Tumoral mass in female guinea pig

[cucuzel]

Hello. My piggie had on and off diarrhea so I took her to a local vet who found a mass in her abdominal cavity. He said it might be attached to her intestines but was not 100% sure if the location was intestinal or uterine. I followed up with an exotics vet who did another eco and an X-ray and still wasn’t completely sure of the exact location. Pending blood test results, she advised exploratory laparotomy. The risks are huge, the mass is large, approx. 3.5 cm. The prognosis is not very encouraging; if the mass is uterine, they could extirpate everything, but if it’s intestinal, the outcome is almost certainly negative. They could try to scrape off the tumour, but it’s extremely risky. Recovery would be painful and long for the piggie. I’m concerned that she would have a miserable life, that is if she survives.
Has anyone been in this situation? The surgeon will need a decision from us, most likely during the surgical procedure and we are not sure what to do.

[cucuzel]

Additional issue: We asked for advice from our local vet who initially said he would operate if he could sedate her. Now, he says he would advise medication to shrink the mass or at least keep it in check.

[PooksiedAnimals]

Any kind of surgery around the guts is risky. I had one pig who didn't recover from it (ovary tumors). A second pig had a tumor on her pancreas. They operated, but it was too badly placed to remove. This guinea pig miraculously recovered from the surgery and had several good months before she passed away.

You're in a tough spot. I would do what makes your piggy happiest for what time she has. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

[Lynx]

Yes, this is certainly difficult. Has the vet done many surgeries on guinea pigs?

I don't know what I would do in a similar situation. I hope you can reach a decision.

[cucuzel]

We have her scheduled for surgery on the 20th, bu we still haven’t decided if we should go through with it. The vet has operated on Guinea pigs before, she’s not inexperienced, but she’s not sure of the ecact location of the mass. She will be able to tell only in surgery and at that point she will know if she can remove it or not.
Thank you for sharing your experience, I’m sorry about the piggies who didn’t make it.

[Lynx]

I know you have her best interests at heart.

Let us know what the vet finds.

[cucuzel]

The vet prescribed cbd oil along with other anti-inflammatory medicines. Cronicare is a mix of fish oil, hemp and cannabis oil. From what I read, it seems that there is limited research on small herbivore pets; it’s mostly aimed at cats and dogs. I’m mainly concerned with the presence of fish oil… Would it not affect the piggie’s digestive system? Are guinea pigs able to tolerate non vegetable oils?

[Lynx]

I am guessing this is a pretty small amount of oil. If small, I don't think you have to worry.

[Catie Cavy]

How old is your guinea pig? That is very invasive surgery. I've personally had bad outcomes with similar surgeries done by experienced vets. You mentioned your local vet had medication to shrink or keep the mass in check. What would this be?

[Snowy and Misty]

It's so hard to decide, but trust your gut on what feels right for your piggie. If she's suffering, sometimes the kindest thing is to avoid putting her through more pain.

[Talishan]

My $.02 is to go with the local vet's opinion on shrinking the mass, or inhibiting its growth, via medication.

We had one with a slow-growing tumor who did quite well on prednisone for well over a year. He had good days and bad, but overall did well and when he did pass, it was very quick.

It may depend somewhat on the rate of growth of the mass; don't know for sure.

Whatever you decide -- my very best to her and to you.

[cucuzel]

My piggie is four years old. I’ve been told that she’s young enough to be able to recover. The surgery is indeed very invasive and the recovery would be difficult. I know guinea pigs don’t do well with bandages or cones.
So far she is doing well, she occasionally has some diarrhea but she doesn’t seem to be in pain, she’s active and has a good appetite.