Mammary gland tumour- remove?

[Jade&co]

Hi all, my Bradley is 5 and a half years old and has recently developed a smallish (thumb tip size) unattached tumour on his nipple/mammary gland. It has been checked by my vet (who is an exotics vet, knows guinea pigs well and is very experienced). We discussed the many options of operating to remove, monitoring, choosing not to. He of course advised that it would be best if it is removed and though I want to do what’s best for my piggy, I’m just not feeling right about putting him through a surgery- especially the anesthesia and the recovery worries me too as he’s in his 5th year. He’s just a little geriatric and it’s a tough decision. Bradley is very healthy, eats great, has great energy and spunk, loves his “paddock” as I call the cage and overall is a very well pig. So maybe I should go ahead with the surgery? Anyway I would appreciate your thoughts in this community. Thank you so much. Appreciate the read and any feedback.

 

[VickiA]

I think if you’re uncertain, it would be a good idea to talk it all through with your vet.

 

[Merab]

It’s not always easy to know what to do for the best.
I agree with @VickiA - talk through your concerns with your vet.

If I have a difficult decision to make I think through the issues, make a decision and then live with it for a while to see if it feels right. If it doesn’t then I make a different choice until I do feel comfortable.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all, my Bradley is 5 and a half years old and has recently developed a smallish (thumb tip size) unattached tumour on his nipple/mammary gland. It has been checked by my vet (who is an exotics vet, knows guinea pigs well and is very experienced). We discussed the many options of operating to remove, monitoring, choosing not to. He of course advised that it would be best if it is removed and though I want to do what’s best for my piggy, I’m just not feeling right about putting him through a surgery- especially the anesthesia and the recovery worries me too as he’s in his 5th year. He’s just a little geriatric and it’s a tough decision. Bradley is very healthy, eats great, has great energy and spunk, loves his “paddock” as I call the cage and overall is a very well pig. So maybe I should go ahead with the surgery? Anyway I would appreciate your thoughts in this community. Thank you so much. Appreciate the read and any feedback.

Hi
If it is any consolation, I have had to have a number of five years old sows emergency spayed over the years, which is a much more invasive surgery. They have all come through this fine.
My so far oldest sow was just one month short of 7 years who needed a 5 cm large burst cyst with potential cancer concerns removed from her bum (of course the cyst had to put on a sudden growth spurt and burst while my piggy savvy vet was on summer holiday for a month...) Anyway, she survived her op and went on to live a while longer.

Compared to that, the lump removal of a small lump is a lot less invasive as it sits just under skin and the operation is much easier and therefore quicker - which means there is a comparatively good operation success rate for mammary tumor removal; the smaller, the easier to get them out.

The one thing about mammary tumors I would like to point out is that they will keep on growing. Unlike a cyst or an abscess, they will not burst but they can grow so large that a guinea pig is no longer able to stand on all four legs.

We cannot make the decision for you of course and you are always welcome to ask your vet any questions about the op and recovery. Every procedure is in the end always a leap of faith.

I wish you and your boy all the best.
PS: We have got a post-op care guide with practical tips for when your bo is back home if you wish to. Here is the link if need it: Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[Jade&co]

Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts and knowledge