[Gpdd] HEALTH: Cysts

EVE BLACKE shiksachick at hotmail.com
Thu Jan 12 19:46:47 EST 2006


Hi Laura and fellow cavylovers,

My Ophelia developed a cyst-like growth on his neck just behind his ear when 
he was about 3 years old.  It was peashaped and sized and it didn't seem to 
bother him so I just kept an eye on it.  When he was about 4, it all of a 
sudden started to grow very fast.  It reached the size of a large marble 
within a month and it seemed to itch him a lot so off to the vet I took him. 
  The vet said it was probably a blocked sebaceous gland which, I was told, 
was not an uncommon thing for a piggy to get.  He told me my options were 
surgery (he warned me it could come back despite it) or leaving it to 
rupture, drain and regrow for the remainder of his life.  I was not happy 
with the idea of surgery on a 4-year old piggie but just leaving it to 
bother him and continue growing and festering was just not an option, so I 
agreed to the surgery.  It was done the same day and I took Ophelia home in 
the afternoon with a dose of pain medication to boot.  I had some green 
lettuce waiting for him and Hamlet in their cage ( I know it's bad for 
them...but it IS their favorite treat and I wanted to make sure Ophelia 
started eating promptly).  Ophelia promptly started  piggin' out (pun 
intended!) on the lettuce and hay and didn't even need the pain meds.  It's 
never grown back and  I'm very happy to have him and his brother, Hamlet, 
still in my life at the ripe old age of 6 years and 3.5 months.

Eve along with Paddington the leaper and the senior Hamlet and Ophelia






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