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X-ray results (picture attached)… thoughts?

Gadzy

Gadzy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello all,

Coco went through a dental procedure as we thought her teeth were a little long and the vet recommended an X-ray too.

The X-ray came back and we all thought it was initially dilation (gas) because the area was so big. She sent the X-rays over to a specialist or a more Guniea pig savvy vet and they believe the black area in the X-ray is a cyst?! It’s absolutely enormous. I was wondering if anyone has any clues or ideas on their own xray results and if this looks like a cyst?! They said they can operate and if she goes on the table then we did everything. I think with her being 5.5 or maybe just over now, I can’t put her through that and my initial gut instinct is to put to sleep. I will be speaking to her later for a higher dose of Metacam while I make the decision. Do you think it’s worth getting a needed aspiration test? However either way whatever it is is going to need a fairly big operation. She’s been through 2 dentals now is the past 12 months. I mean am I a bad person for not going ahead with the operation? Can vets tell if it’s close to bursting? I can’t see how that area can be a cyst? It’s HUGE and I need to make a decision sooner rather than later, which I know is only upto me but I’m reaching out for some thoughts on the xray.

Picture attached below. Many thanks
 

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    af44d86a-f8c2-4937-abcf-8e33eb3e4575.webp
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Sorry I can’t advise but I hope someone with more experience can help. Sorry you’re going through this with your piggy, it sounds really stressful.
 
Wow that is large. I’m afraid I’ve no experience of cysts or bloat so can’t advise. Sorry.

If they have told you a piggy savvy vet thinks it’s a cyst you have to believe them. Surely even a non savvy vet would be able to distinguish between them?

Anyway you are not a horrible person. You know Coco and how she is at the moment. People on here have had piggies older than 5.5 have operations and come through them fine. How is she in general? Is her weight stable, is she eating ok? I’d definitely speak to the vet about your concerns and a possible needle aspiration.

Is your vet piggy savvy enough to do the operation? You could always get a second opinion. Good luck. Whatever you decide to do you will have made the decision based on love and Coco’s best interests at the heart of it. ❤️
 
I am sorry you are going through this, you are doing all you can and you will always do the best for little Coco because you love her, in situations like this we have to make a decision and take it from there, but you cannot beat yourself up if things don't go the way we all hope... You love Coco and you are making choices for her based on expert vet advice, in matters of health it is never easy, we have to go with what we believe having spoken to the vets who are the experts and then take into account many factors, quality of life, pain management etc.... when making treatment choices
@Piggies&buns know anything about xrays?
 
Spoke with the vet today, and they said they don’t think the whole area is a cyst but most of it is dilation but it’s caused by a cyst or something. They want to open up and see what they can do, but I think that’s very risky just to see what’s going on or if they can fix it? Not sure whether to suggest a fine needle aspiration or something or an ultrasound?
 
I had a piggy with chronic bloating, his whole stomach area was filled with gas. On the xray it showed up dark, like the dark area on your xray, but filling the whole of that part of the body. Because the area in your photo is quite defined I would think that it's not gas in his tummy.

I'm not an expert, but I'm not sure if doing a fine needle aspiration so deep is a good idea. I remember with my boar a suggestion was made to use a needle to try to let out my boar's gas, but
@furryfriends (TEAS) strongly advised against it. I wonder if it would be similar doing an aspiration on this internal thing that is showing on the xray.

I hope you can get some answers. If you don't want to put her through an op, but she's currently happy in herself, then perhaps palliative care rather than pts is the way to go 💓
 
Basically, she went in for a dental as we thought it was that and had a precautionary xray. The xray came back with the above and they believe the cyst or whatever is pushing on things inside causing the dilation. She’s not eating hay or nuggets at all. Weight is dropping and she stays in her house almost all day. She likes emeraid, but with work and things I can’t just keep her going on that and the cyst (if it is) could burst. I have spent probably over a thousand pounds on her throughout her life. If they were to operate on her at 5.5 /6 with the condition she is in, it’s HIGH risk. The operation would be a further 400 and they said if it’s close to other organs etc they can’t do anything, so it’s almost let’s just open her up and see. Her quality of life isn’t good anymore and I have had sleepless nights for the last 6 months. I think it could be time to sadly call it a day. I’m seeing the vet later and I have a feeling this will be the case. I feel so guilty and anxious about it, but my gut is saying it’s right and I did say to myself at her age and condition it’s not right to put her through that operation. We know something isn’t right inside with the cyst, but we don’t know how bad it is or how close to stuff. I just go round in circles with my decision but will speak with vet later. I don’t think there’s much palliative care to be had because she doesn’t eat anything or move whatever medication she is on. I just feel so guilty it’s made me ill :(
 
