Tumor Anyone has experience with exploratory surgery?

[coconutnpumpkin]

Hi all,

I've been reading posts on this forum for many years but never posted anything. My five and half year-old Coconut was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer and anemia last week. At the beginning I was pretty determined to have the surgery. But as we moved forward with all the exams, I realized Coconut was suffering and she probably wanted to be home instead of hospital. We've consulted different vets and they gave the same opinion. The tumor is really big, probably touching all her organs. Fortunately her lung isn't affected.

The vets offered an exploratory surgery, meaning that if they opened up Coconut and consider she can't be saved, they'll euthanize her on the table. Without the surgery she probably has only a few weeks left.

We already did all the pre surgery tests: ultrasound, CT scan, blood test, etc. She had to be sedated for some of the tests and even stayed in the clinic for one night. She's visibly happier when she's finally home with the other piggie (and me, hopefully). I don't know if I should continue with the surgery... it sounds too risky but it's the only chance to save her.

 

[bpatters]

I wouldn't do it. I'd have her euthanized before the surgery so she won't suffer any more.

I know it's hard. But you have to think about whether you're doing this for her or for you. She doesn't understand time, she only knows she's in pain and she doesn't know why. You'll have to put her through a lot of pain in order to do the surgery, guinea pigs don't usually respond well to manipulation of internal organs during surgery, and she may not even survive. You'll have to decide if the kindest thing to do is to let her go.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I have to agree with @bpatters. It's cancer, and no matter what you do, and especially at her age, she's going to suffer. Having to make that decision to let one of my boys go was one of the hardest I've ever made, and yet I know it was right.

I don't envy you in the choice you have to make. Godspeed to you and little Coconut.

 

[coconutnpumpkin]

Thank you for replying! She's taking painkiller so I hope she's not suffering now. She moves around, eats, drinks, and even begs for vegetables. It is so hard to decide. And there's so little information available. The vets can't even give me a success rate of such surgery... Right now I'm leaning towards not having the surgery, but I keep wondering what if the surgery can extend her life for one more year or longer...

 

[stray hares]

Gastrointestinal cancer sounds pretty nasty. Where is the tumour exactly?

Anything that affects the digestive system in guinea pigs can be difficult to operate and recover from (and pressure from large tumours can cause other organs and structures to fuse together).

In terms of exploratory surgery, I had a piggy called Olive a few years ago who at 6 years of age I found collapsed in her enclosure covered in blood. She had a palpable internal tumour. Olive had mild neurological issues and actually was never scared of anything, and she was just the kind of pig that would accept anything and keep ploughing on, so given that and the fact that even though she could barely move due to blood loss she still brightened up when I visited her and started eating vegetables, I asked the vets to proceed with surgery.
She had a 10mL blood transfusion (I bought in a few of my other piggies as donors) and she had surgery with the idea that if the tumour couldn't be removed she wouldn't wake up. It turns out her uterus had become a ball of tumour (about 5cm across -- bigger than a golf ball) and she was under for a long time, because the tumour had been pressing on her bladder and vagina and that needed to be slightly reconstructed because parts of her bladder and vagina had fused partially from the pressure. She survived and recovered though, little nugget. One vet said they've never had a piggy so close to death not die before. The tumour turned out to be benign too, and Olive lived well into old age.

I wouldn't put a "normal" pig through that, but Olive was not a normal pig, she was a confident and outgoing, fear-nothing kind of piglet. In her case though she was either going to die or be euthanised immediately, or go through surgery. I chose surgery and honestly I wasn't expecting her to wake up from it (neither was the vet actually), but she really was a brave little nut.

If your piggy's tumour is touching all her organs it's very possible it will be difficult to remove. It's a tough call, and I think it depends on Coconut, how she responds to being at the vet, and what organs the tumour is touching (and where the tumour is). It's very probable that her internal organs are being pushed together and may be fusing. I don't envy the choice you had to make. It's hard working out what the right way to proceed is.

Remember there's also the possibility that she'll get through surgery, wake up and be miserable because she's had major surgery and pass away or have to be euthanised because recovery can be tough for these sorts of things. I guess you really have to weigh up the four possibilities of: you leave her be and manage her as a palliative piggy, you operate and things go well, you chose to operate and she's euthanised, or you operate and she doesn't recover. The last one is the hardest possibility to deal with, both for you and Coconut I think.

I wish the best for you and Coconut whatever you decide however. It's not easy.

 

[coconutnpumpkin]

Thank you stray hare! Olive must have been quite a brave pig to fight the tough battle! I wish she's enjoying endless hay and treats in pig heaven.

Coconut's tumor is about 5cm in diameter, similar to what Olive had. The CT image shows that the tumor takes up the right half of her lower belly, and yes, her other organs are pushed together. I attached a picture here:



Initially I was determined to do the surgery. But seeing her scared little face after the exams really broke my heart. I don't want to lose her, and I don't want her suffer either. It is the hardest decision ever. Thank you all.