Jasmine and skin cancer

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:47 pm


Jasmine is a 4 1/2 year old himi texel sow.

I did my annual shaving of the sheep yesterday and she has new (they were not there last year) dark spots on her back.

One of them is HUGE. The others are small. There are about 4-5 of them.

Should I be concerned about skin cancer? I have taken her out to events, but she has always been kept in the shade. Or can I chalk it up to age spots?

I'll post pictures later today.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:17 pm


Look closely at Bats pics. I would be worried if they are new. I believe irregularity and different shades of color are two warning signs (there are more but I don't remember them).

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:29 pm


I dug up Angel's thread in reference but the photo's are all gone. I posted in hopes that bats still has them somewhere to repost or send to me.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:33 pm


I may have some on my computer somewhere. Don't remember if I asked for permission to add them to the forum but if that's okay with him and I can track them down, I'd be happy to.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:01 pm


Photo's -

back of her neck
Image

Her right side:
Image

The big one on her left
Image

Her back side on the right:
Image

Left rear end:
Image

Over head view-
Image

I don't remember any of these being there a year ago.

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Bytxlaura
Remembering Nemo

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:11 pm


The one on the left is huge!

That would definitely worry me :(

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:45 pm


I'd take her to the vet without waiting for Bats, if it were me.

Texels are a fancy breed and in my (admittedly very limited) experience, just like with dogs the fancier (read: more inbred) the breed, the greater the corollary weaknesses and predilection for problems of all sorts.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:53 pm


A mole larger than a pencil eraser (on humans) is supposed to be a warning sign. Melanoma in guinea pigs is quite rare, but I would still get that checked out by a vet.

Aside from Angel and Stewart, I have heard of only one other case of (non induced) melanoma in a guinea pig. I hope it's just age spots.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:37 pm


I don't even know that the larger one could be removed, seems like a lot of skin to remove at one time. :-(

I'll schedule her to be seen. I hope it is nothing. Aside from biopsy though, how can we be certain what it is?

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:00 pm


Since she's a himi, she does have dark pigment and it could just be pigment. A biopsy is the only thing that I can think of that would let you know for sure. Unless your vet is so sure of him/herself that he/she thinks that a biopsy isn't necessary.

My Skinnies sometimes change color/patterns as they age. I imagine that all pigs do, but it's not visible because of the hair. You wouldn't have known that these spots are there if you hadn't shaved her.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:10 pm


She has gotten the dirty himi coloring coming up down her back in the last year. I'm crossing fingers for pigment, too.

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Bytxlaura
Remembering Nemo

Post   » Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:29 pm


Fingers crossed it's pigment.

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