I’m so sorry. I had a piggy with a tumour and I decided not to operate. He was eating though. I think I would come to the same conclusion as you if I were in your situation. Sending you hugs. It’s so hard as we want them here with us forever. ❤️
 
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's a nightmare watching them deteriorate and all the syringe feeding takes a massive toll. You love her and you will make the decision that's right for her and you, so that she won't be suffering. I'm not an expert and it's not quite the same, but I recently had to put my piggie to sleep after x rays showed multiple things going on with him - they were technically fixable individually, and I could have done an operation, but ultimately he wasn't eating anything and the recovery would have been a massive risk, plus it wouldn't have been able to fix everything, so on the vet's advice we went with PTS.

It's heartbreaking either way. Go with your gut and talk to your vet, and know that whatever you do there isn't a right answer and it's just about finding what is the best for you and for your dear piggie <3
 
weepweeps said:
I’m so sorry. I had a piggy with a tumour and I decided not to operate. He was eating though. I think I would come to the same conclusion as you if I were in your situation. Sending you hugs. It’s so hard as we want them here with us forever. ❤️
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Thankyou! I think it’s the right decision for me. As you exactly said you go into denial cause you feel guilty and want them there forever, but it’s not fair on them really. I want to get more, but I don’t feel it’s fair getting them so soon after her if that makes sense. I was going to get a couple more before she goes, but I haven’t. I can rush into things sometimes but I need to try and step back and weigh it all
Up
 
I’m so sorry for your loss, but for what it’s worth I think you did the right thing. She isn’t suffering anymore and that’s the best gift you can give her. Take good care of yourself while you grieve, you’re clearly a very caring piggie owner ❤️
 
What do I do? Coming back home and seeing all her toys and treats? Do I clear it all up or leave it? It never gets any easier. I will be getting 2 more at some point when I’m ready, I just don’t know what to do :(
 
Give yourself a couple of days, you don't have to rush away to clear things up. I had to give it a few days when I lost Bann, I couldn't face doing it before that.

You dud absolutely everything you could have and any one of us would have done the same. You didn't fail her.
 
I just don’t understand x-rays. To me that looks just like standard gas/bloat or does it look a bit more than that to you? I’m just trying to understand it a bit better
 
Gadzy said:
What do I do? Coming back home and seeing all her toys and treats? Do I clear it all up or leave it? It never gets any easier. I will be getting 2 more at some point when I’m ready, I just don’t know what to do :(
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I'm so sorry 💜 you clearly did everything for your girl. Give yourself some time. It wont feel easy in a couple of days either, but you have to do whats best for you. Big hugs for you
 
I am really sorry, the decision to pts is never an easy one. We have had to make it 7 times and I am always a believer in what I was told on this forum - “It is better a minute too soon than a second too late” you made the call based on her quality of life, that is a brave decision and one made with love for her at the forefront of all else. I 100% believe you made the right choice, please be kind to yourself as grief is horrible and will give you all sorts of unfair emotions.
In time the pain will fade and you will remember the good times you shared

Huge hugs, please feel free to write a memorial post to Coco in the rainbow bridge section of the forum if that helps x
 
Thankyou everyone for the replies.

Do you think that Xray just shows gas? I’m scared I had her PTS just because of gas :(
 
In fairness I have just been reading that if cysts get big enough they can cause gas etc if they are putting pressure on the digestive system and other organs around… also cysts can cause gut stasis and abdomen swelling. I think I made the right call. I’m going to try and get some sleep now, thankyou everyone :)
 
Gadzy said:
Thankyou everyone for the replies.

Do you think that Xray just shows gas? I’m scared I had her PTS just because of gas :(
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No you made the right choice, we had similar a mass in abdomen causing bloat with our last piggy. We had her PTS also. Be kind to yourself x
 
Honestly if that area in the xray was "just" gas, it would have been excruciating, so euthanasia would still have absolutely been a good call. I've lost one to very bad bloat, tried everything and he died in recovery.. the strong opioid pain relief he was given (at a higher than normal dose) didn't even touch his pain, had the last ditch attempt to remove the gas not eased that kind of pain we would have been forced to pts anyway.

However it doesn't look in the right spot to be gas to me, it does look like some sort of "something else" and it's certainly far enough back in the abdomen to be an ovarian cyst, surgery is always a risk plus a cyst that size would be fatal if it ruptured anyway as they can be incredibly well supplied with blood. And having had an ovarian cyst pop myself, it hurts.

You absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, made the right call for your piggy and you saved them from a painful passing.
 
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