Nessy - Mastitis
Short update as having difficulty right now typing but --
Took Nessy to the vet yesterday for a checkup. The lump is there, smaller, but still there. Nessy got another 10 days of antibiotics and pain medication.
The vet is saying mammary tumor and feeling surgery is the best option. According to her mammary tumors have a 50% benign/50% malignant rate.
Vet said blood work would be a good thing to do so did it.
My question is how many tests are necessary. I am willing to give Nessy the surgery as she has a good chance of recovery. She seems to be healthy and is only 2 years old. I guess my question is cost. The blood work was $168. The vet is suggesting maybe an x-ray and other things. Again she will get the surgery, but I am on a tight budget here. What is necessary to know/good to have (x-rays, etc.) before surgery.
Apologize for being cost conscious but have been spending $100s and $100s of dollars on vet bills lately. I don't want to be 'cheap' but cost is a consideration. Plus I remember my own surgery when I have tests galore over a year and it took opening up me to go "Oh,that's what it is."
Took Nessy to the vet yesterday for a checkup. The lump is there, smaller, but still there. Nessy got another 10 days of antibiotics and pain medication.
The vet is saying mammary tumor and feeling surgery is the best option. According to her mammary tumors have a 50% benign/50% malignant rate.
Vet said blood work would be a good thing to do so did it.
My question is how many tests are necessary. I am willing to give Nessy the surgery as she has a good chance of recovery. She seems to be healthy and is only 2 years old. I guess my question is cost. The blood work was $168. The vet is suggesting maybe an x-ray and other things. Again she will get the surgery, but I am on a tight budget here. What is necessary to know/good to have (x-rays, etc.) before surgery.
Apologize for being cost conscious but have been spending $100s and $100s of dollars on vet bills lately. I don't want to be 'cheap' but cost is a consideration. Plus I remember my own surgery when I have tests galore over a year and it took opening up me to go "Oh,that's what it is."
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- And got the T-shirt
I'd tell the vet I was on a budget, and ask what can be omitted. I often decline having an x-ray sent to be read by a radiologist, and have always declined blood work. I just don't think it tells you a lot for the cost involved.
If she hasn't had a recent x-ray, that might not be a bad thing to have, if just to make sure she doesn't have something going on in her lungs before being anesthetized.
If she hasn't had a recent x-ray, that might not be a bad thing to have, if just to make sure she doesn't have something going on in her lungs before being anesthetized.
Finally got a quote from the vet. There is the 'basic' price with 2 ad-ons.
X-rays - would be $200 to check the lungs. The reasons for checking the lungs is, IF the mammary tumor IS cancerous, and it has metastasized, it will go the lungs because they have the smallest blood vessels so the cancerous cells would most likely get 'caught' there. Nessy is showing no outward signs of breathing issues. The x-rays may show nothing if NOT cancer, or if the cancer has NOT metastasized. If it has, then a decision would have to be made on whether to proceed with the surgery.
Biopsy - $170. This would be to determine what the lump is. A decision doesn't have to be made now about the cost as the tissue could be kept 'in house' for a while. My question would be, would it help to know what the lump was? If it was cancer, would it make a difference in treatment?
Other than that, in less than 2 weeks, Nessy will be having/had her surgery. Crossing paws about it. She was standing on her hind legs tonight begging for food.
X-rays - would be $200 to check the lungs. The reasons for checking the lungs is, IF the mammary tumor IS cancerous, and it has metastasized, it will go the lungs because they have the smallest blood vessels so the cancerous cells would most likely get 'caught' there. Nessy is showing no outward signs of breathing issues. The x-rays may show nothing if NOT cancer, or if the cancer has NOT metastasized. If it has, then a decision would have to be made on whether to proceed with the surgery.
Biopsy - $170. This would be to determine what the lump is. A decision doesn't have to be made now about the cost as the tissue could be kept 'in house' for a while. My question would be, would it help to know what the lump was? If it was cancer, would it make a difference in treatment?
Other than that, in less than 2 weeks, Nessy will be having/had her surgery. Crossing paws about it. She was standing on her hind legs tonight begging for food.
- Catie Cavy
- Supporter 2011-2020
I did a little googling before answering to be sure. I would skip the x-ray if it is only to check for metastasis. Mammary tumors generally don’t metastasize. I wouldn’t be too worried about lung issues either in a 2-year-old guinea pig. I’d skip the biopsy too. It would give you answers but wouldn’t make a difference in treatment. Are you sure this is a good guinea pig surgeon? She doesn’t seem to know the basics of what is a very common guinea pig condition.
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- And got the T-shirt
Ditto Catie Cavy. I'm not a vet, but I've never heard of mammary tumors metastasizing. And treatements for cancer in guinea pigs don't often result in much improvement, if any, and the only for a short period of time. If mine were ever diagnosed with cancer, I'd opt only for pain medication until it was time for them to go. In short, I wouldn't have either the x-rays or the biopsy done.
And if this vet isn't experienced in guinea pig surgery, don't let him/her touch your pig.
And if this vet isn't experienced in guinea pig surgery, don't let him/her touch your pig.
Update- Brought Nessy home this past Saturday. I kept her at the vet a couple of extra days to be sure.
Her incision is pretty big. The lump was larger and deeper than expected.
She is on antibiotics and pain medication. Nessy doesn't want critical care. I end with more on me than she does inside of her.
She is eating-tomato, lettuce, red pepper. She has stood on her hind legs, balancing while she shoves her nose as far as possible through the grids begging for a treat.
Nessy is pooping up a storm, though her poops seem a littler smaller than normal. Still is an impressive output. Can see how she is doing this due to her being on disposable pads.
Does seem a little more skittish than usual.
Scheduled appointment this Saturday to have her staples removed.
Her incision is pretty big. The lump was larger and deeper than expected.
She is on antibiotics and pain medication. Nessy doesn't want critical care. I end with more on me than she does inside of her.
She is eating-tomato, lettuce, red pepper. She has stood on her hind legs, balancing while she shoves her nose as far as possible through the grids begging for a treat.
Nessy is pooping up a storm, though her poops seem a littler smaller than normal. Still is an impressive output. Can see how she is doing this due to her being on disposable pads.
Does seem a little more skittish than usual.
Scheduled appointment this Saturday to have her staples removed.