Guinea pig died from liver cancer

[mls18]

My 7 year old guinea pig died recently, A couple of months before he died I felt like something was off but the vet assured me that he was just old and that there was nothing wrong. Then about a month before he died he started to have problems with his back leg and so the vet gave him Metacam and said that it was probably a sprain. He was also hooting but the vet said it was most probably from dust. He would have these episodes of loosing control of his limbs, and then seeming fine minutes later, it started with his leg then it spread to his spine. besides for those episodes he was completely fine until he had to be euthanized because he was dying. After he was euthanized the vet said that he had a huge liver tumor.
I'm writing this post because I wanted to know if anyone has had experience with liver cancer(or knows about it) and can tell me if they experienced similar symptoms. I dont understand how he could have had liver cancer if all his symptoms were in his bones and lungs. I cant find anything online since it seems to be pretty rare. Can anyone give me more information about it? How long does it take to develop? Is there anything that could've been done if i had known earlier or would it have been impossible to do surgery since he was so old?
Thanks

 

[mls18]

Also I feel guilty because I would've felt it if I had taken him out of his cage, but during the last few weeks of his life I tried to leave him alone because I didnt want to hurt his leg. When I brought him to the vet to be euthanized I saw and felt a mass near his stomach, so I would've felt it if I had taken him out of his cage. I dont get how it could've formed within a couple of weeks, is there a possibility that it could've been something else? I saw somewhere that when a guinea pig doesn't eat they have liver problems, could his liver have been enlarged from that?

 

[Bill & Ted]

I’m so sorry you lost your little piggie, please don’t feel guilty, it’s a natural reaction not to want to lift a frail piggie and cause any pain or discomfort. I don’t have any experience of liver cancer but my old boy Ted suddenly became poorly with a supposed bladder infection and a few weeks later my other vet felt a tumour/stone like lump on his kidney. Things can happen so suddenly and spring up out of nowhere.
The main and most important thing is he Was loved and he will have known how much you cared, take care while you grieve his loss x

Sleep tight little man

 

[mls18]

I’m so sorry you lost your little piggie, please don’t feel guilty, it’s a natural reaction not to want to lift a frail piggie and cause any pain or discomfort. I don’t have any experience of liver cancer but my old boy Ted suddenly became poorly with a supposed bladder infection and a few weeks later my other vet felt a tumour/stone like lump on his kidney. Things can happen so suddenly and spring up out of nowhere.
The main and most important thing is he Was loved and he will have known how much you cared, take care while you grieve his loss x

Sleep tight little man

Thanks so much

 

[Little Ones]

I had a piggy with liver disease some years back. His symptoms were extreme weight loss, excessive thirst and his guts were affected significantly too - he had really soft, cow pat type poops. He also experienced crackly breathing but he’d had breathing issues all his life, so it’s hard to say if that was related to his liver. The day we had him euthanised, he seemed to have had a stroke or something in the night and lost proper motor function. He couldn’t walk properly or lift his head or open his mouth.
Don’t know if this helps you? Mine only had liver disease and not liver cancer, but I thought I’d chime in.
My boy was only four I believe when this happened. With your piggy being such an old age, any surgery aside from sedation for a blood test and X-ray would’ve been fairly risky. The oldest I’ve had that’s been operated on is 6 and that was for an abscess removal which is far less invasive than a tumour removal from an organ.
So sorry for your loss x

 

[Free Ranger]

He was a great age and that's down to your care.
I lost a young sow to cancer. She started to show pretty non-specific symptoms (withdrawn, eating less, quiet squeaking) but the vet suspected some sort of blockage of the gut. We got her onto the operating table and the vet said she was "full of cancer" so it had spread everywhere. I know from people-cancer that this can happen long before the primary tumour(s) make themselves known. I don't think there's anything you could have done earlier. When they get old it's never just one thing - they often have a range of problems - it's just which one we see dominating in the end. Take care of yourself. Rest in Peace lovely boy x

 

[mls18]

I had a piggy with liver disease some years back. His symptoms were extreme weight loss, excessive thirst and his guts were affected significantly too - he had really soft, cow pat type poops. He also experienced crackly breathing but he’d had breathing issues all his life, so it’s hard to say if that was related to his liver. The day we had him euthanised, he seemed to have had a stroke or something in the night and lost proper motor function. He couldn’t walk properly or lift his head or open his mouth.
Don’t know if this helps you? Mine only had liver disease and not liver cancer, but I thought I’d chime in.
My boy was only four I believe when this happened. With your piggy being such an old age, any surgery aside from sedation for a blood test and X-ray would’ve been fairly risky. The oldest I’ve had that’s been operated on is 6 and that was for an abscess removal which is far less invasive than a tumour removal from an organ.
So sorry for your loss x

That actually does help, he also lost his motor function a couple of times. Thanks so much!

