Very Scared, Might Be Losing Her

[katzintheclouds]

Quick top questions:
1. Has anyone experienced cancer symptoms in their pig?
2. If so, did they present with URI symptoms?

I posted a little bit ago about losing my 8yr old guinea pig named Chipotle. Now, her old cagemate, is horribly sick. I got a new piggie & kept them seperated just in case for about two weeks, then when everything seemed to be fine, I put them in together. Suddenly a few days later, Machete (the older one) started sneezing & presenting with URI symptoms. I freaked & took her to the vet, got some Baytril & began to give it to her. She had it for about 14 days then I suddenly had to leave town due to a funeral. We had no choice but to go, and at the time she seemed better so I had someone feed them but not do medicine.

We got back this past Tuesday, things seemed to be okay, but then yesterday it got all bad again. She was facing the wall, breathing heavily & sounding muffled. She had some desire to eat a little bit of hay & lettuce, but otherwise was not interested. She didn't even want her treats..

I'm so very upset, I'm so terrified that she'll need to be put to sleep now & after losing Chippie so closely, this is so difficult. I'm hoping that while she's at the vet today, they can simply tell me it's URI & fixable, but then she also has a mass that they are assuming is a cyst which I was scheduled to have removed (then we had to cancel because of the sudden trip). Of course the C word has come up too. It just never ends.

[Orlaith]

How did Machete get on at the vet? I hope you got good news.

I have no experience of cancer with piggies, so I can't answer your question. My Xander had a lump removed last week that the vet thought was cancerous but we didn't know for sure, and it didn't affect him at all. That's not much help to you though. I hope things went well, and if you got bad news then *hugs*

[katzintheclouds]

Well after I posted, I got a call again from the same vet & she did a small, quick ultrasound of the spot & determined it WAS cystic. She wasn't the doctor that normally saw her so she didn't have too much of a range of reference, but this really made both of us breathe a little easier. The mass measured about the same according to the other doctors notes, and the fact that it was fluid like & not resembling a cancerous mass, really made me happy. I think the whole issue right now is completely seperate, related to that URI issue. She did well at the vet, got a good dose of antibiotics & some SQfluids that helped her stay hydrated. She wasn't really happpy last night & didn't seem to want to eat or drink much on her own, just wanted to rest. I can understand that though after a big day like she had. This morning she's still breathing heavily but a little more perkier. She looks at me when I talk to her, which she didn't do yesterday. She also is INTERESTED in food but seems to be disgusted with it when it sits in front of her. I'm giving her a high calorie smoothie-suppliment that is supposed to calm upset stomachs so hopefully that will help her, I think she wants to eat she's just feeling crummy. She's interested in the hay, takes a nibble every so often & was really excited about the vitamin c cream treats I give them. The minute I picked up the bag she perked up & quickly grabbed it. She ate most of it, then lost her pep & walked away from it. Strange.

So I'm trying to stay optimistic. I was really upset yesterday when I posted because I was in the dark about the whole possibility of cancer. Phew.

[Alice Rose]

I bought a little sow from a pet store, she was the most gorgeous one there, and took her to the vets for a check up within a week she was having her front right leg amputated because of a cyst in her elbow. Another week went past and we had to put her to sleep because it was cancerous and had spread to her brain =/ although I had her for only 2 weeks it was so hard but the best thing to do. I'm just so happy for you that it's not cancerous because you and machete are so close.