Ewe Mama Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 We just noticed that Arnold the Guinea Pig has a large grape-sized tumor on his side. He is not quite 2.5 years old, so still on the fairly young side. He has been sleeping a lot lately, and not as vocal or playful as he normally is, which is why we didn't notice it sooner. :( Does anyone have experience with this type of thing? I have read about tumors in rats and ferrets, but couldn't come up with much about tumors on the sides of youngish piggies. The majority of the info I came up with was about tumors near the tail or mammary tumors, and the cavies tended to be older. Do any of you have experiences with such things. We plan to take him to the vet next week, but I don't want to give the kiddos false hope if the prognosis is likely going to be poor. Also, what type of expenses are we likely to incur, if treatment is an option? We are still dealing with cancer bills for a human, so we need to practice mindful spending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 offhand it could be a hernia, tumor, cyst or a lipoma. Surgical excision here w/ preop care, pain meds etc would prob be around 250-350 here. Even if it's a tumor, it could be benign...vets can sometimes tell by palpating what it's more likely to be. I'd try to get to the vet sooner as you'll have more data to make decisions. Is your vet exp with surgeries in guinea pigs? The rescues here all have special vets for each species...If you're not sure, call around.Happy Cavy blog has covered several lump removal surgeries. Here's one http://www.happycavy.com/buttercup-guinea-pig-lump-surgery/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Here's some info on various causes of lumps in guinea pigs: http://www.guinealynx.info/lumps.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Is there any way you can get to a vet sooner? It may be a minor thing, but if it isn't, small animals can go downhill very quickly if they don't receive medical care quickly. I hope he is OK!!! :grouphug: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeachingTwins Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 We have a female guinea pig, about 2 years old, that had a lump on her back. It was just a cyst. The vet drained it, and it cost about $150. We also have another female guinea pig, about 2 years old, that had a mammary tumor. The vet did surgery on her, and it cost also cost about $150. It would have cost almost $100 more if we would have had it sent to a lab to see if it was cancerous. Our vet told us that there really wasn't much they could do if it was cancerous, and since the margins were clear, it was likely OK. So it didn't seem to make sense to have it tested. Hope your piggie is OK. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.