Lump Nora has a lump...

[norasdad]

Ok. I hadn't held her in a while cause whenever i try she would run all over the place. When i did i noticed it and it was already like the size of a golf ball. I tried using a sterile razor and nothing would come out except tiny drops of blood from a wide area. So i took her to this vet. Guinea Pig, Exotic Vet - VetCo Veterinary Clinic, Tabernacle, New Jersey She put her on baytril and metronidazole and said it's nothing urgent but she's gonna need surgery and she can do it in 2 weeks. That was 4 days ago. OK. But the surgery is this much.

hospitalize day.....63.55
iv catheter - sx.....34.00
preanesthes./induction...67.00
gen. anes. 1st 1/2 hr.....140.70
surgical mass removal....244.60
anes. monitoring lv 1.....51.50
pre/post op. analgesia....30.25
misc prescription...........65.40
histopathology..............163.00
total : 864.58

...and than it says that's just an estimate and it might actually cost $1081

So i told them this is too much and they said we can get away w/ not doing the histopathology and the hospitalize day and that makes it 200$ less so like $800. But i'm thinking that the histopathology and hospitalize day might actually be an important thing.

Is this a normal or should i take her somewhere else? I'm in South Jersey.



another thing...she's a little over 2 months old.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

I would call around and see if you can find someone not as expensive.

It is pretty large. My vet would probably do it for $250, but my back-up vet would probably charge $450.

You can also cut corners by not sending it off to histopathology.

For the record, since a lump like that could be a cyst, abscess, or tumor, it's not advisable to attempt to lance them yourself.

 

[norasdad]

Is there a recommended vet in South Jersey? None of these places will give me any idea of their prices over the phone and i can't afford to pay 50$ just to get an estimate with no idea of what it's gonna be.

 

[norasdad]

I tried all these places over the phone... Guinea Pig, Exotic Vet - Dr. Mark D. Newkirk, Egg Harbor Twp, New Jersey
Guinea Pig, Exotic Vet - All Creatures Veterinary Care Center, Sewell, New Jersey
i tried this place... Burlington County Area / Cherry HillDr. Kenneth Dazen, VMD, Dipl.ABVP
Dr. David Kupersmith, DVM
Animal and Bird Healthcare Center & Hospital
1785 Springdale Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

The first 3 places all want my 50$ just to give me an estimate.
and i tried Lori's mobile vet care....Who, gave me a price but now it's impossible to get ahold of them, their mailbox is full and they don't return calls.

 

[pinky]

I tried all these places over the phone... Guinea Pig, Exotic Vet - Dr. Mark D. Newkirk, Egg Harbor Twp, New Jersey
Guinea Pig, Exotic Vet - All Creatures Veterinary Care Center, Sewell, New Jersey
i tried this place... Burlington County Area / Cherry HillDr. Kenneth Dazen, VMD, Dipl.ABVP
Dr. David Kupersmith, DVM
Animal and Bird Healthcare Center & Hospital
1785 Springdale Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

The first 3 places all want my 50$ just to give me an estimate.
and i tried Lori's mobile vet care....Who, gave me a price but now it's impossible to get ahold of them, their mailbox is full and they don't return calls.

What did the vet say she thinks the lump is? Did she clean it out? If there wasn't a pocket with pus, it's probably not an abscess. She would have or should have cleaned out the pocket if it was an abscess unless she just plans to surgically remove the whole thing instead of treating the abscess. I have one with an abscess right now. I took her in to confirm my suspicion since I didn't want to lance it in case it was something else. She cleaned it out and put her on meds. Everything cost me $90.63. It's been two weeks and it's smaller but I'm not sure if I'm getting out all of the gunk so I'm taking her back Thursday for another thorough cleaning. The pocket is open because I'm flushing multiple times a day but I don't want it to heal if I haven't gotten all the bits of pus out. It's really hard to stomach the first couple of days when it's bloody but once the edges aren't raw, it's almost like flaps of skin you move to get in there.

 

[norasdad]

I got a recommendation from the (broken link removed) for this vet...
Dr. Lisa Aumiller
House Paws Mobile Vet
Phone # 856*234*5230
She said that's where all her guinea pigs go and she's the best.
That sounds good to me, i'm just waiting for them to call me back.
OH yeah, and Sell all this stuff i have up on craigslist so i can afford it...
I shoulda had $ set aside for an emergency like this.
I'll follow up on how she does. Thanks.

 

[norasdad]

"What did the vet say she thinks the lump is? Did she clean it out? If there wasn't a pocket with pus, it's probably not an abscess. She would have or should have cleaned out the pocket if it was an abscess unless she just plans to surgically remove the whole thing instead of treating the abscess. I have one with an abscess right now. I took her in to confirm my suspicion since I didn't want to lance it in case it was something else. She cleaned it out and put her on meds. Everything cost me $90.63. It's been two weeks and it's smaller but I'm not sure if I'm getting out all of the gunk so I'm taking her back Thursday for another thorough cleaning. The pocket is open because I'm flushing multiple times a day but I don't want it to heal if I haven't gotten all the bits of pus out. It's really hard to stomach the first couple of days when it's bloody but once the edges aren't raw, it's almost like flaps of skin you move to get in there."