 

[mls18]

He was a great age and that's down to your care.
I lost a young sow to cancer. She started to show pretty non-specific symptoms (withdrawn, eating less, quiet squeaking) but the vet suspected some sort of blockage of the gut. We got her onto the operating table and the vet said she was "full of cancer" so it had spread everywhere. I know from people-cancer that this can happen long before the primary tumour(s) make themselves known. I don't think there's anything you could have done earlier. When they get old it's never just one thing - they often have a range of problems - it's just which one we see dominating in the end. Take care of yourself. Rest in Peace lovely boy x

I'm so sorry about your guinea pig, thanks so much

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

Soul searching and feelings of guilt are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process. They are not a sign that you have done anything wrong but an expression of how deeply you can and love; if you didn't, you would experience this.

It is also perfectly normal to have the need to make sense of what has happened.

The symptoms are more typical for a mass pushing on other organs or nerves but it is very difficult to work out what is going on when they are not persistent and rather disparate without some rather expensive diagnostics which would have taken a while to analyse in the lab.
I also doubt that you would have noticed the mass much sooner by feel; that rather sounds like the big growth spurt at the end; especially in an oldie like that where everything happens even more quickly once the immune system is overwhelmed.

Liver cancer is untreatable and inoperable - it would simply grow back fast. It sadly one of those things that none of us would like to ever be confronted with. I am very sorry that you had to deal with it.
Liver problems themselves are in my own experience not easy to diagnose because symptoms are generally not really clear and characteristic. Not that there is much or any research into this for guinea pigs.
Please try to take consolation that you did the right thing and have not failed your piggy. 7 years is a grand age to live to and down to your good care - you have got your piggy as far as you could. What is always out of control is when and what from your piggies ultimately die - it is usually either one of the organs giving way or the immune system failing. In my own long term experience, I have had to euthanise about half of my oldies and the other half has mainly died from natural multiple organ failure (the normal way of dying). Gently drifting away in one's sleep is actually very rare.

If you want to understand more about what you are going through, you may find this practical and sensitive guide here helpful to recognise experiences and feelings for what they are (especially if this is your first ever loss) and also have ways you can express your grief and where you can get help if needed: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

If your piggy has a companion, here is what you can do for them: Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

 

[Freela]

I'm really sorry for your loss. Many ((HUGS)) to you. A lot of cancers have fairly nonspecific symptoms, or symptoms that are referred pain from pressure on other organs. A lot of animals (and human beings) appear pretty much okay until tumors are far advanced. A lot of cancers can metastasize before the primary tumor is even discovered in the case of cancers with vague symptoms. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like something that could have been treated even if you had noticed the mass earlier. I understand second guessing yourself, but please don't! He had a long and wonderful life and he had good medical care... unfortunately some issues are really hard to diagnose and impossible to fix even after diagnosis. For what it's worth, I lost a close relative (a human one) to liver cancer years ago and her symptoms were vague enough or referred enough that her illness was not detected until it was far advanced. And she was a human being who could actually describe her symptoms specifically, not a pet whose discomfort would have to be extrapolated from behavior. ((HUGS)) to you.

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry for your loss. Take care

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
Seven is a grand age which shows what a great owner you are.
Cancers can spring up apparently out of nowhere and come as a real shock.
Even in humans cancers can hide until they are well advanced.

Please be gentle with yourself as you grieve.

 

[mls18]

Hi

Soul searching and feelings of guilt are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process. They are not a sign that you have done anything wrong but an expression of how deeply you can and love; if you didn't, you would experience this.

It is also perfectly normal to have the need to make sense of what has happened.

