if that is a really dumb question]
3) Should I insist on an ultrasound?
Lastly, Poppy doesn't like it when I touch her nipples. In addition, she stretches over her food bowl and seems to put more pressure on her left side. The way she leans on her food bowl, it looks like she is uncomfortable. Has anyone else ever observed that? It's strange. Usually, guinea pigs put their front paws on the part of the food bowl that is closest to them ... she stretches over the food bowl, rests her paws on the part that is farthest away, and leans towards the left. She puts one paw in front of the other. It's hard to explain, sorry, I tried.
Any feedback would be appreciated because I don't really know what to do. I just got coconut oil, finally. I tried this past Monday and it didn't really help me remove any more crust. As mentioned before, Poppy hates it when I touch her nipples.
Should I continue with the coconut oil?
- Helena