Violet's medical thread

User avatar
Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu Aug 25, 2022 10:11 pm


I'm very sorry to hear about Violet. She lived a longer than average life and that should be a tribute to both you and her. From what I've read about her in your thread, she couldn't have received better care than what you gave her. May she forever rest in sweet peace.

User avatar
Zaphy

Post   » Sat Jan 28, 2023 12:35 am


Digging this thread up because I finally followed up with the pathology department at CSU about Violet's necropsy and received it today. They are so thorough! Pasting the summary here:

Diagnosis/Case Summary
FINAL DIAGNOSES:
1. Lung and liver: Multifocal carcinoma
2. Liver: Severe diffuse acute centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis with hepatic fracture and moderate
hemoabdomen
3. Kidneys: Severe bilateral chronic multifocal cysts with mild lymphoplasmacytic nephritis with fibrosis
4. Stomach: Mild peracute multifocal acute ulcers
5. Right maxillary incisor: Slab fracture
6. Duodenum: Focal duodenal mucosal polyp
7. Colon: Focal fatty submucosal hamartoma
COMMENTS:
Multiple carcinomas were identified in the lungs and liver, which likely represent a primary pulmonary
carcinoma with metastases. In the liver there was severe centrilobular necrosis, which likely resulted from
hypoxia secondary to the lung pathology, and led to fracture of the liver and hemoabdomen. The acute blood
loss elucidates the acute clinical decline. The multicystic kidney disease with mild chronic inflammation and
fibrosis may have contributed to renal insufficiency. The mild subacute gastric ulcers likely resulted secondary
to stress. A couple benign and incidental lesions were identified in the gastrointestinal tract, including a
duodenal polyp and a colonic hamartoma. The colonic hamartoma was composed of adipose tissue that
expanded the submucosa and infiltrated the muscularis mucosa and externa and may represent a rare
condition called infiltrative lipomatosis (1).

1. Beninson, Jennifer A., Jill M. Keller, and Mark J. Hoenerhoff. "Diffuse Infiltrative Gastrointestinal
Lipomatosis in a Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)." Comparative Medicine 65.5 (2015): 420-423.

I feel badly that her liver had been necrosing :( that makes me wish that I'd brought her in earlier, and makes me second guess when is "right" for euthanasia. On the other hand, it's been so long since she died that I'm having trouble remembering her condition on the days leading up to it. I seem to recall she was declining, but in such a way that I thought it could just be worsening arthritis so I decided to try increasing her pain meds first. But she was already on a sort of high dose so perhaps I should have drawn the line at how she was feeling at the dose she had been on.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jan 28, 2023 10:46 am


This is such a thorough necropsy - it brings an acute picture of severe illness. It is always easy to second guess our own actions but I know we try to do our best for our guinea pigs with our own knowledge, experience, and that of our vets. You took care of her in the best way you could. With love and caring.

Post Reply