Sarcoma In Guinea Pig

[Beckylh]

Hi all,

I noticed a smallish lump just in front of my 5 year old piggies left shoulder. The vet did an aspiration, but it wasn't conclusive as only blood came up through the needle. The lump suddenly got really big (maybe a heamatoma from the aspiration) so had to be removed.

My piggy stayed at the vets for a week and when I picked him up they said they found a new lump under his chin (feels more on surface and not attached to anything). He was losing a lot of weight so I was preparing for the worse. However since I've had him home he has put on loads of weight and seems happy.

Has anyone got any experience with malignant tumours? I don't know what to expect. The vet said the original tissue mass was large and round muscle and while she removed it all she couldn't get decent margins. Is it going to grow back? What kind of time frames am I looking at? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

I noticed a smallish lump just in front of my 5 year old piggies left shoulder. The vet did an aspiration, but it wasn't conclusive as only blood came up through the needle. The lump suddenly got really big (maybe a heamatoma from the aspiration) so had to be removed.

My piggy stayed at the vets for a week and when I picked him up they said they found a new lump under his chin (feels more on surface and not attached to anything). He was losing a lot of weight so I was preparing for the worse. However since I've had him home he has put on loads of weight and seems happy.

Has anyone got any experience with malignant tumours? I don't know what to expect. The vet said the original tissue mass was large and round muscle and while she removed it all she couldn't get decent margins. Is it going to grow back? What kind of time frames am I looking at? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi and welcome!
I am very sorry. Cancer is not treatable in guinea pigs as things stand.

Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) has become more common (or is better diagnosed) in recent years; we have seen a rise in cases on this forum. From the location of the lumps, I strongly suspect that this is what you are dealing with.

Unfortunately all you can do is giving pain killer (metacam or later tramadol) for as long as your piggy is OK in himself and then being prepared to let him go when he starts to suffer. How slowly or quickly this happens, can vary a lot, from a matter of days to a matter of weeks.

Concentrate on making the best of what time you have been given; love transcends time!
I wish I had better news!

@helen105281 @Elwickcavies @Jaycey
@sport_billy @Claire W

 

[Beckylh]

Yeah I gathered it is the end of the road for him. Just wondering what kind of time frame I have. Weeks would you think? It is very confusing because he is in such good spirits at the moment.

Not sure what to do with his pain meds as well. He's on .54ml of loxicom, twice a day at the mo. This will be day 10 after his operation. The vet said I should stop it on Wednesday as he will be all healed. Should I continue it but at a lower dose? He's running around like he's not in pain but i know Guinea pigs are good at hiding pain

 

[Wiebke]

Yeah I gathered it is the end of the road for him. Just wondering what kind of time frame I have. Weeks would you think? It is very confusing because he is in such good spirits at the moment.

Not sure what to do with his pain meds as well. He's on .54ml of loxicom, twice a day at the mo. This will be day 10 after his operation. The vet said I should stop it on Wednesday as he will be all healed. Should I continue it but at a lower dose? He's running around like he's not in pain but i know Guinea pigs are good at hiding pain

If he is not showing any pain, then I would see how he is without his loxicom/metacam (they are the same, just different brand names).

As stated above - any time frame depends on the aggressiveness of the cancer and how far it has already spread; it can go very quickly in the end if the cancer is on the aggressive side. You have more time if it is not so aggressive. Guinea pigs are small animals after all.

My recommendation is to see every day more you have with him while he is well in himself as a blessing. Don't try to count down, try to count up from the day of his diagnosis and see it as extra time he has been given! Knowing you are losing a beloved one is not all bad. It gives you a chance to do and say everything you want to and need to. You can pack a lifetime's worth of it into a surprisingly small space!

 

[eileen]

i had Elsa PTS 2 months ago due to lymphoma,it was very aggressive lumps appeared within a week.Carlton is 4 years and he has had a diagnosis of lymphoma since January and he is fit and well,no weight loss,so it is difficult to give a time frame.Hope your boy remains well for longer.x

 

[Beckylh]

Thanks all. Will just see what happens. Currently spending a fortune on his favourite treats because I don't know when his time will be up!

 

[DM030819]

Ditto to all of the above. I'm so sorry about the news but enjoy the time you have.

It's impossible to predict timeframes, like in eileen's case above.

I'm quite a pessimist and expect the worse but it also makes me very happy when I have a longer time with them. Seeing them each morning makes my heart happy.

