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Tumour in bladder

JandfpiggiesUK

JandfpiggiesUK

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 21, 2019
Messages
263
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Points
380
Location
North East UK
Hi everyone.


My guinea pig Lando was at the vets yesterday. After crying when peeing we took him in to be examined.

The vet did an ultrasound scan and found that he has a small obstruction right next to his urethra.

The vet said it’s in the trigone area so operating would be very risky and there’s a chance of scarring after which could make him very poorly.

The odds are 70/100 that the vet thinks it’s a tumour. He said it might possibly be the thickening of the bladder. He is on Bupranorphine, trimexazole, cisapride and metacam. He’s eating okay & is somewhat bright but he does look rather puffy & is still crying when he wees.

Lando is only 2 & the vet said the chances of a young guinea pig having this sort of obstruction is rare however he’s certain it’s a tumour.

Lando returns to the vet again on Friday for another scan, if the obstruction hasn’t gone down in size the vet says our best option is to let him go as he won’t be able to pee and he’ll be in a lot of pain if we keep him going. If we’re very lucky and it is his bladder wall then it will be pain management and anti inflammatory meds to calm it down.


Can anyone give me any sort of hope with this?
I haven’t stopped crying all night and morning, this is just not the news I was expecting.
 
I'm really sorry to hear this, poor little man how unlucky for only being 2. So sorry, how awful. I hope when you return to the vets it has gone down 🤞. Sorry I can't give you any kind of hope as I've never had to deal with this with mine, but I will be keeping everything crossed for you & Lando 🤍 xX
 
I'm so sorry, my only experience with bladder cancer earlier this year is not good. We hoped for inflammation from a uti or stone but my vet could feel a mass on the bladder neck, we tried antibiotics and pain management but he was straining and passing lots of blood, it weakened the bladder to the point it started leaking urine into his abdomen and he had to be rushed in to be euthanised.
Paddington was only about 3 as well, I am still devastated to have lost him, especially so young and it's been months now.
 
Hi and welcome

HUGS

I am very sorry for you getting the kind of news that none of us ever wants to hear. Unfortunately, there is very little in terms of cancer that can be done for guinea pigs. Cancers are thankfully comparatively but they do happen and can sadly affect younger piggies. :( :( :(

If it is any consolation for you, I had to pts/euthanise my 3 years old Tegeirian in May due to a suspected large cancerous growth that was causing a major fluid build up in the body after her heart checked out sounds. It was nothing I (or you) have done wrong but just genetics and a random short straw in the cosmic lottery.
Cancer is one area where the small size and fast metabolism is very much against our beloved piggies, medication doesn't work and where an operation is often not possible/of any longer term benefit depending on the location. The bladder is unfortunately one of those places. :(

I wish from the bottom of my heart I had better news. My thoughts are with you.
 
He’s done two small pees on me. Without making a noise. He’s had a munch of some lettuce too.

Do all the meds make him feel sozzled? Is he supposed to be sleepy?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
He’s done two small pees on me. Without making a noise. He’s had a munch of some lettuce too.

Do all the meds make him feel sozzled? Is he supposed to be sleepy?
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Buprenorphine is an opioid and can make some piggies sleepier, a bit 'spaced-out' maybe. But I guess it's doing its job along with the metacam if he is eating a bit more and peeing without squeaking.

Sending hugs on the diagnosis, hope you can keep him comfortable for a while yet :hug:💓
 
So sorry for the diagnosis you’ve had.
It must feel as if the bottom has fallen out of your world.
Crying is a normal reaction as we start to grieve when we receive this kind of news.

Cherish every day and make lots of happy memories.
Holding you in my heart ♥️
 
Lando is still with us.

Vet is happy with the progress he’s made over the last two days as he’s picking up with food and not crying as much.

He definitely has a tumour :(

He’s back on 5th September for a scan, they didn’t do one today as the vet said it wouldn’t have shown much of a difference from Tuesday. He’s on pain meds/ anti inflammatories, antibiotics and cisapride for the next week and a bit. Praying that he stays perky for a while and we get to keep him going pain free.

He’s currently munching away on some parsley & snatching it out of my hands as I type this.

Please keep him in your prayers & thoughts. I’m really hoping he’s with us and pain free for as long as possible ❤️
 
Having had piggies with a terminal diagnosis. I empathise with what you’re going through.
Create lots of memories.
Lando doesn’t know he’s so ill and will measure his life in happy todays.
As long as he’s pain free treasure every moment.
🙏🏼
 
A friend of mine has told me I should consider surgery.

