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Maya Has Lymphoma.

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7squeakers.

7squeakers.

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Maya (three and a half years old) started to pass blood, and squeak when urinating, though droppings were normal. She has lost a little weight, too. I took her to see Christine, the Vet, Monday 16th last week. She is still eating well and behaving as normal, otherwise. Christine suspected maybe bladder stones or kidney problem. She expressed Maya's bladder and was concerned that the wee was mostly water. Were the kidneys not working properly? Christine prescribed Septrin. 0.7 ml twice a day. ( Hooray! I was really expecting the usual Baytril and Cystaid!) Check-up on Thursday. No great improvement by Thursday. Definitely less blood in the urine though still pain on passing water. Christine did a thorough examination of Maya and found that her Lymph glands were enlarged, the one under the chin particularly. Diagnosis: Possible Lymphoma. She did a Fine Needle aspirate there and then. Results came back next day; cells most akin to Lymphoma. Proposed treatment; steroid tablets. As there had been a slight improvement with the Septrin, it was agreed that I continue Maya on that for another 3 days, and then discuss further treatment for the Lymphoma at the next appointment on Monday 23rd.
072.webp Please send your famous healing vibes for my beautiful girl.
 
I am ever so sorry! Lymphoma is not the kind of news you want to hear. :(

Wishing you all the best; be prepared to contact your vet re. painkillers, as lymphoma in the later stages can be very painful.
 
Thank you for the warning @Wiebke ! I'll keep it in mind!

After reading about steroids and their side effects, in other threads here and on the Net, and also about Chemo-therapy and what that does, I am inclined to agree with what @furryfriends (TEAS) said last month: As long as she has a good quality of life now, let Maya live out her last months in peace, without any treatment.

I forgot to say also, that on top of all that, yesterday somehow she got a claw caught on something and pulled it out! Silly moo! Back to the Vet we went! It never rains but it pours!
 
I am so sorry to read this. Know exactly what you are going through

We had a piggy with Lymphoma - we noticed Treacle had lost weight and found a lump under her chin. Upon closely inspection at the vets our vet showed us several other lumps around lymph nodes on piggies legs etc... Rosie was certain it was Lymphoma and told us the treatment options. We could slow the progress down with steroids or try Chemo. There is no way we could put an animal through Chemotherapy so we choose to try and give Treacle a little longer with us by steroid injections but don't know if they helped give her longer
Rosie assured us that the Lymphoma Treacle had was causing her no pain and up until the night she passed away she was a very happy content piggy (apart from the few episodes of bloat) From diagnosis till Treacy passed was around 1 month, but her lumps where quite big.

Her Appetite was higher as well, we feed her extra each day :) It was a very bitter sweet time as Treacy got used to coming out for extra feed and would sit on my chest eating hay when I lay on the floor with her

Painrelief is vital and she was a piggy with bladder issues so we had to switch form Metacam to control this to an opiate painkiller and give a gut stim alongside it - Emeprid as metacam can ot be used alongside steroids

Here is a link to Treacle's thread, I kept it updated with her progress.... Treacle has Lymphoma as you can guess it doesn't end happily. Treacles thread is worth a read as it charts the journey we made with her, she was happy until the end and pain free.

Sending you hugs and love to Maya x x
 
My Pebbles was diagnosed with Lymphoma, we opted for Steroids which I could give at home via tablet.

She did really well, lived for 6 weeks after her diagnosis the night before she had slowed down but still up eating. By morning she had past, I wouldn't hesitate in using steroids again. She was bright and alert right up until the end.

So sorry about your little one's diagnosis, treatment everyday like her last and enjoy what time you have left.
 
@Wiebke , @sport_billy , @flintstones , @furryfriends (TEAS) , thank you all for your replies.

Maya's last appointment at the Vet was on Monday (yesterday) at 4 pm. Christine examined her Lymph nodes again and thought that they were a bit smaller. After reading your thread, sport_billy, I knew that it was nothing to get my hopes up for. Maya was weighed and found to have gained 20 gm since Thursday. We agreed to stop the Septrin as, overall, it has not done much good. She is still passing a small amount of blood and finding it painful to do so. Surgery to remove a Lymph node for testing was ruled out as her health is already compromised and the Lab was 90% sure that the tissues from the biopsy last week were Lymphoma. The Lab had requested more tissues from some of the other nodes for further tests in the name of investigative science. So, as I held Maya, Christine did a Fine Needle aspirate on three other nodes, and put the tissue on glass slides. I was not charged for these aspirates as they were for study to further scientific knowledge of Guinea pig diseases. So far, Maya is still bright and eating well. I would like to get her out for a cuddle but I know she is happier in her box of hay!
 
