Time for an update. First, here is Bianca enjoying the finer things of life.
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Four months since her diagnosis and on her fifth bottle of medicine, you would not think she were ill. Her fur, which she had lost around the middle, has grown back; she keeps herself clean; she runs out eagerly if her name is mentioned, still chewing a piece of hay; she balances up on her hind legs ('look, no hands!') to get a better view of the incoming food; she chunters ... in short, she is her same curious, intelligent little self. The one thing that might give away that something is not quite right is the unnatural and increasing bulge all around her middle.
As we decided to take Ophelia to the vets this morning, we asked for the vet who had diagnosed Bianca so that he could take a look at her as well. (PiggyintheMiddle started a thread for Ophelia yesterday and I'll ask her to link it here, because me... well...
... how do you do that?) The tumour does indeed extend across all her body now and is as big as her head. However, the medication is clearly making her comfortable and is probably suppressing the inflammatory response. I asked if perhaps the tumour was suppressing the cysts, given that the fur she had lost around the middle has almost fully grown back, and he said that that could well be the case, although added that they can also lose fur from stress.
I asked how much longer she might have left (after an initial diagnosis of not long at all), and it could be another four months. Of course, hard to say, as if the tumour grows into the kidneys, that would lead to kidney failure. In contrast with the first consultation -- just take a month's worth of medicine, and if you need another, ring reception; 6 months is 'optimistic' -- he agreed that it is now worth buying a 6-month-bottle of medicine.
So, Bianca is living her happiest life. We have always been scrupulous about following the knowledgeable advice on this forum, but, thinking she had one, perhaps two months to live, we somewhat 'relaxed' the recommendations around vegetables and nuggets ...
6 am: nuggets, tipped into the bowl and not counted.
Quite right too. That was never a tablespoon, was it? That was 12 nuggets rattling around. How could that possibly keep any piggy alive? What has too much calcium got to do with anything? I don't see calcium. Of course we're going to eat our hay! And anyway, it's not possible for us guinea pigs to get 'full up'.
8 am: a good chunk of courgette or pepper --
Finally! Why are you so late? It's already 8.01 am! - Oh. First that syringe. Yes, I know, I know, I'm going to have to come back and open my mouth.
5 pm: a bowl of vegetables --
About time! What took you so long? -- but still the usual amount
8 pm: again a good chunk of courgette or pepper --
Goodness me, t
hat was a long time coming! -- Oh, I'd forgotten about that syringe. There's no need to get insistent about it. And anyway, If I'm 'such a good girl', as you keep saying in that goo-ey voice, why don't you just skip that syringe, hey?
Then, throughout the day, as we pop in to check on them, out runs Bianca, going up onto her hind legs expectantly (in spite of her increased girth) and back down to rub her nose repeatedly in polite, but increasingly frantic, request. Up and down. Up and down. Get a move on.
Nuggets no longer cut it.
For goodness sake, we had them for breakfast. And don't you remember: Calcium? Full up? Remember now? You were the one saying it, not us.
Readi-grass? Are you joking, that's not worth coming out for.
Oh come on, you can't be serious! Scattering forage food?! You must be joking if you think that throwing old leaves and dead flowers about is acceptable. Do you really think we want to run around looking for it? Really? Why on earth should *we* be subjected to having our 'natural foraging behaviour' 'encouraged' when you can just bring us the proper vegetable food and profer it by hand, wherever we need to rest?
Coriander. Why. on. earth. did. it. take. you. so. long. to. work. that. out. Yes, and now another please. I'm rubbing my nose nicely and looking up to stare at you to make sure you have got the message. Yes, and another. Come on -- keep it coming! Everyone knows that the more you have, the more you NEED to have. It's basic biology. You can't stop now, that wouldn't be healthy.
So there you go. Happy days.
What a little trooper!
