Bloated Possible tumor and bloat. Advice needed.

[Shybandit]

My guinea pig Tofu is 6.5 years old. I adopted him when he was 1, after my little cousin left him behind suddenly.

He's very lively usually even for his age until last night (that I noticed). This morning he was not interested in eating or drinking and was hunched over.

I took him to the vet, who did X-rays. They weren't sure about what they found, just that he had too much air in his intestines/stomach. He also has a lump near his kidney OR it IS his kidney; So they sent me to a emergency vet. They gave him fluids and pain meds, he felt a lot better and started eating more; still less than usual. They said he has a really good diet based on what I feed him.

I think a lot of owners here can relate, treatment today was expensive, and it's only exams and diagnostics. An ultrasound (expensive) is recommended, but the tech said that bloating is common and some people pay for the ultrasound only to find out that it was only bloating (so they wasted money). I'm actually I'm not sure if it's just bloating right now. They haven't mentioned G.I. stasis?

Should I put my guinea pig on the foot massager? It's the closest I have to a massaging pad. I'll put some padding on it of course.

The vet didn't prescribe Oxbow critical care, but some meds to take daily. I'm taking him tomorrow back for a following with the vets.

Should I stop feeding him veggies for now?

Advice is appreciated, especially people who went through this before, what was done, and the aftermath. I'm worried about chronic bloating; is treatment costly overtime?

I read about this issue in threads, but each case is different. Mine has a mysterious lump where his kidneys are and I debating whether to wait to see if it grows bigger to save money or get an ultrasound right away.

 

[Soecara]

Do you have a vibrating toothbrush? That would be a better option then the foot massager. I would stop veggies for now until this clears. The most important thing is to make sure he is still pooping, if he stops pooping then he is likely in GI stasis which is a very serious condition that will swiftly turn deadly. Was there anything out of the ordinary that you have fed him recently?

As for the Kidney issues, what would you do even if it is a lump? I suppose surgery would be the suggestion but at his age would you go through with surgery? If the answer is no to surgery then it doesn't help you to know if there is or isn't a lump for now.

 

[Shybandit]

Do you have a vibrating toothbrush? That would be a better option then the foot massager. I would stop veggies for now until this clears. The most important thing is to make sure he is still pooping, if he stops pooping then he is likely in GI stasis which is a very serious condition that will swiftly turn deadly. Was there anything out of the ordinary that you have fed him recently?

As for the Kidney issues, what would you do even if it is a lump? I suppose surgery would be the suggestion but at his age would you go through with surgery? If the answer is no to surgery then it doesn't help you to know if there is or isn't a lump for now.

The vet today said that it probably isn't his kidney. But it's close to the kidney. You brought a good point; now I have more think about. Is surgery an even bigger risk because of his age? Should I even go with the ultrasound, I didn't even think he was that old..

I don't have a vibrating toothbrush.

they gave fluids again, he's still not that active, but he's stable. He's having mushy poop sometimes during this illness.

 

[Shybandit]

He's being checked for lymphoma, The results come in tomorrow. He has lumps on his sides.

 

[Soecara]

Is surgery an even bigger risk because of his age?

If he was an otherwise healthy guinea pig with an experienced vet then surgery even at his age isn't that much more risky then if he was younger. However he is not an otherwise healthy guinea pig, so surgery is quite risky and should be off the cards until his health improves.

 

[Shybandit]

If he was an otherwise healthy guinea pig with an experienced vet then surgery even at his age isn't that much more risky then if he was younger. However he is not an otherwise healthy guinea pig, so surgery is quite risky and should be off the cards until his health improves.

He was healthy and lively a few days ago if that's what you mean.

 

[Shybandit]

So how is G.I. stasis or bloat diagnosed? My vet didn't clearly say it was bloating. She keeps pushing the ultrasound. The threads on the topic never mention how the vet determines the conditions.

There was an x-Ray done but they said it was air inside. I'm just paying for all these tests and each vet keeps going: "hmm...hard to say" when looking at the test results; they are exotic vets...which is frusterating. I guess I have to do the ultrasound? His eye is red now.

 

[Shybandit]

He has leukemia. Vet said that chemotherapy and radiation usually doesn't turn out well for the guinea pigs they treat. What should I do?

 

[bpatters]

It's a very hard decision to have to make, and I'm sorry you're faced with it. But the kindest thing to do is to have him euthanized so that he's not sick and in pain any longer than he has to be.

 

[Shybandit]

It's a very hard decision to have to make, and I'm sorry you're faced with it. But the kindest thing to do is to have him euthanized so that he's not sick and in pain any longer than he has to be.

He's fine for now. Would euthanization be more expensive at an emergency vet hospital than a clinic?

I want to keep him around longer, is chemo and radiation really risky for his age? He is 6.5 years old, born in 2009.

