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Mass On Lung

MishImpossible

MishImpossible

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
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Location
Aberdeen
Our little Fonzie bear died today. He'd been having from the beginning of the week onwards which I could not find any information on. I'd like to post here just in case someone else can benefit from what happened to me? I hope that's ok?

His symptoms were:
  • Lethargy
  • Not eating/drinking
  • Looking puffy in the corner
He was checked at the vet (the rather awesome Kevin Barclay at Ashgrove Vets in Aberdeen) and his chest sounded clear, he could feel his liver a bit more than he'd like to, no swollen glands or lymph nodes, no discharge from the eyes or nose and his teeth looked a bit overgrown. He wanted to put him under so he could check his teeth properly. I picked him up the following day and he seemed a bit perkier. I was syringe feeding him critical care and he had Zantac and Emerprid before I went to bed.

The next morning, his breathing was really laboured. He sounded like a coffee machine making coffee - it was a weird noise, there's no other way for me to describe it. I took him to see my local emergency vet who gave him an antibiotic.

My afternoon vet's appointment showed that the problem was in his thorax and not an URI but a mass on his lung. The x-ray showed that the heart had been pushed out of the way a little because of this mass and that the outcome was not good. There was no other option but to stop his suffering. I current have him in a pet carrier in my living room until we can go to my folks tomorrow and bury him. It sucks.

I've heard this type of thing is rare in guinea pigs so wanted to post about it so when other owner are frantically googling at 12am, something comes up in the search results.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing his story though in the hope that it will help other pigs.
 
Oh how awful :soz: At least it was only from the beginning of the week - it sounds like you've got a really good vet there!
Rest in peace Fonzie Bear, over the rainbow bridge :hug:
 
thank you for sharing your bad and sad experience... writing about rare diseases always help other people and can help also a lot of doctors. Of course I am very sorry for your loss, especially when it was caused by a great bad luck and such a rare disease...
Explaining all the details as you have done, despite your sadness, is the best thing for helping other owners...
Hugs to you!
 
I am so sorry to hear your sad news. Thank you for sharing his symptoms at such a difficult time for you.
RIP Fonzie.
 
I am very sorry for your loss.

Thank you for sharing your story. Sadly internal growths make themselves all too often only known when it is too late. You were very unlucky in that yours was in an inoperable place and that it shared the same symptoms with any serious sudden onset pneumonia or build up of fluid in the chest from sudden acute heart failure. Only a vet is able to make a proper diagnosis with a stethoscope and/or a mostly conscious scan. :(

It always leaves you shaken when you get a horrible diagnosis like that and can only give your piggy the last, kindest but most heart-breaking gift of all.

You are welcome to post a tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right for you to treasure the happier time or to mourn the loss specifically.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. You made the bravest and kindest decision. Sadly internal tumours can be difficult to diagnose until they are causing obvious problems. RIP Fonzie Bear x
 
Thank you everyone for your kind words. We're going to bury him today, in a nice spot at my parents.
 
I am so sorry for the loss of your little one, you really did all you could. Massive hugs to you. x

Sleep well little one

RIP Fonzie
x x
 
RIP little guy.

This happened to one of my pigs years ago. It wasn't discovered until post mortem. He had so many issues that we wanted to know what had happened to him.

We didn't know what caused it but I do kind of suspect it being a cancer, possibly brought on by my parents smoking.
 
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