Cancer or Bloating

[Bunger]

I took my Guinea pig to the vet with the impression that she was bloated but then was told she has cancer, I know the vet is the professional but I really feel like she’s actually bloated, how can I figure out if she’s bloated and if she is, can I buy the treatment for it at home?

 

[Swissgreys]

Sorry you are in such a tricky situation.

It would help if we had a bit more information though.
How old is your piggy and what are their symptoms?
Have they lost any weight?
How did the vet come to the diagnosis - what tests did they do?
Did they prescribe any treatment or medication?
How experienced with guinea pigs are they?

Sorry for all of the questions, but if we know a bit more we can offer you more help.

 

[Bunger]

Sorry you are in such a tricky situation.

It would help if we had a bit more information though.
How old is your piggy and what are their symptoms?
Have they lost any weight?
How did the vet come to the diagnosis - what tests did they do?
Did they prescribe any treatment or medication?
How experienced with guinea pigs are they?

Sorry for all of the questions, but if we know a bit more we can offer you more help.

She is 5 years old and her stomach feels much tighter than my other pigs, her poops are also unusual

She is abit skinny

The vet thought it was cancer after feeling her stomach, then confirmed it after what I think was an X-ray

She’s been given a pain relief medicine named mipet meloxaid which I’m supposed to give 0.1ml of daily

I’m unsure how experienced the vet is with Guinea pigs, it was my first time seeing them

 

[Wiebke]

She is 5 years old and her stomach feels much tighter than my other pigs, her poops are also unusual

She is abit skinny

The vet thought it was cancer after feeling her stomach, then confirmed it after what I think was an X-ray

She’s been given a pain relief medicine named mipet meloxaid which I’m supposed to give 0.1ml of daily

I’m unsure how experienced the vet is with Guinea pigs, it was my first time seeing them

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry about the bad news. They are hard to take in when it is much worse than you expected, especially when you thought you knew what was going on.

You are always entitled to seek a second opinion; especially with a serious diagnosis like the one you have got.
Here is our list of recommended vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

What we cannot do is tell youwhether your piggy has got indeed bloat or not, or whether any bloating - if there is any - is primary or a secondary complication to another underlying issue. This can only be done by a vet in a hands-on examination and with any further diagnostics they may need. We do not support home treating on spec with DIY medication because it can easily make your piggy's suffering much worse and could be fatal if you got the wrong end of the stick.
Gassing usually shows up very clearly on an x-ray as a milky area and should be pretty easy to diagnose for any vet. It will look very different when compared to a cancerous internal mass, which is sadly not all that uncommon in older guinea pigs. Please be aware that the bad news could be confirmed by another vet.

Please step in with feeding support asap. The funny poos are caused by your piggy not eating enough because of pain - poos reflect how much a piggy has eaten a day or two before. Hence her feeling skinny as well.
Our medicating and support feeding guide takes you through the whole process with pictures and videos. Please weigh her daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning for instant feedback of her food intake and then step in with the appropriate level of feeding support. The guide also contains a chapter on what you can do when you need to improvise.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

PS: Is the meloxaid 0.5 mg (cat strength) or 1.5 mg (dog strength) concentration? In either case your prescribed dosage is very low. Meloxaid (active ingredient: meloxicam) is another generic brand name for metacam.

 

[Merab]

Sorry for the bad news.
It is devastating to hear.
As @Wiebke said you are entitled to a second opinion.
Whatever the outcome we are here to support you.

Welcome to the forum

 

[Bunger]

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry about the bad news. They are hard to take in when it is much worse than you expected, especially when you thought you knew what was going on.

You are always entitled to seek a second opinion; especially with a serious diagnosis like the one you have got.
Here is our list of recommended vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

What we cannot do is tell youwhether your piggy has got indeed bloat or not, or whether any bloating - if there is any - is primary or a secondary complication to another underlying issue. This can only be done by a vet in a hands-on examination and with any further diagnostics they may need. We do not support home treating on spec with DIY medication because it can easily make your piggy's suffering much worse and could be fatal if you got the wrong end of the stick.
Gassing usually shows up very clearly on an x-ray as a milky area and should be pretty easy to diagnose for any vet. It will look very different when compared to a cancerous internal mass, which is sadly not all that uncommon in older guinea pigs. Please be aware that the bad news could be confirmed by another vet.

Please step in with feeding support asap. The funny poos are caused by your piggy not eating enough because of pain - poos reflect how much a piggy has eaten a day or two before. Hence her feeling skinny as well.
Our medicating and support feeding guide takes you through the whole process with pictures and videos. Please weigh her daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning for instant feedback of her food intake and then step in with the appropriate level of feeding support. The guide also contains a chapter on what you can do when you need to improvise.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

PS: Is the meloxaid 0.5 mg (cat strength) or 1.5 mg (dog strength) concentration? In either case your prescribed dosage is very low. Meloxaid (active ingredient: meloxicam) is another generic brand name for metacam.

Thank you, and it’s dog strength, what dosage do you recommend?

 

[Bunger]

For detail, the label says “5x Mipet Meloxaid 10ml oral suspension (Dog)-1ml meloxaid
Give 0.1ml once daily with food. STOP if vomiting or diarrhoea occurs”

 

[Piggies&buns]

For detail, the label says “5x Mipet Meloxaid 10ml oral suspension (Dog)-1ml meloxaid
Give 0.1ml once daily with food. STOP if vomiting or diarrhoea occurs”

I'm sorry to hear your piggy is unwell.
While dog metacam is stronger than cat metacam, 0.1ml once a day is very low. Piggies need their pain meds twice a day as they metabolise them in around 12 hours.
Only a vet can prescribe the dosage though.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you, and it’s dog strength, what dosage do you recommend?

Hi

The dosage depends on the body weight and the severity of pain. Sight unseen, we cannot tell you how much she would need.
But you can safely give that dosage twice daily and still be very much in the lower range. I am glad that it is three times stronger dog metacam and not cat metacam because then it would have been so low as to be cosmetic.