Anyone experienced lump IN stomach?

[clair26]

My little girl went to vet today and he said he could feel a lump inside her stomach. She has had loose droppings, been eating about half her normal intake of food and her weight has dropped to 550grams, and drinking loads of water.

Poppy got ill before but recovered with anti-biotics and syring feeding round the clock (despite the vet thinking she was on her way out), so I like to think she is a tough little cookie but I'm not so sure of a happy ending this time.
Before it was stones/urine infection, but this time there is a lump.

I have googled but all I come up with is lumps ON the stomach (cysts etc) but this lump is IN her stomach and all I can think is it must be cancer (the vet mentioned the possibility of a tumor).

Poppy was always the dominant one who didn't want her cage mate Minnie near her, now she sits quietly next to Minnie all the time. When I brought Poppy home from the vet, Minnie began grooming her and Poppy let her, something which would have never happened in the past.
As I took Poppy on from someone else who knew nothing about her, I don't know her exact age, but she has been with me for 2 & half years, so I estimate her to be between 4-5 years old.

The vet wants to see her in 7 days or sooner if she gets worse, when she will be refered to another vet for xrays. I am to weigh her daily as part of the monitoring. I have added pro-biotic to her water, as she drinks a lot that will get into her.

Basically my rambling is asking if anyone has experience of this and can offer any information? Does it sound like cancer? What will happen if it is? Does cancer in piggies cause pain in general ?

 

[Harli]

Hi

I don't have much experience of tumours in guinea pigs but my piggie Jasmine has lymphoma which is a type of cancer. The vet said she isn't in pain and she is being treated with steroids which won't cure her but may prolong her life. I know how worrying it can be when a pet is ill and I am sure someone much more knowledgebale than I am will reply to you soon with some advice, there are some lovely people on this forum.

Sending lots of love and healing wishes to your piggie

Harli

 

[TAN]

Bump

 

[Niki]

I have had & have pigs with lumps, all of which can be easily felt.
My boar has a lump in his neck, this is a lipoma, a harmless fatty lump & a lump under his nipple going down towards his penis, this is a mammary tumour, most of which are benign. Because my boy shows no signs of illness I have chosen to leave both lumps well alone.

Two sows I had, who were sisters, both had lumps in exactly the same place & neither lump grew any bigger than a peanut, these too were mammary tumours & again I chose to leave alone.

 

[biscandmatt]

hi, i went through this recently with chesney. the vet said the lump was inside his abdomen and he said it could be either a lesion, an area of infection, or a tumour.

ches went onto medication and metacam to see how the lump reacted. luckily for him it shrunk and was a lesion.

if you search my threads you can read what happened and the treatment he was given.

 

[Abi_nurse]

Has your vet done anymore diagnostics to be sure that its a mass inside the stomach, its quite a definative diagnosis. Not saying they are wrong at all. Just asking.

Masses inside stomachs can be benign or malignant I'm afraid. However if you wanted a proper diagnoses to find out, then it may be possible (with an expreienced vet) to take a sample ultrasound guided, ideally with your little one either sedated or with a small amount of aneasthetic gas to make her sleepy.

The reason for losing wieght is probably the fact that she has less room within her stomach, however, if she is still eating the same amount and/or your syringe feeding her enough (120ml/24hours) then it does not sound great that she has a mass and is losing weight I'm afraid. Sorry if I'm being a little blunt at all.

I really hope your get the bottom of all this. Sending your girly lots of love.

x.

 

[Pebble]

Oh Clair - this is not a nice thing to have to dal with.


I think it's important to read Abi's and Biscuit's posts.

All too often we "interpret" what the vet says.

No way can the vet diagnose a lump in the actual stomach (which is a defintiive organ) without ultrasound or Xray. It sounds to me therefore that this is a lump in the abdomen - i.e. the cavity containing the stomac,h guts, liver, pancreas, kidneysb etc etc.

This lump as stated before can be benign or mailgnant - but it DOES need proper diagnosis.

I would want an ultrasound to define exactly where the lump is coupled with discussion on the possibility of a needle biopsy........to determine what it actually is.

Sorry to har this


x

 

[clair26]

Thank you all for the information.

I am keeping a very beady eye on Poppy, and she will be going back to the vet anytime within the next few days (at his request) but he wants to give the anti-biotics a chance first, then she will be referered for an x-ray at the other practice in London. But he did state that if under careful observation she appears to have gotten worse then I can rush her straight in.

The vet palpitated her tummy region for quite an extensive amount of time, and Poppy was very well behaved throughout. So now the initial panic in me has subsided I realise that this could not of been painful for her as she would of let us all know!

Her weight has increased slightly, only by 50 grams in 2 days but its a paw in the right direction I feel. I will continue to closely monitor her in the meantime.