Tumor near kidney

[Pinkbaldrat]

I took one of my guinea pigs (Momo) to the vet today after he started acting weird. He wasnt eating and was sleeping too much so i got really worried. At the vet the doctor told me he bas a lump in his abdomen near his kidney. They dont know if its attached to his kidney or not or if its malignant. They didn't wanna do an aspiration in fear that the tumor might bleed. They told me that they had to do an exploratory laparotomy to see what its attached to and if its spread. I dont know if i want to do the surgery in case it goes wrong and he dies. But at the same time what if gets better and makes it trough?
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do and I'm really worried. Does anyone have any advice or any similar experiences?

Thank you in advance <3

 

[Freela]

I'm so sorry... it's always such a hard decision to make. Did they already do imaging (x-ray or ultrasound?) Or are they making the diagnosis based on palpating his abdomen alone. If no imaging has been done first, I might see if that is at all possible, depending on cost and whether they have the equipment (I'm in Ontario too, I know sometimes getting imaging on small pets is either not readily available or really, REALLY expensive.) But you might get more information before starting the exploratory surgery.

My other thought is that, although surgery is scary and has risks, he's already sick enough that you can see he's unwell. His chances if left alone may not be too great either. In that sense, the surgery might be the lesser risk in the long term, if that makes sense.

Again, so sorry you're dealing with this. It's not a fun decision to have to make. I hope he does well and it's a benign issue.

 

[Wiebke]

I took one of my guinea pigs (Momo) to the vet today after he started acting weird. He wasnt eating and was sleeping too much so i got really worried. At the vet the doctor told me he bas a lump in his abdomen near his kidney. They dont know if its attached to his kidney or not or if its malignant. They didn't wanna do an aspiration in fear that the tumor might bleed. They told me that they had to do an exploratory laparotomy to see what its attached to and if its spread. I dont know if i want to do the surgery in case it goes wrong and he dies. But at the same time what if gets better and makes it trough?
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do and I'm really worried. Does anyone have any advice or any similar experiences?

Thank you in advance <3

Hi and welcome

HUGS

I am very sorry having to tell you this but any internal growths don't just disappear or get better by themselves, whether it is a tumor or an abscess or whatever. They usually just continue to grow and impact on the other tightly packed organs or at the worst burst and cause fatal internal infection (peritonitis). It is hard getting the kind of news that no loving owner ever wants to hear and having to get your head around it.

You basically have the choice between risking a rather expensive operation that may or may not be successful or terminal care for however long your boy has got to live; it very much depends on where the lump is and its nature. It is sadly very much a 'between a rock or a hard place choice' and there is no easy option. The fact that your boy has already stopped eating and needs urgently hay fibre based support feed to be kept alive and retain some fighting strength means that he is in considerable discomfort. Has your vet done a scan to see what exactly is going on or just felt the lump? And have they given you pain medication?
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

If you do not want to risk an very expensive operation that may not come off and rather consider terminal care and euthanasia to spare him any unnecessary suffering, then you do not have to feel guilty - both options are perfectly valid and have their own pros and cons. I have gone either way with piggies of mine provided that the operation had an overall better than 50% success rate and the piggy was a younger one; otherwise I have preferred euthanasia or terminal care, depending on how badly any internal growth was already impacting on the body (loss of appetite and lethargy means that it is already impacting fully).

You may find this link below helpful. It doesn't make easy reading but it will hopefully be a supportive guide to talk you through all the issues you are facing to help you make your own decision with a clearer mind but sadly not a less aching heart. However, reaching a thought-through decision is going to make some aspects of the grieving process easier on you, so it is worth it for you making peace with yourself in the long term when your mind and your heart eventually come together again.
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

Again, I am very sorry. We all wish for a magic happy way out in these kinds of circumstances; unfortunately there are situations where this is not possible. Guinea pigs are prey animals and can suppress illness to an amazing degree. That unfortunately often means that by the time their pain is too great to suppress anymore, it is also very late to save them; especially when it is not a straight forward operation to get the lump out.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Just wanted to say I’m so sorry for you and Momo It’s a very hard choice to make, if you trust your vet be guided by him.
My Ted at nearly 6 years old was found to have a enlarged kidneys (the vet wasn’t sure if a tumour or large stone)and because of his age and dental problems we decided on palliative care. We only had a week with him as he was showing signs of disfomfort so decided to have him PTS.