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Antibiotic & Vet Problems

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No problem. That is what we are here for :)

That is the beauty of this forum, we can all share stories and support each other.

It doesn't sound like Ben is in pain and please remember that there is no rush to make any firm decisions. Talking to your vet and asking questions sounds like a good idea to me.

Unfortunately with Ellie's tumour, it was too late to do anything plus she had kidney failure which there is no cure for. The same with Ena and her lymphoma.

All you can do now and speak with your vet and take it from there. We will all be here to help in anyway we can :) x
 
I don't think I can add much to what's already been said to be honest.

The decision about surgery really lies with you. The vet has explained the risks, as there is with all surgery and age adds risk. Only you can decide whether that's risk you are willing to take. It is possible to opt for the surgery and if once they have a look it is impossible to remove or treat then the vet can call and give you the option to close up without doing anything or to increase his anaesthetic and let him go peacefully at that time. Bear in mind his recovery from any operation will be longer as he is older and has a potentially serious health problem. But at the end of the day it is very much up to you.

I would certainly not suggest that you have them PTS now just because of the diagnosis. It is very much possible to have weeks and maybe months of good quality life with a tumour before you need to consider whether PTS is the right option.

Ask all the questions you want of the vet and make sure you have as much information as possible about costs, likelihood of success, options for treatment and then you can make the best decision possible. It's never easy to think about all these things when a piggy has a health problem but doesn't actually appear ill.

I had a piggy previously with a tumour on his thigh which our vet advised us was inoperable. We kept Pippin at home and kept him comfortable for his remaining time with us. His tumour continued to grow and restricted his mobility slightly towards the end but his quality of life was excellent and he passed away peacefully some months later in bed with my partner.

In the same situation again I would choose quality of life over quantity and as long as he is comfy, happy and eating well I would leave well alone but that is purely a personal opinion. I would struggle with putting my piggy through surgery for something that has no guarantee of success. I would be of the same opinion if it was a human relative or myself. (My partner is a doctor so we often have conversations about end of life care so please don't be offended if my personal opinions seem callous or unfeeling, it's only what I would choose for me in full knowledge of the facts)

Hope some of that helps...
 
Our Terk had a tumour and though we did have her PTS everntually it was very much a case of taking each day as it comes and letting her be our guide. She was on constant pain relief which kept her comfortable but the minute there was any chance of her suffering we made the decision.
 
Claire W- I'm really glad I joined the forum it's has been such a good help.

Merry pip- I'm not offended by your comments at all, they actually very much shadow my own thoughts, at the moment I feel like he's an old piggy and probably does not need a major op at this stage in his life, and like u say with no guarantee. Because he is still happy the decisions is a hard one because I could make matters worse and actually lose him earlier. As he's never been Ill once in the 6.5 years I don't want the end of his life to be a miserable one.
 
Was her tumour operable? I'm leaning towards that as the way to go, leaving ben to lead the way. the thought of an op is not sitting well with me. I don't want to cause him more pain!
 
Piggies, as with other animals are actually very good at letting us know when enough is enough! We just need to be loving enough to listen to them. You clearly want to do the right thing by him and that is the most loving thing you can do.

Vets should offer you options for pain relief etc if you need it to keep him comfortable if you choose not to have the op. They can use small doses increasing to larger ones as needed. If it is for end of life care you can use bigger doses than vets would otherwise prescribe as long term kidney and liver damage won't be a problem. Just in case anyone tells you that the doses you are offered are too high....
 
You should never feel pressured to go ahead with surgery if you don't feel comfortable.

I guess the difference is that having Eliza's eye removed improved her quality of life. With Ena, she was only 3 years old.

With Ellie and Erin, they had lost the sparkle in their eyes and generally just looked poorly so I new I had to let them go x
 
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I'm not sure how long he has had it and has not shown any signs of "feeling sorry for himself" before now so hopefully we have started pain relief nice and quickly ( as he does not at all seem in pain, not even when he pick him up, lump is near his belly area.) How he is feeling is my main concern as much as I'd love to keep him going for me I know it's not fair.

If the lump is not cancer could he go on for a while relatively pain free? Xx
 
I think in your case where they are either young or they need an op because it's an emergency then I would have chosen your route, when they are young it's good to give them a chance and when it's an emergency the outcome could be the same either way. it's just him looking so normal at the moment that makes me feel so uneasy about it.

I guess you never really know if your doing the right thing, it's got to be a mummy instinct. :) xx
 
laurenburns9 said:
If the lump is not cancer could he go on for a while relatively pain free? Xx
Click to expand...

It will depend where it is and what it is pushing on to be honest. A non malignant lump will cause problems by squashing other organs etc as it grows and it's possibility of removal by surgery will depend on where it is attached or is wrapped around. It may be very slow to increase in size or very fast.

If it is malignant it may cause more pain, interruption to other organs and he will likely loose weight as well. A nasty lump will also squash surrounding organs etc as it increases in size. If it's malignant it may also already be present in other places or spread in the future.
 
The vet can't see what it could be effecting. Which makes the whole idea of an op scarier because will they be cutting him open for no success.
 
I have spoken to the vet this morning and said we are going to go with the painkillers and keep a very close eye on him and when he seems like he is in pain we will make the decision whether to have sugary or let him go peacefully, we will leave ben to be out guide. The vet agreed this was probably the best route to take. So pleased we found a good vet!

You were all a big help yesterday! Xx
 
Only just caught up on your thread, sorry you are having such a tough time, personally I think you are making the right decision by watching and waiting and keeping him pain free. You have varying options on pain relief. We had a piggie with lymphoma and she had a really good month with us after diagnosis and had a great quality of life through to the end.

I know it's hard, but we are all here for you anytime, to bounce ideas off or just let off steam etc.. Lots of love to your little boy x
 
Thank you for the reassurance that I'm doing the best for ben! That's all that really matters don't want him in any pain. Xx
 
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