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My 5 year old sick piggie diagnosed with Cancer

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wenton5

wenton5

Junior Guinea Pig
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Well, Skunky is back from the vet, seems she has a URI that has come about the last 3 days, she is also having some eye issues and has now been diagnosed with a cancerous rapid growing tumor which is attached to her rear right leg. Skunky is unspayed and she had her two ovarian cysts drained last week. My vet (who is very well respected) is not recommending surgery because of her age and he is also telling me that because of the location he won't be able to remove it all. In order to get most of the tumor he will also have to remove her leg. This is devastating news, she is still relatively active and eating and is my sweetie pie. She is on eye drops, baytril, metacam and probiotics. She has lost 50 grams, If I have to I will start the critical care. My piggies get spring water, clean pellets lots of hay and organic grass and veggies and vitamin C. If anyone anyone anyone has any advice, stories, ideas or light they can shed on this matter I would so appreciate it. He is giving her a month at most. I can't beleive it. We are still hanging in there. Thank you, Lara, Skunky boo, Miss More mores, Little Tia girl and Romeo choo choo Anderson

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So sorry you have this bad news for Skunky :(.

Your vet sounds very sensible; if he can't remove all the tumour then there is no point to put her through the surgery & the problems that recovery from surgery can have.

I would monitor her quality of life very carefully; if you find that she is sitting hunched up with fluffed out fur or she starts refusing to eat then this could indicate an increase of pain. I believe vets can offer other sorts of pain relief such as tramadol if the Metacam is not keeping pain under control. If you have any concerns over pain or quality of life then I would talk to the vet again about your options at that point.

While she is eating, happy & active I would just give her loads of love, food treats she enjoys & be guided by her in how much she wants to do. It sounds as if your piggies are well-provided for with a lovely diet & plenty of love already :).

Sending you & your piggies my very best wishes, shiny
 
Thanks so much piggyfan and shiny, this is just devastating. The vet said I could give her Metacam once or twice a day, I am unsure as to whether the Metacam is like Baytril, will it make her groggy or give her an upset tummy? Thanks for the support. It's awful to witness.
Lara, SKunky boo, Miss More mores, Little Tia girl and Romeo choo choo Anderson, my four piggies
 
Has anyone ever used water with electrolytes to keep hydration up?
Thx,
L
 
Metacam should be given only up to a specific dose depending on your guinea's weight or it can cause kidney problems. What did your vet say you could go up to in a day? Metacam doesn't make them drowsy or anything like that, it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID - like ibuprofen is for humans) & helps with pain & reduces swelling or inflammation. My guineas like the taste of it as it is sort of honey-based apparently so it should be more popular than the Baytril anyway! As you already have probiotics, you will be helping your guinea's digestive system anyway. Don't give the probiotics within about 2 hours of the Baytril though or they won't have a chance to work.

How is Skunky now?

ETA: which probiotic do you have? We use Bio-Lapis & it is a rehydrating solution too
 
Well, today is cage cleaning day so her and her cage buddy will be out and about and can say hi to the couple that live upstairs from them (via grid, S'more dosnt like Romeo in her space) This is great info that you are giving me and I appreciate it alot. My exotic vet, who is highly recommended suggested 1.5 metacam twice a day for a week and then once a day, but this was before she lost the 50 grams. I should probably cut it down. I am doing a dairy free acidophilus for Skunk. She is eating but not as much, I am going to start on the critical care today. She is a good girl, she always takes her meds fine. But otherwise she is the same, just pushing along, we just moved so I think her and I are more thirsty here but I have started closing the window completely at night as I think she is getting cold even though she has lots of fleece hidies, etc. She dosnt want to move much because the tumor is attached to the rear right leg, so she lifts it when she walks/ hops/hobbles. Thanks so much. Lara and the gang
 
I would check with the vet if you need an electolyte solution or not, if your piggy is eating & drinking ok then she's probably ok without I would think. Shame about the Bio-Lapis, I think it's pretty useful stuff.
 
Thank you Shiny. Well, the xray is back, the tumor is attached to the rear right leg and hip and back so amputation of the leg won't help. I am going to try one bottle of electrolytes and one bottle of our usual spring water and see which she wants. Thank you again for all the help, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Lara, Skunky boo, S'more the more mores, Little Miss Tia girl and Romeo Choo Choo Anderson
 
Shiny, vet said it couldn't hurt, I'm going to put a bottle of usual spring water next to the bottle of electrolyte water and see what she choses. xxoo L and the gang :)
 
Poor Skunky's, it's horrible having sick pigs especially in Skunky's situation I don't know anything about Tumour's but I have used Tramadol with one of my pigs sadly he's passed on but I did find it very successful in treating his very painful condition. I would see how you get on with the metacam. Do keep a close eye we all know how guinea pig's like to hide pain.