The symptoms are more typical for a mass pushing on other organs or nerves but it is very difficult to work out what is going on when they are not persistent and rather disparate without some rather expensive diagnostics which would have taken a while to analyse in the lab.
I also doubt that you would have noticed the mass much sooner by feel; that rather sounds like the big growth spurt at the end; especially in an oldie like that where everything happens even more quickly once the immune system is overwhelmed.

Liver cancer is untreatable and inoperable - it would simply grow back fast. It sadly one of those things that none of us would like to ever be confronted with. I am very sorry that you had to deal with it.
Liver problems themselves are in my own experience not easy to diagnose because symptoms are generally not really clear and characteristic. Not that there is much or any research into this for guinea pigs.
Please try to take consolation that you did the right thing and have not failed your piggy. 7 years is a grand age to live to and down to your good care - you have got your piggy as far as you could. What is always out of control is when and what from your piggies ultimately die - it is usually either one of the organs giving way or the immune system failing. In my own long term experience, I have had to euthanise about half of my oldies and the other half has mainly died from natural multiple organ failure (the normal way of dying). Gently drifting away in one's sleep is actually very rare.

If you want to understand more about what you are going through, you may find this practical and sensitive guide here helpful to recognise experiences and feelings for what they are (especially if this is your first ever loss) and also have ways you can express your grief and where you can get help if needed: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

If your piggy has a companion, here is what you can do for them: Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

Thank you so much for your reply and everything you said Its so sad that so many guinea pigs are unable to get things like this treated It does help to know though that I did all I could though. Ill take a look at pages you linked, thanks so much

 

[mls18]

I'm really sorry for your loss. Many ((HUGS)) to you. A lot of cancers have fairly nonspecific symptoms, or symptoms that are referred pain from pressure on other organs. A lot of animals (and human beings) appear pretty much okay until tumors are far advanced. A lot of cancers can metastasize before the primary tumor is even discovered in the case of cancers with vague symptoms. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like something that could have been treated even if you had noticed the mass earlier. I understand second guessing yourself, but please don't! He had a long and wonderful life and he had good medical care... unfortunately some issues are really hard to diagnose and impossible to fix even after diagnosis. For what it's worth, I lost a close relative (a human one) to liver cancer years ago and her symptoms were vague enough or referred enough that her illness was not detected until it was far advanced. And she was a human being who could actually describe her symptoms specifically, not a pet whose discomfort would have to be extrapolated from behavior. ((HUGS)) to you.

Thanks so much for the reply, I really wish that there was more that could be done for cancers. I'm really sorry about your relative Hopefully some day there will be more that could be done for humans and guinea pigs who get cancer. Thanks so much

 

[mls18]

I’m so sorry for your loss. Take care

So sorry for your loss.
Seven is a grand age which shows what a great owner you are.
Cancers can spring up apparently out of nowhere and come as a real shock.
Even in humans cancers can hide until they are well advanced.

Please be gentle with yourself as you grieve.

Thanks so much!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for your reply and everything you said Its so sad that so many guinea pigs are unable to get things like this treated It does help to know though that I did all I could though. Ill take a look at pages you linked, thanks so much

I am glad that I have been able to help ease your mind a little. Unfortunately, you can't hurry on the grieving process, so please be kind with yourself as you go through the most immediate part of it over the coming days and weeks.

You grieve as much as you love; it doesn't matter which species - it is the strength of the emotion you have invested in the bond. However, ultimately our lives would be so much poorer without having love in our lives...

I have written the grieving guide since many people, especially those that haven't pets themselves, will not understand the strength and depth of your feelings. That lack of empathy and understanding can make you feel very lost, lonely and isolated even though what you experience is perfectly normal.

 

[mls18]

I am glad that I have been able to help ease your mind a little. Unfortunately, you can't hurry on the grieving process, so please be kind with yourself as you go through the most immediate part of it over the coming days and weeks.

You grieve as much as you love; it doesn't matter which species - it is the strength of the emotion you have invested in the bond. However, ultimately our lives would be so much poorer without having love in our lives...
I have written the grieving guide since many people, especially those that haven't pets themselves, will not understand the strength and depth of your feelings. That lack of empathy and understanding can make you feel very lonely and lost.

Thank you

 

[Animallover2245]

Sorry to hear you pig sadly passed away.