Monitor his eating, his peeing and pooping and keep an eye on his weight. Keep checking the lump and monitor his pain responces. And most importantly make lots of happy memories together. Spoil him rotten.

I've always asked the vet to see if I could keep a supply of Metacam/Loxicom at home and give my pig some when I think it was needed. See what your vet says about that. And mention Tramadol later on if he gets to a point when the other isn't quite doing the job.

 

[Claire W]

I am very sorry for your news

I have had two piggies diagnosed with lymphoma.

The first was Ena who developed a very large lump in her armpit as well as smaller lumps on her belly. The large lump was removed with was diagnosed as a tumour caused from lymphoma.

Sadly, due to the type of cancer, her wound wouldn't heal and on the day of diagnosis, we made the decision to have her pts after she pulled all her stitches out which revealed just how poorly she actually was.

The second was Erika. She was diagnosed when she suddenly developed lumps in her armpits. She had a fine needle biopsy which sadly showed lymphoma cells.

Within two weeks of diagnosis, her dewlap was full of tumours as were all her lymph nodes. We made the decision to let her go two weeks after diagnosis as she started coughing due to the tumours pushing against her windpipe.

We treated her with metacam to ease the pain although she never showed signs of pain.

My advise is to take each day as it comes, have plenty of cuddles, feed favourite treats and take lots of photos xx

 

[Wheekallweek]

We had a pig with what we think was Lymphoma, Cuddles. She was 5 1/2 when diagnosed and passed not long after her diagnosis. She went from completely normal to very poorly in just a few weeks, but I know that's certainly not the case for all pigs as others have said above! She passed away peacefully in my sister's arms.
Just spend loads of time with him and give him loads of love. He'll let you know when the time comes so try not to worry about that
Best of luck to you and your little man; I hope you have many happy times left
x

 

[Beckylh]

Here's my little man recovering with some carrot

 

[pig in the city]

I had a piggy with sarcoma in his abdomen (we only had the diagnosis confirmed after a post mortem). Basically he was losing weight and had a lump growing in his tummy. The vet diagnosed cancer and advised regular pain relief. Pumpkin lived for another 2 months and died peacefully with his girls. The pathologist felt the cause of death was heart related not directly as a result of the tumour, but he was obviously weakened by the weight loss.
Make the most of your time together, and remember its likely to be a peaceful decline x

 

[VickiA]

I'm so sorry for the diagnosis. What matters now is that you enjoy quality time together. He doesn't know what you do, so as long as he is well in himself and happy he can carry on being an adorable guinea pig. Try not to let the diagnosis spoil this precious time together.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Aw look at how cute he is! Other than the lump he looks happy and in good condition! Happy boy with his carrot

 

[Freela]

Unfortunately a lot depends on the type of cancer and how aggressive it is... it can be hard to give a definitive timeline. I say spoil him and make the most of the time in case it's short... and cross your fingers and hope that he manages to hold his own against it for a longer period of time. ((HUGS)) to you... I am very sorry about the diagnosis.

 

[Beckylh]

Ok I've just had him on my lap as he wanted to watch the final episode of broadchurch and he's been sneezing constantly. A bit of discharge is coming out his right nostril. I've given him his pain med and he was eating. Is this related to his lymphosoma or is it something else? Has anyone experienced this before in a pig with a tumor? Not sure what to do as I don't want him to suffer

 

[GPTV]

One of my girls Dash had what we think was a lymphoma. Her sister started barbering her which was how I noticed the lump on her neck in the first place.
Unfortunately it grew quickly &she had a few minor health problems & ended up her getting pneumonia.

I had to make the difficult &painful choice to help her over rainbow bridge after about 8wks after discovering the lump as the pneumonia was getting the better of her&I couldn't let her get to the point of suffering

With the sneezing has he been doing it when not on your lap?
Just wondered do you wear any perfumes or strong fabric conditioners on clothes?
This could cause his sneezing due to nasal irritation.

Has he been outside more than usual or been given any different treats/hays that could be dusty &started the sneezing?
Try putting him near a bowl of steaming water so that he can breathe more easily if snuffley or put some olbas oil on a cloth near his cage/hutch but out of reach this would also help his breathing.

It could also be a sign of the start ofa URI. If he's still doing it tomorrow or there's still a discharge then I would take him back to the vet to be checked.

Good luck &keep us updated.
Fingers &paws all crossed for your (handsome ) little man. Xx