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Captain Jack - Very Poorly

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sophiew (EAGPR)

sophiew (EAGPR)

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My lovely Captain Jack is very poorly - he has a large lump underneath his tummy, by his back leg, which has opened up and is bleeding. I've washed him down, he was such a good patient boy with me, and am now waiting for vets to open.

I don't know what to do - my local vets aren't great, and I fear they will just offer put to sleep as an option. But to take him to Vedra is a good hour and a half, which I don't mind, but I'm worried it will be stressful for him and might still have the same result :(

He's my favourite. I know you shouldn't have favourites, but he is. He's 5 years old so I doubt they'd want to operate on him.

No idea what caused the lump - it's huge, the size of a golf-ball, and came on so suddenly?

Sophie
x
 
Hi Sophie. Sorry to hear about Captain Jack. Don't be talked into anything that you don't want to. If they suggest pts then say you want to try meds first. Be persistent. Hope things go well at the vets today :)
 
Thanks -he's still eating well but is finding it hard to move around because of the size of the lump. I'm hoping they might be able to drain it. If they don't offer any kind of treatment then I'll take him to Vedra so he has every chance. He's a fighter, so I'm not giving up on him!

Sophie
x
 
Thinking of you both Sophie. I wonder if it is some kind of abcess? Does he have a cage mate he could majke the journey to Vedra with?

Always happens at the weekend doesn't it? (((Hugs))))
 
He's got 2 cage mates but one of those isn't well either :( (long term ill, poor boy). Zippy could go with him though, good idea.

Looks like an abcess. He had one on his face, and he's been to Vedra and we decided to leave it because of his age, and it wasn't causing him any problems with eating or breathing. It's gone now.

It IS always the weekend, typically! Ah well. Vets aren't open yet, roll on 9 oclock!

Sophie
x
 
Update

Just back from vets - and it's cancer :(

Bless him, he didn't even make a fuss when the vet stuck a needle in the lump.. he's such a good sweet boy.

Obviously the prognosis is not good, but given how bright he is and the fact that he doesn't seem to be in pain and is eating well, we've decided to give him a course of antibiotics and try and clear the lump up and see how he goes. He's an old man, and it's in a difficult place to operate even if he wasn't. I'm going to give him the weekend with all of his favourite things, and see what happens. If he's still bright I might take him to Vedra on Monday.

Fingers crossed please, that the lump goes down enough for him to live out his last days happily

Here are some pics this morning:

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Sophie
x
 
I am so sorry to hear this, how could the vet tell it was cancerous rather than an abscess?

He is just lovely, it is ok to have favourites you know :)

I will keep my fingers crossed for him xx
 
I'm so sorry about captain jack. poor lil boy and he sounds like his being sooo brave. My thought are with you and him. really hope his feeling better soon. Hope your ok Sophie. Just make sure you have plenty of hugs with him today xx
 
So sorry to hear about Captain Jack. Hope the meds can control the swelling. If he is still eating and doesnt appear in pain then he is probably unaware of the drama surrounding him. Best wishes to you from my brood. One of my pigies was operated on yesterday for a stone but has to see a specialist on Monday due to the location of the lump. Its such a worrying time and I feel for you and the Captain...
 
The vet thought is was cancerous because when they stuck a needle in it, it was blood that came out rather than pus. Poor boy. He's in his own cage now on clean fleece and is stretched out asleep. Eating like a horse, bless him!

Thanks for all your well wishes

Sophie
x
 
I will take a risk and say that I very much doubt it is cancer, with all that is implied by the supposed diagnosis. The fact that only blood came out of the lump, therefore it is cancerous is an unwarranted assupmtion.
It could be a hernia.
I have had boars with mammary gland lumps, not quite golf ball size, which can get bleeding into them. Likewise some develop fatty lumps with internal bleeding. Sometimes the lump can break through the skin, no problem- just cover it with a dressing. My pigs went on to live to a good old age, with no treatment other than keeping the area clean. Just because something is abnormal does NOT mean it requires treatment. I would most certainly recommend, at the very least, a phone call to Vedra. In the meantime do not panic, as you said the pig is eating and totally unconcerned
 
Thanks, that's interesting. I am bathing the lump in hibiscrub type stuff (can't remember the name) but I'm struggling to keep a dressing on it - no matter what I do, as soon as he walks it falls off! Any tips?