 

[bpatters]

Chemo and radiation are VERY hard on pigs, and not often effective. Almost any kind of chemo really does a number on the digestive tract, and guinea pigs have very sensitive guts. He's likely to wind up with severe diarrhea, and not live very long anyway.

They just don't know much about chemo and radiation for guinea pigs. They're not good research animals for those therapies, although they are for some other things. So not much effort has been put into researching those treatments for them.

I wouldn't put one of my pigs through either of them, no matter how old or young the pig.

But to answer your question, euthanasia would likely be more expensive at an ER vet than a clinic.

 

[Shybandit]

Chemo and radiation are VERY hard on pigs, and not often effective. Almost any kind of chemo really does a number on the digestive tract, and guinea pigs have very sensitive guts. He's likely to wind up with severe diarrhea, and not live very long anyway.

They just don't know much about chemo and radiation for guinea pigs. They're not good research animals for those therapies, although they are for some other things. So not much effort has been put into researching those treatments for them.

I wouldn't put one of my pigs through either of them, no matter how old or young the pig.

But to answer your question, euthanasia would likely be more expensive at an ER vet than a clinic.

Should I do it right away? He still begs for food and walks around but he's easier to catch now when I have to take him out, and he barely squeaks compared to a few days ago when he was loud.

Also, if you euthanized your guinea pig would you take it home to bury it?

 

[daydreamer89]

we had to euthanize a dog at one point and after asking they gave us the option to have her placed in a box so we could bury her in our yard, have her cremated or have them dispose of the body. it all would depend on the vet though. maybe calling and asking before hand would be a good idea.

 

[Shybandit]

If it were my pig, I would wait until his quality of life seemed to be starting to suffer before putting him down. It's a judgment call on your part, but I wouldn't do it right away.

I've never euthanized at the vet, so I don't know whether you're allowed to take them home after.

He seems stable. The cancer is causing bloat which is being treated, so he should stay away from veggies? I can tell he misses them a lot. The vet said he could have them but someone here said it's ill-advised. Guinealynx doesn't say much about it I think.

 

[Soecara]

He seems stable. The cancer is causing bloat which is being treated, so he should stay away from veggies? I can tell he misses them a lot. The vet said he could have them but someone here said it's ill-advised. Guinealynx doesn't say much about it I think.

The general rule with bloat is to cut veggies as there is always the possibility one of the veggies could be the cause of the bloat. If you are sure the bloat is caused by the cancer and not the vegetables, or if you are able to manage the bloat then there is no reason to keep them from him, allow him to enjoy however long he has left.

 

[Shybandit]

Is there anything I can add to the critical care to make him like it more? He eats it really fast initially and then steers clears of it unless I squirt it on his lettuce. He doesn't really eat hay anymore but he is so eager to eat.

 

[scoottie]

you can offer unflavored pedialyte to be sure he is getting hydrated enough

 

[ClemmyOddieIndy]

Growing up on a large horse farm I was taught if they are eating, drinking and pooping then let them live. Not everyone lives by that motto, but it's served me well. To be honest, I'm an optimist though, and I always assume they're going to have better days. I had a guinea pig dying of aggressive cancer a little over a year ago and one night the vet at the emergency hospital was telling me to euthanize her because she was having a horribly rough night. I refused, and the next day she was having a good day. She had on and off days for the next month and a half before she died on her own terms while eating lettuce. I only actually owned her for about 3 months, and just for a comparison of price it was around $5,000 if I remember right. I have so many vet bills I don't always remember who belonged to what, but I'm pretty sure it was in that ball park. Good luck with your pig. I've not dealt with bloat before so I don't have any advice for that.

 

[pinky]

This summer I had to make the tough decision after my senior female was diagnosed with a large abdominal mass. She was still eating and seemed to enjoy life, although she was walking oddly. My vet said that as long as she was eager to eat and get around and not whimpering in pain, she could still have some time left. I could tell when she gave up. Her whole demeanor changed and she didn't touch any food. It just about killed me taking her to the vet to have her euthanized but I didn't want her to suffer. Take someone with you when you go. I took my son and was so glad I did because I needed the support.

 

[stray hares]

My piggy Sid who had leukaemia was on I think prednisone (which would be part of the cocktail of drugs he would have had if I opted for chemo) which worked well for him. He lived for six months after his diagnosis. It's not as intense as full chemotherapy, but did help extend his life. (And like all my piggies who have had cancer, he was fine until one day I woke up and he was not fine, and that's when I knew it was his time.)

I'd try fresh grass for your piggy, small amounts at first. Honestly, I'd give him whatever he wants. Veggies than are unlikely to cause bloat, fresh grass. Make him happy. That's what I'd do if he was in my care. Good luck.