• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Mammary mass in females

H

Hath

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
699
Reaction score
1,125
Points
625
Location
Birmingham. UK
Hey, one of my girls has a mammary mass. We've decided to neuter first and then wait and see if it shrinks or do second surgery to remove them. Anyone has experience with these surgeries? Trying to prepare, we lost one of our boys suddenly last month and panicking thinking about her not making it.

Wondering if anyone had mass reduction post spay? We'll do a sample from the mass during spay to see what it is. Just hope one surgery will work! She's almost 2yrs old.
 
My sow Winifred 🌈 developed a mammary lump in 2019 when she was 3ish. My local vet (inexperienced) assumed it was a cancerous tumour and therefore terminal, but I took her for a second opinion to the Cat and Rabbit Clinic. Test were inconclusive but Simon Maddock said removal surgery was possible whatever it was, and might solve the problem.
I had the lump tested after removal and it turned out to be a benign growth - it needed removal anyway though, because eventually it would probably have either impeded movement or rubbed on the ground while she was walking.

I hope your sow's mass turns out to be benign too.
 
I’m sorry to hear that

Mammary tumours keep growing if they aren’t removed so can stop a piggy from being able to stand properly. I’m not sure I have ever heard of an existing mammary mass reducing due to the piggy being spayed - particularly as spaying is usually a bigger surgery than removing the mammary mass would be (it’s an easy surgery if done while the mass is small)

Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
My sow Winifred 🌈 developed a mammary lump in 2019 when she was 3ish. My local vet (inexperienced) assumed it was a cancerous tumour and therefore terminal, but I took her for a second opinion to the Cat and Rabbit Clinic. Test were inconclusive but Simon Maddock said removal surgery was possible whatever it was, and might solve the problem.
I had the lump tested after removal and it turned out to be a benign growth - it needed removal anyway though, because eventually it would probably have either impeded movement or rubbed on the ground while she was walking.

I hope your sow's mass turns out to be benign too.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about Winifred. Hope the surgery bought her few more years with you. I definitely want surgery to remove. We have monitored it and she's been coming into season constantly and it grows/shrinks in size. But, she's the most active and happy piggie I've ever seen, for her to be weighed down by something that can get to the point she'll have issues with mobility is just heartbreaking to think about.
We're considering two surgeries to limit time under GA and I really hope one is all it will take and it shrinks without hormones feeding it.
Just not in the right space at the moment. Our boy died suddenly to bladder blockage. Rushed to vets at 2am and they managed to unblock. But didn't recover. Very traumatic as he was only 2,5 yrs. X-rays found advanced arthritis, too. He was a rescue (all are) and his mother wasn't in great health herself when she was pregnant. Only ever lost one piggie this young and rest lived 5+ years, so still traumatised for not seeing it coming.
 
Soooo ....

We're back home from surgery. Had to stay at vets overnight, but home now and eating and toileting. Just wobbly and slower. But pottering around cage and foraging in hay tray. So overall, I am happy.

She has always loved the Metacam, literally tries to steal the syringe. BUT now she's on gabapentin liquid and she hates it. What do you hide it in? I was wondering if I could get some pure baby food? I had a piggie on it before and he never reacted. Not sure if she just expects Metacam and it ruined her expectations. I had a dog who wouldn't eat the 50mg pink coated tablets, instead had to split 100mg tablets. Whatever the pink coating was she wasn't keen on. Such a strange drug. Thought nothing beats Baytril but here we are!
 
Glad the surgery went well.
Hoping for a speedy recovery now.
Sorry I have no experience of gabapentin with piggies
 
Just to update. Piggie was basically doing little popcorns from day 2 post op. She's a crazy one, still behaves like a pup. She was sleepy and cuddly day after I picked her up. But loved the Emeraid syringe feeds. I was still topping her up for couple days post op as I noticed she only ate shorter strands of hay. Demolished all the veggies and started stealing her cage mate's veggies, too... All was well until week post op when she developed swelling and it was vet visit on Boxing day. It was seroma which then opened up week after. Two weeks of ATBs, 6 vet checks later and we're fully healed. Apparently she had reaction to sutures. Totally worth the journey as she stayed happy and was zooming around, eating and toileting.
We didn't send the mass for testing. Vet didn't think it looked suspicious and I wouldn't change anything based on the results. I would still want the surgery to give her chance and hopefully now we're neutered we don't have to worry about other things growing!

Is there a way to prevent seroma? I tired getting her into a 'suit" but any sock would just slip off and suits wouldn't fit. Just wondered if you have experience in post op recovery to prevent seroma.

But anyway, she's still h.mping her friend (I know it doesn't change their behaviour). She just loves her too much.
So now she has new nickname - "One Nippled Navs"


Her sister has crusty nipples, so she'll be the next one... Wish us luck.
 
Forgot to say. Vet neutered and removed the mammary mass in one op. Apparently the masses just popped out so it didn't add much time to the op.
 
Well done, super that she is better again thanks to all your good care ❤
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top