It just looks SO awful

He's fast asleep snuggled up on his fleece :)
 
Could you look for another vet nearer to you? There is a list of good guinea vets at the top of the Health Section.

Your lad is so beautiful, by the way. Sending him loads of love xx
 
I've tried all my locals vets - over 60 piggies here, so I've had a few to try! But they are all just cat and dog vets really. I took him to the nearest one today because it was an emergency, I think I'll phone Vedra and see if it's worth taking him to her on Monday.
Wish she was nearer!

Sophie
x
 
Maybe put some inodine on it which will keep it clean? I have done that in the past with piggie wounds just to keep them clean. I will bring you a couple of inodine patches tomorrow which you can wipe on.
Charlotte x
 
Hibiscrub is chlorhexidine gluconate, which is a suitable alternative to diluted Povidone Iodine. Saline is fine but it's not got the antiseptic (I think) qualities of Hibi/Iodine.

I'm sorry that Captain Jack is not well Sophie. I too would doubt the cancer diagnosis, more tests would have to be run before something like that was assumed. Keep us updated. x
 
So sorry to hear about your poor boy :( Will a biopsy be taken of the lump?

Sending lots of hugs and well wishes your way x>>x>>
 
So sorry to read about Captain Jack ... I can only imagine how worried you must be.

My Rikkyboy had swellings that appeared under his belly, well on the top of his legs and also around his neck, under his chin. The skin split around his legs and they started to bleed. It was a build-up of fluid, however it wasn't a lump.

Piggies are so good at disguising illnesses and problems. However, I would not have thought that the fact that the lump bled was a secure prognosis that it is cancer. I thought that would be only by scan, biopsy or blood tests.

You are right to get another opinion. If CJ is eating ok and moving around, then that is good. Fingers crossed for him .... do some research yourself and then go armed with some information.
 
Savlon spray is a dilute form of the active ingredient in Hibiscrub - So if you can't get that (Morrisons supermarket may have it if they have a pharmacy, and there's one near you - They tend only to be open till 8 on a Saturday though) then the Savlon is a useful option. Or what you're using of course, depending on what's in it.

If the lump has opened of its own accord then I'm almost certain abscess (or other infection/ inflammation cause). I've seen tumours, and they stretch the skin, not break it. Also check if the area is red/ warm, and probably with a thinning of the hair. Harder now it's open, but a tumour will generally just be a lump under the skin, no hair loss, no excess heat, signs of red inflammation...

I think there's plenty about treating abscesses on here, but the basics are keep it clean, if you can then try to "express" (ie gently squeeze out) the puss that is likely to appear soon, and keep him on clean bedding. I don't know what you use, but polar fleece, vetbed, or even a towel (if he doesn't eat it) are good options, and change freuqently through the day. Antibiotics.. Well, given my current experience I'm less than convinced when given systemically (as in, oral or injection through the whole body), but there's no reason to believe they might have an effect if used to flush the wound.

I'm not entirely sure where the lump is, but I know a piggy my mother had had a lump between the crease of his thigh and his "bits", was diagnosed as a tumour, another vet said blocked seminal duct, after many weeks it burst, and was an abscess. As I had been saying all along, without even seeing him...

I had a girl who had slightly swollen feet (due to inactivty through a dental issue), one day when I was on the phone to a local rodentologist about other health problems, my girl sat and intently chewed her feet. And bled everywhere for quite a while (with me doing my best to stem the bleeding, and her being too interested in the world to care). After a few hours it was possible to see the nasty guk in the core of the holes, and then it was much easier for me to treat her.

This was 2 or so years ago, and right now she's trying to swallow the water bottle as I type :)
 
He's so cute! I think you're right to get a second opinion Sophie. Hope things go well with Vedra :)
 
I was wondering if you could get a suitable piece of tubigrip to keep the dressing in place which could be cut to size to fit around his belly?
Lets hope it turns out not too be cancer as the vet thinks - sometimes they get it wrong. I'm sure you will feel more better if you take him to see Vedra for another opinion to put your mind at rest :)
 
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