She’s had a piggy in a similar situation and she pulled through even though vets found the op tricky.

Should I be thinking of this or is it something I shouldn’t consider?
 
Go with the advice of your vet and go with your heart .

You can weigh up the advantages and disadvantages.
My way of making a difficult decision is to consider all the possibilities and then make a decision.
Wait a few days and then if it still feels right I go with it.
If the decision doesn't feel comfortable then I make another one.

Whatever you do it will be right because it will be a decision made out of love.
Hugs 🤗
 
Merab's Slave said:
Go with the advice of your vet and go with your heart .

You can weigh up the advantages and disadvantages.
My way of making a difficult decision is to consider all the possibilities and then make a decision.
Wait a few days and then if it still feels right I go with it.
If the decision doesn't feel comfortable then I make another one.

Whatever you do it will be right because it will be a decision made out of love.
Hugs 🤗
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Our vets have said they wouldn’t be comfortable performing the surgery on Lando due to the tumour being in a difficult place. It’s in his trigone area that connects his kidney to his bladder and urethra. If he had surgery and scarring was left it could potentially leave Lando worse than before.
 
Rock and hard place comes to mind 🥲

Remember you are already grieving no matter what decision you finally make.
Holding you in my heart ♥️
 
Hi everyone.

So yesterday we took our piggy Lando to the vet. It’s been confirmed that he has a tumour in his bladder area.

The tumour is located in the trigone area, connecting to his kidney and urethra.

The vets have said to take each day as it comes, at the moment Lando seems well. He’s eating a lot, pooping normally and has had a lot more pees without crying.

Our vet has said surgery isn’t an option, due to the location of the tumour they said it could be risky as they could end up touching the kidney etc & leaving Lando more poorly. They more so emphasised that they’d not be comfortable performing surgery on him…



We are considering surgery, we want Lando to have every chance he can get of a longer life. Does anyone have experience of this type of surgery and what sort of outcome it left for your pigs?

Is it worth asking around different specialists to see if they’d consider this type of surgery?
 
I’m sorry to hear about this. I’ve no experience but wanted to offer support. Of course you can ask around. Just be prepared to be told the same thing. I think the fact it’s attached to the kidney and urethra makes it a risky surgery.

I hope you can find a solution that you are comfortable with and is good for Lando. Let us know what you decide.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Hi everyone.

So yesterday we took our piggy Lando to the vet. It’s been confirmed that he has a tumour in his bladder area.

The tumour is located in the trigone area, connecting to his kidney and urethra.

The vets have said to take each day as it comes, at the moment Lando seems well. He’s eating a lot, pooping normally and has had a lot more pees without crying.

Our vet has said surgery isn’t an option, due to the location of the tumour they said it could be risky as they could end up touching the kidney etc & leaving Lando more poorly. They more so emphasised that they’d not be comfortable performing surgery on him…



We are considering surgery, we want Lando to have every chance he can get of a longer life. Does anyone have experience of this type of surgery and what sort of outcome it left for your pigs?

Is it worth asking around different specialists to see if they’d consider this type of surgery?
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Hi

I am very sorry that the news is not good.

Sadly for you I doubt that you will find a vet happy to perform the operation without major concerns and a clear warning that the success chances are against you and not for you.

Any surgery would be very much make-or-break, and the risks of it not coming off would be high as this is a very sensitive, highly packed area where potential adhesions to a vital organ are quite likely. It won't be a quick in-and-out operation and it will be major surgery, which will also impact on post-op recovery prospects - the longer a piggy is under, the greater the risk of post-op complications and a failed recovery. There is also a major risk of long term post-op complications with peeing or digestive issues etc. to consider as any pain will also impact on the gut, which tightly wraps around the whole urinary and reproductive tract. They do kind of ping off each other. And that is with the best of operating vets. :(

We have sadly seen a great majority of comparable internal masses/cancerous lumps surgeries (when attempted) not come off on here over the years. You would also have to brace for being rung up to give the consent for not waking up Lando in case the cancer has started to spread to organs as the kindest thing for him.