I had no luck getting anything out of it in the first place, I didn't like cut in there deep, i was afraid. After no luck with that i put a 16 guage needle in there and tried sucking. The vet didn't do anything to the lump. She just felt it. No test or anything. Just wants to do surgery. Not sure. But i'm not messing with it myself any more. I gave her a bath and it loosened up the scab a little tiny bit of blood came out and that's all.

 

[norasdad]

What did the vet say she thinks the lump is? Did she clean it out? If there wasn't a pocket with pus, it's probably not an abscess. She would have or should have cleaned out the pocket if it was an abscess unless she just plans to surgically remove the whole thing instead of treating the abscess. I have one with an abscess right now. I took her in to confirm my suspicion since I didn't want to lance it in case it was something else. She cleaned it out and put her on meds. Everything cost me $90.63. It's been two weeks and it's smaller but I'm not sure if I'm getting out all of the gunk so I'm taking her back Thursday for another thorough cleaning. The pocket is open because I'm flushing multiple times a day but I don't want it to heal if I haven't gotten all the bits of pus out. It's really hard to stomach the first couple of days when it's bloody but once the edges aren't raw, it's almost like flaps of skin you move to get in there.

The vet said it could be any of those things but she didn't try to pop it or do any tests on it. Probly if she had done a test or lanced it would've been as much as the surgery at some other places. I woulnd'nt mind cleaning out noras lump whatever it is. It's hard to get her putting the little syringe in her mouth and drinking the meds.

 

[Pigaletto]

Nora seems so young to have a growth requiring removal, and I agree with Pinky that most vets' first step in treating an abscess would be to thoroughly clean it out, prescribe antibiotics, and try to let it heal. I don't understand how your vet came to her conclusion that surgery is necessary unless she knows somehow that it isn't just an abscess. Did she mention what she thought it was?

 

[norasdad]

Nora seems so young to have a growth requiring removal, and I agree with Pinky that most vets' first step in treating an abscess would be to thoroughly clean it out, prescribe antibiotics, and try to let it heal. I don't understand how your vet came to her conclusion that surgery is necessary unless she knows somehow that it isn't just an abscess. Did she mention what she thought it was?

Well i just called Dr. Laura Snyder from the vetco animal hospital where i took her in the first place. I asked her and she says she thinks it's an abscess and the best way to do it is by surgery. She says the skin is thick and it tends to come back otherwise.

 

[RodentCuddles]

All my animals that have had a abscess have never had it removed by surgery, its been drained and then if It was really bad the vet gave me antibiotics, and then I just it heal.
Surgery doesn't sound (too me) like the right way to go.

 

[norasdad]

ok, Well....I'll see what the other vet says when i bring her in...Still waiting for them to call me back so i can schedule. This other vet comes highly recommended but i dunno how long something like this can wait.

 

[Pigaletto]

It's good that you're getting a second opinion. I've never heard of surgically removing an abscess. I have seen them surgically closed when they're just too big to heal on their own, but those are extreme cases. (One other thing that bugs me is the vet suggesting a histopathology. If she truly suspects an abscess I can't think of a good reason to waste your money having a pathologist examine the excised tissue.)
As far as how long you can wait, I don't think a few more days is going to hurt too much, considering your original vet wanted to wait another week and a half to do surgery. Plus she's covered with an antibiotic right now, so I think you should be fine until you get to another doctor.
Hope Nora get's better soon!!

 

[norasdad]

Nora is getting surgery by dr lisa. She took a sample and figured its a tumor for sure. Shes getting it done now

 

[NorthernLight]

Get well fast, little Nora!

 

[norasdad]

I think the dr. did a real good job. Nora's home, seperate from the others...eating all the lettuce she wants, she ate some pellets not moving much yet but it's only been a few hrs since the surgery. I think she'll be okay. It depends whichever the tumor is malignant or benign. The only way to have known for sure would have been a 200$ lab test so i opted out of that cause either way it would've required the same treatment. Since it was so big thou, they're supposed to take extra off. But couldn't take too much extra cause it was so big.

 

[mommmyof2]

I hope Nora gets better soon and has a speedy recovery. So happy she came out of the surgery so well.

 

[norasdad]

I think the dr. did a real good job. Nora's home, seperate from the others...eating all the lettuce she wants, she ate some pellets not moving much yet but it's only been a few hrs since the surgery. I think she'll be okay. It depends whichever the tumor is malignant or benign. The only way to have known for sure would have been a 200$ lab test so i opted out of that cause either way it would've required the same treatment. Since it was so big thou, they're supposed to take extra off. But couldn't take too much extra cause it was so big.

 

[mommmyof2]

Shes a gorgeous piggy. Hope she gets well fast

 

[bpatters]

Be sure to make sure she's eating and drinking. You should be prepared to hand-feed her, both water and food, if necessary. If she's on an antibiotic, get a probiotic (Bene-Bac or human acidophilus or kyodophilus tablets) and give it to her about an hour after the antibiotic.