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Trichofolliculoma Tumor

N

Niblet

New Born Pup
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Oct 30, 2022
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Location
USA
Hi! My little piggie, Niblet, and I, Kimmy, are in the USA. I found your forum on the website. On Wednesday, I found what I thought was a lesion/scab on him and immediately took him to the University of Illinois Veterinary teaching hospital. I was told it was suspected trichofolliculoma tumor. But, they really couldn't answer any of my questions. The tumor just looks like discolored (burgundy) skin and is not raised. Can anyone provide /answer the following ...

1. provide any literature on this condition
2. provide examples of grade/stage of these tumors
3. how aggressive are these tumors, i.e. how fast do they grow
4. at what point is surgery indicated
5. do these tumors regrow after surgical removal ... from what I read on your forum, some do :-(
6. if they regrow, how soon after surgical removal do they regrow ... I read that some regrew after 3 months

The U of I wants to do surgery on him but they are not sure he will survive. He is 3 years and 4 months. And, he is a petite American. And, it will cost $1,000 or more. I don't mind paying the money for my little Nibby but he just seems traumatized from the visit ... doesn't want cuddles or rubs. I can't imagine how he would feel if they do surgery on him! We have one specialist vet in town but the last time he got sick (sat in corner and wouldn't eat or drink), I called them and they couldn't see him for a week; knew I couldn't wait that long so took him to U of I; for that reason don't want to take him there. The next closest specialist (pocket pal/exotics vet) is about 3 hrs away.

Any recommendations, much appreciated!
 
I don't have experience of this condition so can't answer your questions around it. However, in terms of surgery, chances of survival are increased when you have an otherwise healthy piggy and when the operating vet is experienced. Not just experienced in the surgery but with guinea pigs.
If your piggy is not yet showing signs of illness e.g. lack of appetite, lowered poop output, hunching, sitting in the corner etc, then I would usually say it's better to have the surgery before those signs appear but it also means that you may have time on your side to seek out a specialist who may have the experience level to get a better outcome from the surgery. I say MAY have the time, obviously the downside with anything like this is it's not always possibly to know what, if any, damage has been done internally as a result of the tumour so far.
 
I am not qualified to answer your questions but someone on here will be able to. Al I can say is that I send you healing vibes and hope you and Niblet get a good outcome. The stress of not knowing and feeling helpless is heartbreaking. xx
 
Lady Kelly said:
I don't have experience of this condition so can't answer your questions around it. However, in terms of surgery, chances of survival are increased when you have an otherwise healthy piggy and when the operating vet is experienced. Not just experienced in the surgery but with guinea pigs.
If your piggy is not yet showing signs of illness e.g. lack of appetite, lowered poop output, hunching, sitting in the corner etc, then I would usually say it's better to have the surgery before those signs appear but it also means that you may have time on your side to seek out a specialist who may have the experience level to get a better outcome from the surgery. I say MAY have the time, obviously the downside with anything like this is it's not always possibly to know what, if any, damage has been done internally as a result of the tumour so far.
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Thank you for such a quick reply! I tried to find some info myself this weekend but unable to find much. Little Nibby is health ... they just said that age is not on his side, for a petite GP. The vet is a zoological / wildlife vet not a pocket pal vet; a BIG concern of mine. Nibby not lacking in appetite; they actually told me to watch his appetite; he is a little chunky. They said / and what I read, is it is a skin tumor that is benign. Again, thanks so much.
 
munchmonster said:
I am not qualified to answer your questions but someone on here will be able to. Al I can say is that I send you healing vibes and hope you and Niblet get a good outcome. The stress of not knowing and feeling helpless is heartbreaking. xx
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You hit the nail on the head re stress; unbelievable! Thanks so much for the support; much appreciated!
 
Three and half is not particularly old for a guinea pig. It's pretty much middle aged. I would not think that age would be a major factor in the surgical recovery. General anaesthesia is always a risk with guinea pigs, of course, but there are many guinea pigs on here who have come through it fine, including pigs older than your Niblet.


I would ask them what the prognosis is with and without surgery. If it is a benign tumor, does it affect his quality of life to leave it? Every procedure is about weighing pros and cons. It sounds like you need more information on what those are. I'm afraid I cannot help much with that, as I've never heard of the condition before. I would probably call the other specialist and get a second opinion ... or at least find out what the wait would be to get in. Try calling first thing in the morning, as you may be able to nab a cancellation or emergency appointment.
 
Princess Dustmop said:
Three and half is not particularly old for a guinea pig. It's pretty much middle aged. I would not think that age would be a major factor in the surgical recovery. General anaesthesia is always a risk with guinea pigs, of course, but there are many guinea pigs on here who have come through it fine, including pigs older than your Niblet.


I would ask them what the prognosis is with and without surgery. If it is a benign tumor, does it affect his quality of life to leave it? Every procedure is about weighing pros and cons. It sounds like you need more information on what those are. I'm afraid I cannot help much with that, as I've never heard of the condition before. I would probably call the other specialist and get a second opinion ... or at least find out what the wait would be to get in. Try calling first thing in the morning, as you may be able to nab a cancellation or emergency appointment.
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I didn't think he was particularly old, either. I had the same thought -- middle aged. But, he is my first guinea pig. I've sent an email to the U of I - head of the clinic with my direct questions requesting direct answers. I have a friend in Indianapolis -- I'm going to have her scope out pocket pal vets over there -- I'm 3 hrs drive away from there, why we went to U of I.
 
Hi and welcome

Trichofolliculoma is a not at all uncommon skin problem in guinea pigs but it is still mostly diagnosed and treated as a 'cyst' or 'lump' in the skin so you won't find loads of information on it.
The recognition of this condition is a result of generally improved diagnostics in recent years with guinea pig still sadly lagging well behind other pet species in that respect.

What has tripped you and other posters on this thread up is the word 'tumor'. Medically, it simply means a non-infective swelling or abnormal growth. The automatic connection with cancer comes mainly from our every day vernacular use, which only covers a certain section of what a tumor can be.

More crucially for you: A trichofolliculoma tumor is a benign condition and is not cancerous.
It is basically an extra skin cell growth at the bottom of a hair follicle.
Here is a bit more information: Guinea Lynx :: Trichofolliculoma

Operative removal is usually not very difficult and the post-op recovery rate is pretty good, mostly depending on the experience with small furries ops of the operating vet and their post-op recovery nursing team rather than on the condition itself (i.e managing the GA and the recovery from general anaesthesia).
Unless the location is close to a sensitive area, it is actually one of the least risky operations as it only affects the skin in its deeper layers but is not cutting into the body itself or coming close to any vital organs.

Overweight in guinea pigs (i.e. a layer of yellow fat around the inner organs) can be an added operation risk in piggies just as much as in humans. However, it is more crucial in bigger operations.
Tips For Post-operative Care
Weight - Monitoring and Management - see especially chapter 3 about working out the individual size : weight ratio (i.e. feeling for the 'heft' or BMI in order to determine whether your piggy is overweight or not)

PS: My two oldest piggies needing an operation were lump removals - one of a burst large 2 inch cyst in a sow just short of 7 years (which the treating vet and I had hoped would stay put and had kept under observation for 2 years beforehand due to her age) and one of a burst and infected sabaceous cyst right next to the genitalia in a 6 year old sow; both did make a full recovery despite their age and lived a while longer - including celeelbrating their 7th birthdays if that helps you with putting a comparable operation into perspective.
 
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