Wiebke said:
Wishing you all the best!
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Thank you! From what I have read in other threads about Lymphoma, I expect to lose her around Christmas time:(:bye:. I am strangely matter-of-fact about it!
She is not in any pain at the moment, but I will have to decide on which meds to put her on, when the pain starts.
 
7squeakers. said:
Thank you! From what I have read in other threads about Lymphoma, I expect to lose her around Christmas time:(:bye:. I am strangely matter-of-fact about it!
She is not in any pain at the moment, but I will have to decide on which meds to put her on, when the pain starts.
Click to expand...
Just enjoy your time with her! Plenty of time for tears later, but for now she still has lots of living to do x
 
Maya's Lymphoma: Update.
Maya is still not in any pain, as far as I can tell. Still eating well, though takes longer to eat her veg than normal. Christine, the Vet, did check her teeth last week and could find nothing wrong with them. She does not dribble or drop pieces of food when eating. Behaving much as normal, except that she does allow me to stroke her sometimes, when she is on the cage floor. Normally she will run off! Maya's eyes sometimes look a bit sunken, which I understand can be a symptom of the Lymphoma. Worryingly, and I know this is another symptom, she is still passing sometimes a LOT of blood. At times it is diluted and at other times it is just a few drops of pure blood. Still also experiencing pain when wee-ing. Thought about what I'm going to do when she's gone, and had a bit of a cry last night! More updates as we go on.
 
Hugs to you and to Maya. Just make her last days with you as precious as possible xx
 
:hug: Thats not a nice Christmas present :no: I'm so sorry to hear that :hug:
 
Maya's Lymphoma; Update.
Well, it has been three weeks now since Maya was diagnosed with Lymphoma. She is still quite bright and alert, eating well too. She and Inka just polished off a large handful of fresh cut grass this afternoon. Again, she passed an awful lot of blood during the night. Last night I dreamed that she had died! Was relieved to find it untrue this morning! I think, because she still looks and acts healthy, it has not really sunk in that I am going to lose her soon. I am just taking each day as it comes.
 
Maya's Lymphoma; Update No. 3.
It has now been four weeks since Maya was diagnosed with Lymphoma, so I reckon she has actually had it for at least six weeks, maybe more. She is still eating well and quite bright and alert, but feels so light when I pick her up. Friday 4th, Christine, my Vet, phoned with the results of the second lot of biopsies. It is definitely Lymphoma. It was agreed that we should give steroids a try, to hopefully prolong Maya's life a bit and make her more comfortable. I picked up a bottle of 14 steroid tablets on Monday, which I have to crush and mix with water, one per day. Maya is such a good girl, taking her meds. She is still passing blood but I think there is less of it. Still finding it painful to pee though. I hope I'm not neglecting the other girls too much!
More updates later.
 
Sending you and Maya lots of hugs and best wishes, I somehow missed this thread before. You are an amazing piggy carer and I am sure you're other piggys are not being neglected at all.
 
Pebbles did very well on the steroids, definitely worth a go. She didn't suffer and was taken very quickly in the end.

I don't envy your situation but her quality of life can still be good until the time comes. Gentle strokes to your little one.
 
Maya's Lymphoma: update 4; 5 Weeks since diagnosis. Maya is doing very well, bless her and is still eating well. Although she has lost a lot of weight, she does not look thin. Coat still smooth and shiny, eyes still bright. Took her to the Vet this morning as was concerned about her having pain when urinating. Antibiotics were not suggested. Christine recommended that I continue with the steroids as the bleeding has stopped and the wee-ing pain is less than it was. Christine examined Maya's nodes and said that they had shrunk. Must be the steroids working. Droppings getting better, more regularly shaped and not sticking together. All in all, things are looking good, although I know that she could start going downhill any day now. Lets hope that the steroids hold it off for a bit longer. :tu:
 
Glad Maya is still doing well, if she's anything like my Pebbles there may not be very much of a decline. I hope she continues to go from strength to strength. Enjoy this time, and spoil her rotten! X
 
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