I wish I had better news for you. I have usually taken my vet's advice (especially when from one of the best operating vets in the country) and - depending on the actual health - either opted for immediate euthanasia or deferring the putting to sleep (pts) whenever the naturally declining quality of life warranted it rather than risking putting an already frailer piggy through the extra pain and a major recovery fight for life. I do opt for major surgery whenever there is a good chance of a full recovery and a decent amount of life time gained. Unfortunately, guinea pigs are small animals and have a much faster metabolism. In these kinds of situations it turns very much against them. :(

You always have to carefully weigh up the potential gains against your realistic risk of loss. It is admittedly tough when your heart says one thing and your head says something else. Having done it both ways over the years, I generally prefer to allow my piggies to live out their lives in their familiar surroundings with their friends rather than putting them through a big vet trip and a major battle for life with round the clock syringe feeding care and maxed out meds that may or may not come off. It seems to me kinder from the guinea pig perspective.

It is however your own decision. I would like to ask you to be clear in your own mind as to whether any operation would be mainly because of your own fears of losing Lando and your overwhelming desire to keep him alive for as long as possible whether the operation would be strictly for Lando's own benefit, considering what any surgery is going to put him through even in the best case scenario.

I know that it is not what you wanted to hear but there are never any easy choices when you are between a rock and a hard place with your piggies. :(

HUGS
 
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Update - 5/9/23

Lando is doing really well, eating better, still fighting his corner when his brother pesters him & peeing and pooping without crying now.

Lando had an ultrasound scan today as planned & booked.

The suspected tumour has gone!

We couldn’t believe our ears, whatever the obstruction was in his bladder has significantly disappeared & is no longer hanging in there.

We asked the vet if he’s sure it was a tumour and he said he’s not 100% but judging by the placement and shape that it had to have been a tumour.

He’s got to continue on Rheumacam & go back every 3 months to check on his bladder.

The vet did say he’s had cases like this in dogs where a tumour has gone but come back years later with a vengeance so we need to keep that in mind.

I’ve attached his previous scan (the original diagnosis from this was a suspected tumour) & also the scan result from today.

Does anyone else have the same thoughts as me? I’m thinking this wasn’t a tumour after all, surely it wouldn’t have disappeared that quickly in a week?

I’ll also add that Lando was on Trimexazole and gut stimulants over the course of time up til today.

44F0C658-AE71-491B-98F3-517F1DE6CE3C.webp3063ECD0-9BF1-4BB1-86C1-2E935739D973.webp
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Update - 5/9/23

Lando is doing really well, eating better, still fighting his corner when his brother pesters him & peeing and pooping without crying now.

Lando had an ultrasound scan today as planned & booked.

The suspected tumour has gone!

We couldn’t believe our ears, whatever the obstruction was in his bladder has significantly disappeared & is no longer hanging in there.

We asked the vet if he’s sure it was a tumour and he said he’s not 100% but judging by the placement and shape that it had to have been a tumour.

He’s got to continue on Rheumacam & go back every 3 months to check on his bladder.

The vet did say he’s had cases like this in dogs where a tumour has gone but come back years later with a vengeance so we need to keep that in mind.

I’ve attached his previous scan (the original diagnosis from this was a suspected tumour) & also the scan result from today.

Does anyone else have the same thoughts as me? I’m thinking this wasn’t a tumour after all, surely it wouldn’t have disappeared that quickly in a week?

I’ll also add that Lando was on Trimexazole and gut stimulants over the course of time up til today.

View attachment 231761View attachment 231762
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That is great news. :yahoo:

I wonder whether it was actually a tumour or just a blip on the scan? But you must feel so relieved.
 
Wiebke said:
That is great news. :yahoo:

I wonder whether it was actually a tumour or just a blip on the scan? But you must feel so relieved.
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I’m so relieved but so confused!

Is there a possibility it could’ve been an abscess?

Are there any vet nurses on here that could maybe give a second opinion?
 
Aw that’s brilliant news. You must be so relieved.

I don’t think a tumour would just disappear so like @Wiebke has said, may be it was a blip on the scan. Either way, it’s gone and that’s the main thing 🙂
 
Claire W said:
Aw that’s brilliant news. You must be so relieved.

I don’t think a tumour would just disappear so like @Wiebke has said, may be it was a blip on the scan. Either way, it’s gone and that’s the main thing 🙂
Click to expand...

Absolutely! It’s the best news we could get & we’re over the moon.
 
I bet you are relieved. I've an exotic vet ,that performed a nephrectomy, due to a stone that was stuck there.He had a good kidney left.
My guinea pig went on to live 18 months more at the age of 6 he passed.so with an experienced vet it can be done.my vet is always brutally honest.
 
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