It's been over a week now since our guinea pig had his tumor removed. I don't see him moving about as much as I would like. He comes out a little if we bring veggies, but for the most part is hiding in his pigloo a lot. He has another follow-up visit on Monday for wound care, and I'm getting anxious about that visit. The vet said if he isn't back to his old self by then, then we really need to consider putting him to sleep. He said this would mean his level of pain is just too much.
I'm just sad. Has anyone's pet had surgery and taken a little while longer to recover than thought at first?
I'm really happy to post an update about Scampers. He perked up a day or two ago all of a sudden. I gave him one of his favorite treats of a paper bag full of hay. He jumped right in and ate a lot. Since then he seems very back to normal. I even think he is attempting to use the water bottle again. If your animal has surgery, try lots of things to help him recover. I think depending on the condition, it might take a little extra time.
I'm so glad to hear that Scampers is feeling better! I was about to reply to your original post to see how you made out at that vet appointment but then I saw your update. Very good to hear! To answer your question, I haven't had a pet that needed major surgery, but I agree wholeheartedly that sometimes it just takes extra time for healing. I think sometimes it's a bit too easy for a vet to suggest putting a pet to sleep when healing isn't as fast as they think it may be... and the way they try to convince people is talking about the pain that the pet must be feeling. If pain is that severe, there are ways they show it, I think. Again, so glad that Scampers is perky again! :-)
(04-22-2013, 03:19 AM)mariposa Wrote: [ -> ]I'm so glad to hear that Scampers is feeling better! I was about to reply to your original post to see how you made out at that vet appointment but then I saw your update. Very good to hear! To answer your question, I haven't had a pet that needed major surgery, but I agree wholeheartedly that sometimes it just takes extra time for healing. I think sometimes it's a bit too easy for a vet to suggest putting a pet to sleep when healing isn't as fast as they think it may be... and the way they try to convince people is talking about the pain that the pet must be feeling. If pain is that severe, there are ways they show it, I think. Again, so glad that Scampers is perky again! :-)
Thank you so much! The place we take them to is also a non-profit wildlife center. They seem very concerned about animal welfare, so I was not concerned too much that they were just pushing for putting him down out of convenience. Being a non-profit organization, they kept the price very reasonable. With the surgery, the meds and boarding, it was just a little over $200. The quality of care was the best part, but I really appreciate places like this that care about the animal and help working families by keeping it reasonable.
I just read this thread. I'm glad Scampers recovered from his surgery and hope he is continuing to do well. Many years ago, I used to have two guinea pigs -- Cocoa and Krispie. Krispie had no health issues, but Cocoa ended up having diabetes and needing daily insulin shots. I adopted both piggies from a teacher who had to re-home her classroom pets. Again, I'm glad you found something to motivate Scampers to get around and didn't have to take the drastic step of putting him to sleep. Sounds like the vet facility you use was a good one, but Scampers just needed a little more motivation to get moving. If you're still on this forum, how are your little piggies doing now?