Treat everyday like her last and don't forget to enjoy the time she has left.

x
 
Thanks Shiny, she is hanging tough, I am switching from Baytril to Bactrim, she is loosing interest in appetite. She is soooo resitant to the critical care. I am pondering whether to give her a one time injection of frusamide. She is on metacam as well as the antibios, electrolytes, eye drops pro biotics, vit. c etc etc. She usually gets spring water, organice wheatgrass and org. veggies and pellets and hay, no junk! She is responding to some banana org. baby food. So, last night and today she is not as peppy. I rinsed her bottom and that seemed to perk her up a bit (as it would anybody or anything with a dirty bottom) she is down to 850 grams now, ug. I work too so today I took the day off just because I can't stand it! I am sucking up as much info. as I can. Say prayers, I keep telling myself she will live another two years, she was my first rescue. Thanks for asking. Hope you are okay. :) Lara, Skunky boo, S'more the more mores, Little Miss Tia girl and Romeo choo choochi Anderson
 
She also has a uri and I am pondering whether to give her a one time shot of furosemide. Hope you and your are really well. xo Lara and the gang
 
Ok, first and foremost, Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all are well and that your piggies are thriving! I have a little progress and I am sooo excited! I switched from the Baytril to the Bactrim and Skunky has eaten more today than in the last 3 days, I am cocktailing the critical care with an electrolyte, some pure tropical juice and the pro biotic, she is resistant but I am getting a bit down her. She is taking the banana baby food. I have tricked out the cage so she can move around a little better and she ate her pellets, hay, spring water, organic grass and veggies today. She always eats the Vit. C. Her weezing is going down a bit and I am going to keep the cage spotless. She actually went out today to socialize while I cleaned their cage and she was active and running around, yahoo! I thought of giving her one shot of furosemide just to flush her lungs and kidneys and the vet okayd that but then considering it also is a diuretic I decided to pass. She had some diareah develop last night which has subsided today but I am going to get some meds tomorrow after work just in case of emergency. So we are pushing through, the interesting thing is she is really craving the dandelion, which I know helps cleans the kidneys, what a smart girl she is. Yeah! I hope all of you and your piggies are happy and popcorning tonight. Much love, Lara, SKunky boo, Smore the more mores, Little miss Tia girl and Romeo choo choochi anderson. :) xoxoxxo
 
Well, Skunky is down to 750 grams, she IS eating though and drinking water. She just spits up the critical care, but she will take a bit of banana baby food and her normal food. Good thing is she is eating alot of dandelion which helps flush the kidneys. She is still hanging in there, still with attitude, wobbling around. I thought to do some tromadol but since it can cause bloat I decided to pass. A little diarreah, I will pick up meds for that tomorrow. Just a bit though. Still pooping and peeing. I started giving her the alfalfa pellets to try to fatten her up a bit. Hope you all are well. :) Lara, Skunky boo, S'more the more mores, Little Miss Tia girl and Romeo choo choochi Anderson.
xxoo
 
Well, **** you can add whatever word to those asteriks you like. Skunky was still eating, just less, drinking water but less. Yesterday I took her out and clean her cage. She loves floor space time. I went to give her her probiotics, cc care, electrolyte mix,she really didn't want it, only 2 mls. 4 hours later I put her back in her cage. LS in AK, yes getting around, eating, but slow.. Hilary, yes, dragging around. The last 24 hrs. weren't so good. Then I took her out to give her her antibiotics and she absolutely refused. So, I didn't give them to her. Then I held her for 2 hours, put her back, she wimpered for 2 minutes, I freaked out and called a friend, she rolled on her side, took 3 deep breaths and was gone. She died at 230am this morning. I am happy she died at home, although I did call the vet earlier that day to take her in today or Friday if things progressed. Her cage mate is totally freaked out so I am going to need to get on that asap. I wanted to donate Skunky's body to science but can't find any vet school that will take her. Anyway, my little boobie girl is gone and it's all very very very sad.
 
Very sad to read Skunky is gone, you really did do everything you could. It's a sad evening tonight on the forum so many little one's gone. :(

Hugs I know how difficult it is when our little ones pass. X
 
Thank you Flintstones, yes, sad night. Thank you for the love and I hope you can bring some happy to your lovely fur babies. xoxoxo Lara and the gang :(
 
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