Elizabeth has another lump 😞

[Claire W]

Elizabeth is worrying me She used to weigh around 1300g in her prime and is now weighing around 1200g but the vet estimates that her big fatty lipoma could weigh around 200-250g meaning that Elizabeth’s true weight is around 950g - 1000g meaning she’s lost around 200g - 300g this past year. I can now feel her spine where as I never used to Elizabeth is around 5 years old. Is this ok or should I be concerned?

There’s always been a risk that her big fatty lipoma could cause cancerous although the vet said he would expect her to present to be more poorly if that were the case but he doesn’t recommend worrying myself by taking another biopsy as the outcome will be the same and told me to enjoy her.

Could she have lost weight due to the lipoma becoming cancerous or is her weight loss just a sign of aging?

Out of 13 piggies, Elizabeth is only the 4th who’s made it to this age so I’m still learning when it comes to looking after elderly piggies x

 

[Wiebke]

Elizabeth is worrying me She used to weigh around 1300g in her prime and is now weighing around 1200g but the vet estimates that her big fatty lipoma could weigh around 200-250g meaning that Elizabeth’s true weight is around 950g - 1000g meaning she’s lost around 200g - 300g this past year. I can now feel her spine where as I never used to Elizabeth is around 5 years old. Is this ok or should I be concerned?

There’s always been a risk that her big fatty lipoma could cause cancerous although the vet said he would expect her to present to be more poorly if that were the case but he doesn’t recommend worrying myself by taking another biopsy as the outcome will be the same and told me to enjoy her.

Could she have lost weight due to the lipoma becoming cancerous or is her weight loss just a sign of aging?

Out of 13 piggies, Elizabeth is only the 4th who’s made it to this age so I’m still learning when it comes to looking after elderly piggies x

Hi

Elizabeth is about 5 years old now and is becoming naturally frailer now as knock-on issues are starting to making themselves felt. Around 1 kilo is a good weight for an average sized piggy of that age. The spine is becoming more noticeable in the frailer and the older, as are the hips. She is no longer as active, which also doesn't help.

I agree with your vet who has checked for the presence of cancerous cells in the fatty lump and didn't find any. If there really had been any cancer, Elizabeth's decline would have been a lot faster over the last 9 months and would by now a lot more advanced. Guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism, and that also applies to a faster development of any cancer. That is the reason for the the use of small rodents as lab animals, apart from their much faster life cycles.

 

[Claire W]

Hi

Elizabeth is about 5 years old now and is becoming naturally frailer now as knock-on issues are starting to making themselves felt. Around 1 kilo is a good weight for an average sized piggy of that age. The spine is becoming more noticeable in the frailer and the older, as are the hips. She is no longer as active, which also doesn't help.

I agree with your vet who has checked for the presence of cancerous cells in the fatty lump and didn't find any. If there really had been any cancer, Elizabeth's decline would have been a lot faster over the last 9 months and would by now a lot more advanced. Guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism, and that also applies to a faster development of any cancer. That is the reason for the the use of small rodents as lab animals, apart from their much faster life cycles.

Thank you so much for the reassurance and advise Vince did say there ‘may’ be a chance the lump ‘could’ turn cancerous in the future but he said she’d present with illness too and doesn’t recommend testing the lump again as he really doesn’t think it is plus it isn’t like it would change anything and encouraged me to rather enjoy her. Apart from a prominent spine and hips, she’s my usual cheeky Elizabeth. I feel better knowing that her weight and body condition are normal for a piggy her age. As I say, I don’t have too much experience with older piggies x

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for the reassurance and advise Vince did say there ‘may’ be a chance the lump ‘could’ turn cancerous in the future but he said she’d present with illness too and doesn’t recommend testing the lump again as he really doesn’t think it is plus it isn’t like it would change anything and encouraged me to rather enjoy her. Apart from a prominent spine and hips, she’s my usual cheeky Elizabeth. I feel better knowing that her weight and body condition are normal for a piggy her age. As I say, I don’t have too much experience with older piggies x

Elizabeth is now in the normal average life span bracket, so please make each day with her count instead of wasting it with worrying things that may likely never come to pass.

You can enjoy the glass that is still half full and make it seem fuller by flavouring the water with constructive enrichment activities and by savouring each little sip or you can make the half empty glass even emptier by trying to see how far you can turn it over in your fearful attempts to check the contents, and each time spilling a bit more water in the process.

 

[Claire W]

Elizabeth is now in the normal average life span bracket, so please make each day with her count instead of wasting it with worrying things that may likely never come to pass.

You can enjoy the glass that is still half full and make it seem fuller by flavouring the water with constructive enrichment activities and by savouring each little sip or you can make the half empty glass even emptier by trying to see how far you can turn it over in your fearful attempts to check the contents, and each time spilling a bit more water in the process.

Thank you I feel privileged to have got her to be an older girl and will definitely choose to enjoy her and make everyday count and enjoy the glass while it is still half full.

I just find it so hard not to worry but I don’t want to waste precious time either x