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Challenges For Tea Cake - Uri And Testicular Tumour?

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I hope Tea Cake is eating well. Your vet has made a really neat stitching job. Wishing him a speedy full recovery. He'l have the best aftercare with you Laura.
 
So the lab results are back on Tea Cake's abnormal testicle and it was a tumour - testicular seminoma. So yes my boys do keep specialising in weird stuff. It seems to be pretty darn rare or at least not widely recorded - only one main published paper that my vet found, and I think I have found by interweb searching and that was from October 2016. A six year old piggie but he had a much more obviously enlarged testicle than TC had. TC more had a testicle which felt rounded and hard and was growing larger.
Anyway the only treatment is to remove it which of course has already happened so at least I didn't mess about with biospy or anything which would have delayed the same outcome. Most of these are benign in dogs, but not clear what the score is for gps.

In terms of recovery, he is doing OK but it is quite slow going. The bigger risk I think is that he gets scar tissue from the bladder op which blocks his ureter so he certainly isn't out of the woods at the mo. Just getting impatient for him to be better! He is also being defensive aggressive to Theo so I am going to have to try a slow rebonding when he feels up to it - having to keep him separate in hospital pen for now :(. He is loving the underfloor heating in the kitchen though!
 
Oh he's gone through quite an ordeal poor little man. I hope he continues to improve and that he doesn't develop any obstructive scar tissue. Fingers firmly crossed for Teacake xx
 
Oh Tea Cake. Sending the strongest healing vibes through the airwaves.
When do you have to take Tea Cake back for a check up aura? He will have had a really strong painkiller following his op so he will be feeling pretty sore now. So its a good idea to keep him separate from Theo.
 
That's incredible Laura, hopefully its all sorted as regards the tumour. Hopefully his bladder settles down and he feels more comfortable. Just don't ask me to rebond him to Theo! My nerves won't stand it! (just joking) xx
 
pig in the city said:
That's incredible Laura, hopefully its all sorted as regards the tumour. Hopefully his bladder settles down and he feels more comfortable. Just don't ask me to rebond him to Theo! My nerves won't stand it! (just joking) xx
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Thanks for that B @pig in the city - yes I don't want to go through any rebonding with Tea Cake either. He is not looking so good this evening - refused his yellow pepper, not eating much hay :(. I have some Tramadol prescribed for him so may have to try that with the metacam.

@worried val of york - Hi Val - thanks for vibes, he needs them - it is his 10 day post op check on Friday - the weigh in is not going to be good at this rate...
 
lauraboara said:
Thanks for that B @pig in the city - yes I don't want to go through any rebonding with Tea Cake either. He is not looking so good this evening - refused his yellow pepper, not eating much hay :(. I have some Tramadol prescribed for him so may have to try that with the metacam.

@worried val of york - Hi Val - thanks for vibes, he needs them - it is his 10 day post op check on Friday - the weigh in is not going to be good at this rate...
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Hope the medication helps Laura x
 
Tea Cake is not doing well :(. Just not eating enough or maintaining his weight. I had the audacity to go to work (large vet bill to pay!) rather than hand feed him all day yesterday and the weight just disappeared in those hours. Spent a fortune on variety of recovery foods to see what I can do to strengthen him ( he rejects pellet mush - ugh) . Getting frustrated
 
Oh no. Sometimes it is so hard to juggle everything and you cannot be in two places at once.
I wish I knew what to suggest :hug: Does he seem unwilling to fight it? xx
 
Oh that's not good Laura, its so emotionally draining when you are making so much effort but not seeing an improvement.
Lets hope he turns the corner soon x
 
Thanks for asking @worried val of york
Slow going but little signs of hope.
Bad things are low weight, still not eating well on his own, still some pink wees and on and off noisy breathing.
Better things are he is more active in hospital pen, taking syringe feeds well, will eat some veg and herbs independently, poos looking better. But it is tiny steps, really hope he starts to eat more hay soon
 
Any improvement is good. His little body is having to come to terms with a massive operation. When Rupert was having eating issues He slept in my bedroom in plastic storage box so I could keep syringe feeding him at intervals during the night. It is a stressful situation when your guinea pig wont eat as normal. I even gave him a small amount of porridge oats to try and build him up. He did eat some but very little. But eventually he got his appetite back but it was a long slog.
Fingers and paws crossed that Tea Cake continues to improve.
 
Yes, it doesn't sound all bad Laura, he has been through a lot for an older piggy. Here's hoping he improves a bit soon x
 
Tiny bit of weight gain happening, just got to keep going I think and we will get there. I have found making the syringe food thicker to a very thick paste makes him more satisfied and then he will try some hay. Getting through a lot of syringes ;). Crikey these little furries test us don't they
 
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lauraboara said:
Tiny bit of weight gain happening, just got to keep going I think and we will get there. I have found making the syringe food thicker to a very thick paste makes him more satisfied and then he will try some hay. Getting through a lot of syringes ;). Crikey these little furries test us don't they
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Well done Laura! Weight gain makes for happy piggy mummies!
 
Tea Cake is slowly regaining his strength which is so good to see. Still on 4 syringe feeds a day but eating more on his own. Quite grumpy but have put him side by side with Theo as they have been apart for 3 weeks whilst Tea Cake was very poorly. Theo is encouraging him to eat I think when he hears the munching of hay!
 
I was wondering how Tea Cake was getting on but I didn't want to pester you Laura.
The news is very promising, especially encouraging that Theo of all guinea pigs is helping out with the eating issue.
Come on Tea Cake spring is round the corner, you'll soon have fresh grass to chew on.
 
That is great news Laura, l guess everything just had to heal and settle down. I am so pleased, l know there is a way to go, but if he can just enjoy the sunshine again it would be wonderful!
 
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